Desi Tumpowsky

I attribute my success to curiosity and a genuine desire to be challenged. I never wanted to stay in the same role indefinitely so every couple of years, I made a point of raising my hand. Whether that meant taking on a new project, moving to a different part of the business, or collaborating with an entirely new team, I always chose growth over comfort.

That mindset has shaped everything. By consistently stepping into the unknown and refusing to get too comfortable in any one position, I've been able to develop skills and perspectives I never would have gained by staying put. It's that constant push toward new challenges that has allowed me to grow in ways that have truly made a difference - both in my own career and in the contributions I've been able to make to the organizations and teams I've been a part of.

Best advice I've recieved is - "You are in charge of your career and not someone else." Go after what you want!

Chase what you want, but be willing to start small and do the hard work to get there. If you put in the work, it is achievable -I truly believe that.

The fundamentals never go away. Networking, internships, building relationships, these are still the building blocks of a career. And don't underestimate the power of sitting down with a manager or leader, being direct about your goals, and asking for guidance on how to get there in the next two to five years. More often than not, women leaders are willing to mentor and open doors. You just have to ask.

The biggest challenge and opportunity is AI and automation. It has almost become a buzzword at this point, but the reality is more nuanced. The opportunity is real: we can still be deeply skilled at what we do and use AI as a tool to work smarter and faster. But the challenge is equally real we cannot rely on systems for everything. Authenticity, creativity, and strategic thinking are still fundamentally human, and those qualities cannot be automated.

The key is being intentional about how teams integrate AI using it in correlation with the work, not as a replacement for it.

The values that guide me both professionally and personally come down to three things: leading with integrity, being enormously resilient, and always having fun while doing the work. Resilience in particular has been a constant anchor throughout my career. There is so much change in this industry reorgs, restructuring, shifting team dynamics and the ability to adapt, bounce back, and keep moving forward without losing your integrity or your joy is what truly sustains you over the long run. Those three values have carried me through the hardest moments and kept me grounded in the best ones.

Beyond work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and my nine-year-old daughter. From daily walks in Central Park to hiking Mount Etna, we love adventure in all forms. Fun fact: I have visited 30 countries in the last ten years - travel is my passion, and experiencing new cultures and places is something I cherish deeply.