Jennifer Marie Mount

Being given a chance, long before I knew I could do it, and being willing to take those chances!

I have been fortunate to have strong relationships throughout my life and career. Mentors, leaders, colleagues, and family members have believed in me, supported me, challenged me, opened doors, and sometimes seen potential in me before I saw it in myself. Those relationships have contributed enormously to my success.

I have also learned to stay curious, adapt, and be willing to step into something new without having all the answers. You don't have to know everything on day one. You do have to be willing to listen, learn quickly, work hard, and take the chance when it comes.

I am going to answer this one my way and give you three pieces of advice :)

First, there is a big world out there, challenge your worldviews, stay curious, and keep growing your mind. Have a perspective and use your voice, but don't become so invested in being "right" that you stop listening and learning. You do not need to be the smartest person in the room.

Second, there is plenty of room for all of us. Life and leadership are not competitions. Cheer for others while you're waiting for your own success, and keep cheering long after you've found it. Someone else's success doesn't diminish yours.

And third: network! I can't overstate how important relationships are. Get to know people, stay connected, and build genuine relationships throughout your career, not simply because of what someone might be able to do for you, but because there is so much we can learn from and do for one another!

Fr women entering my industry, or any industry... stay curious, and don't wait until you feel completely ready before taking on something new. Take the opportunity, even when it scares you a little. Some of the best opportunities in my career have required me to learn as I went.

And do not be afraid to fail. Be willing to fail spectacularly because you went for it! Then get up, dust yourself off, learn from it, and try again. Fear of failure can keep us playing it safe, and you don't discover what you are truly capable of by always playing it safe.

Build strong relationships with people you can learn from, but also develop confidence in your own perspective. Understand the business, not just your function. And when you have the opportunity to open a door or bring someone else along with you, do it!

AI is both a challenge and an opportunity. It is everywhere. It is creating uncertainty, changing our work, and making certain parts of our roles unnecessary. But when used well, I believe AI can actually make us more human. It can free us from some of the constant analysis and process-driven work and give us more time to truly understand our businesses, priorities, and people.

Well-being is also both a challenge and an opportunity. People are not well right now. They are navigating stress, uncertainty, financial pressures, caregiving responsibilities, and blurred lines between work and life. Our role as Total Rewards professionals is more critical than ever. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to listen, understand what people need, and think differently about how our organizations support them.

These two things are connected for me. Technology can give us the capacity to spend less time processing and more time connecting. What we choose to do with that capacity is the real opportunity.

Family, humanity, diversity, and equity are at the center of both my personal life and my work.

My family is my foundation, and they have shaped who I am in more ways than I could capture here. Diversity is also deeply personal to me. Within my family, we have different perspectives, cultures, experiences, and needs, including profound autism, which has given me a particular appreciation for neurodiversity and the importance of seeing people as individuals.

I also believe deeply in humanity. We are people first, at work and everywhere else. That perspective influences how I lead, how I make decisions, and how I think about the programs we create.

Finally, I believe transparency can open doors to equity. Making transparency the goal requires building the foundations that make it possible. It means examining practices, understanding decisions, addressing inconsistencies, and being prepared to explain not only what we do, but why. That work creates greater accountability and, ultimately, a stronger foundation for equity.