Influential Woman · Telecom Expense Management

Colleen Busby

Data Consultant, Calero

Phoenix, AZ

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute

Her Story

About Colleen

I've been in my field for over 20 years, working across data analysis, accounting, and software. My career really started at Bank of America, where I spent almost 10 years in debit card operations. We implemented software to help manage debit card claims, and I did everything from escalations to high-dollar claims. After that, I worked for Waste Management as an accounting specialist, then moved to Endurance where I helped people buy software and set up their websites. My last position was at Calero, where I worked for 7 years. I started as a data analyst, became a senior data analyst, and then spent the last 2 years as a data consultant. My role combined software design and development with accounting. I managed people, did coaching and reporting, managed their performances, and also did the hands-on work - processing invoices and disputes, anything related to telecom expense management. We managed large companies' telecom expenses, and they could buy our software and our people to run it instead of doing it themselves. We did a lot of testing, enhancements, upgrades, and troubleshooting. We worked closely with AP departments, sometimes paying invoices for clients, sometimes just running batches for their AP teams. My proudest achievement was working with one client for over 5 years. When I started, we only managed their United States billing, but I helped implement and create the data and processes for about 8 additional regions including Asia, UK, Dubai, and Australia. The fact that we kept that client and made things better for them, and that I stayed on that account for my entire career at the company because the client really loved me - that means everything to me.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Colleen

01What do you attribute your success to?

I would say I have to bust my ass to take care of my kid. I'm a single mom, and he's grown now with his own life and job, and he even helps me. But knowing that I had to take care of him, first and foremost, is what drove me to never stop. That responsibility, that need to provide for him no matter what, kept me pushing forward through everything.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received actually came from my cooking days. I was in school, and there was this little short chef from Hawaii. They were making fried dough in the fryer, and the chef told me, 'Colleen, don't eat that shit.' It sounds funny, but it really applies to everything. Don't consume what's bad for you, whether that's literally food or figuratively in your career and life. It's about making smart choices and not taking in things that will harm you in the long run.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Be as cutthroat as the men are. That's what you have to do in the corporate world. You just have to be as cutthroat as they are. And you know what? When you are, men and people in the corporate world don't know how to handle it. We're born multitaskers, and we really push businesses forward. I've seen that in my career - the majority of the people that I work with are women. And yet, we're paid less. It's wild how that works. But you also need to know that it doesn't always require you to go to college. I didn't even have a degree in what I did, even though my position required a master's degree. I got it because I had the experience. Women should know that too.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The challenge is AI, to be honest. It's the worst thing for people. It's going to take our jobs, especially anything to do with computers and software. I literally just got laid off on Tuesday because AI took my job. That's the biggest challenge. And the way the world is today, the companies I worked for care about the bottom dollar. They didn't care about the people, and that was very challenging for me. These corporations are focused on profit at the expense of the workforce, and that's creating a really difficult environment for professionals in my field.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

What values are important to me are embracing the people that work for you, that work for the company, that put their all into it, that spend long nights and long hours and really care about the company. Really valuing the people in the business, not just the business. That's huge for me, because you can't drive a business without the people, unless it's all going to be AI, which is not even going to be possible in my opinion. Just valuing your workforce is critical. And then inclusion is very important. I think that in today's world, women are being pushed out and paid less. Putting value on people - that's what matters most to me. My focus is going to continue to be to help people and empower people, because people are what's important to me.

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