The WIT Network
Event Registration - The WIT Network

WIT Works Webinar - Executive Springboard: The Chief of Staff Role as a Catalyst for Women in Leadership
11/19/2024
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST


Location: Virtual





Event Description

This WIT Works Webinar is open to all members of The WIT Network, including those with Community Memberships.

This session will explore the pivotal Chief of Staff role and how women can use it as a strategic position to hone critical skills, build a strong network, and create visibility required to take on executive roles. Diane Boettcher and Sonia Wadhwa, both of whom are very experienced Chiefs of Staff at Microsoft, will engage in a conversation to delve into how this position can serve as a powerful launchpad for aspiring women to unlock their potential and reach the highest echelons of leadership. Whether you aspire to be a C-level executive or are simply looking to strengthen your leadership arsenal, this session is your guide to climbing the corporate ladder with confidence and competence.
 
After participating in the webinar, attendees will walk away with:

  1. Appreciation of how the Chief of Staff role serves as a strategic position for gaining deep insights into corporate operations and executive decision-making.
  2. Understanding of the skill sets and attributes required to be successful in the Chief of Staff role.
  3. Awareness of challenges and opportunities for women who choose to take this role.
  4. A roadmap for professional development and growth via the experiences they can gain from this role to ascend to higher leadership positions
  5. Insights into building and fostering mentorship and sponsorship relationships that can support career advancement as they navigate the path to next levels of leadership.
About Sonia
Sonia Wadhwa is a Senior Director and Chief of Staff in the Commercial Solutions CTO org in the Microsoft Customer and Partner (MCAPS) group. She's responsible for running the E2E business operations of the CTO org and drives cross-functional strategic programs, business OKRs, workforce planning, employee engagement and internal / external communications. She has spent several years of her career leading teams of up to 300 people and building online and instructor-led learning/training solutions, and technical content development for several Azure products on docs.microsoft.com.

In addition to her day job, Sonia has been a leader in women's communities at Microsoft, most recently as a co-chair of the Global Women @ Microsoft ERG, and is now a co-lead for the Life Without Lines Extended group, a community of senior women in technology roles.

As a strong advocate of Diversity and Inclusion, Sonia is passionate about hiring and nurturing diverse talent, fostering career growth, and providing mentorship opportunities. She has lead the development of mentoring and leadership development programs and continues to mentor people that are looking for career growth opportunities as managers or individual contributors. She is also an advisor and supporter for women-owned businesses that align with her mission of empowering women in technology.

About Diane
Diane Boettcher was one of the first women to earn her Wings of Gold, as a Naval Flight Officer in 1990. On active duty, Diane flew with Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1) based in Guam, and forward deployed to Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Singapore. In the Navy Reserve, Diane commanded five times as an Information Professional, and deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan for a short tour in 2006. Diane served as the Chief of Staff for the Information Warfare Reserve Command. She retired as a Navy Captain (O6).
 
Diane has been delivering technical solutions in the Defense Industry since leaving the active duty Navy in 1999. She has led programs for Special Operations, the Joint Staff, and Africa Command. She has assisted Defense agencies and the Navy with Knowledge Management and collaboration. At Microsoft since 2015, Diane has led large teams in the United States and Singapore. She is currently the Director of Business Management for Industry Solutions Delivery, Americas.
 
In every position, across three continents, Diane has created opportunities and lifted up the women in the organizations.


Tuesday, November 19, 2024             
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time