Influential Woman · Sales

Erica Ellis

Client Strategy Manager, PwC

Ontario, CA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management and Operations from UC Riverside Degree MBA in Marketing Management from Pepperdine University

Her Story

About Erica

I've spent 17 years in sales and management, and it's been an incredible journey of growth. My work is very dynamic - I review my schedule the night before and plan for the day ahead, and on Mondays I take a look at the rest of my week to ensure I have every system in place to execute on whatever is coming at me. I'm in a very dynamic industry where I cater to client needs that are constantly changing, so I have to be able to pivot and plan accordingly. One of my most notable professional achievements has been standing up a sales organization optimization that didn't exist before - I think that's the most pivotal thing I've done. What I love most about my career is that it's not mundane, it's constantly changing, and I find that to be exciting. I really enjoy working with Fortune 500 companies and listening to how they think. I'm quirky, I'm fun, and I love adventure. I'm constantly looking for my next trip. I love to snowboard and I like to be outside. I'm a mother and I'm a pet lover.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Erica

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to great leadership and having a sounding board and mentors. Someone you can trust, even if it's outside of your organization, but someone you can trust to even vent to and talk about any challenges that you're facing. I think that that has really helped propel me and gain confidence in my roles over the years. I think that that's invaluable.

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

The best career advice I've ever received is to be flexible. This kind of goes with the common theme here, but be flexible. I have not always been flexible, so I think that has been most impactful.

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

Don't be afraid to raise your hand and speak up and ask challenging questions. I think that as women, we tend to stand in the shadow a little bit more, because we don't want to be seen as aggressive or emotional. But we deserve a seat at the table, and in that seat, we are allowed to ask questions. We are allowed to challenge others.

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

With the changing landscape of our economy and our government, it's constantly changing day by day. And with that, as you've seen, there's been intensive layoffs, so it's really just learning how to adapt in this environment. For me, I'm really looking at what my organization is doing and how we're responding, because that tells me where I need to pivot next, if I do need to pivot. So I'm constantly meeting with friends and colleagues who are in other parts of the business, asking them, you know, what are you doing? What is it looking like? That way, if I need to pivot, I can go there.

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

Being trustworthy and being reliable are the two most important values to me. I really appreciate when a client, or even my colleagues come back to me that have worked on projects maybe years ago, and they come back and say, hey, I need your help on this, I don't trust anyone else to do this, can I bring you in? And I think that that is so valuable.

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