CEO to VP: Why I Chose Impact Over Title
Why I Left the CEO Office to Become a Vice President—And Why I've Never Looked Back
When people learn that I once held a CEO position and later chose to become a Vice President, their first question is usually the same:
"Why would you do that?"
In a world that often defines success by promotions, bigger offices, and more impressive titles, the move doesn't make sense on paper. Conventional wisdom says your career should follow a straight path upward, and once you reach the top, you should never step down.
But over the course of my career, I have learned something important:
Success is not about the title you hold. It's about the impact you make.
Early in my career, like many ambitious professionals, I chased opportunity. I wanted to learn, contribute, grow businesses, and lead teams. Along that journey, I was fortunate to hold executive leadership positions, including serving as a CEO. While the role was rewarding, it also taught me a valuable lesson about leadership and fulfillment.
Being a CEO doesn't automatically mean you're in the role where you can create the greatest value.
Sometimes the greatest opportunity lies elsewhere.
When I was presented with the opportunity to join Applied Control as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, some people viewed it as a step backward. I saw it differently.
I saw a chance to join an exceptional company with a strong culture, talented people, and significant growth potential. I saw an organization where I could leverage my strengths, stretch my capabilities, and help shape the future alongside a team of leaders who shared a common vision.
Most importantly, I saw an opportunity to have an impact.
That choice required setting aside ego.
Titles can be seductive. They provide validation and recognition. They give us a simple way to explain our place in an organization. But titles alone do not create fulfillment, and they certainly don't define your worth.
What defines your career is the value you create for customers, the opportunities you create for employees, and the positive influence you have on those around you.
Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of helping drive growth initiatives, develop leaders, strengthen customer relationships, build strategic plans, and contribute to a vision that extends far beyond any one individual. The work has challenged me, energized me, and given me opportunities to make a real difference.
Ironically, by worrying less about my title, I have found far greater professional satisfaction.
I've also learned that leadership is not confined to the top office.
Some of the most influential leaders I've worked with have never been CEOs. They are the people who inspire teams through difficult situations, mentor the next generation of talent, build trust with customers, create accountability, and leave organizations stronger than they found them.
Leadership is influence, not position.
For women in particular, there is often pressure to continuously prove ourselves through promotions and titles. While advancement is important and should absolutely be pursued when it aligns with our goals, I believe we should also give ourselves permission to define success differently.
Sometimes success means choosing a role that offers greater learning.
Sometimes it means joining a stronger team.
Sometimes it means finding better alignment with your values.
Sometimes it means creating more balance for the things that matter most outside of work.
And sometimes it means taking a role that doesn't sound as impressive to others, but allows you to make a much greater impact.
Looking back, I have never regretted the decision.
The move reminded me that careers are not ladders. They are journeys. Growth does not always happen in a straight line, and success is rarely measured by a title alone.
Today, when someone asks why I moved from CEO to VP, my answer is simple:
I didn't choose a smaller role.
I chose a larger opportunity to make a difference.
And in the end, that has proven far more rewarding than any title ever could.
