Her Story
About Katie
Katie Matich is the head of delivery at her company, where she oversees all delivery operations and works to align clients, teammates, and leadership toward shared goals. She is set to be promoted to CRO by the end of the year, a milestone she has pursued throughout her career. With an associate's degree from a community college in Arizona, Matich has built her professional expertise solely through hands-on experience in the cybersecurity and sales industry. She attributes her success to her stubborn persistence, including a pivotal decision to take the most technical role in the most technical industry after receiving feedback that she was not technical enough. Matich values trust, dependability, and accountability in her work, striving to ensure her team never feels isolated. She advises professionals, especially women in cyber and sales, to openly seek help when they do not know something and to remain receptive to guidance from colleagues at all levels.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Katie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm very stubborn. I just don't give up. I just keep going. A big turning point was when someone told me I wasn't technical enough for a job, so I took the most technical job in the most technical industry and worked my ass off to prove that person wrong.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Good advice doesn't always come from someone above you. A mentor doesn't always have to be a leader. It can come from the person next to you or below you. You have to be open to working and listening with humans at all levels or you'll miss out on a good chance to continue to build yourself.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To not be afraid to tell somebody when you don't know something. There's real value in going to your colleagues and letting somebody know that you don't know the answer to something and you could use their help. Women especially in cyber and sales get concerned that if they speak up or say they don't know something it will come back negatively, so create a culture where people are allowed to share their shortcomings to get help from other women.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Everything is moving so fast into AI. It's hard to see through the noise of what's really going to stand out and work and what's not. Helping other clients know what the right direction to take has been really fun to learn about but also a challenge.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trust is definitely a huge one. I want my team members to trust me and to be able to find me dependable and accountable. I don't ever want them to feel like they're alone on an island. Accountability is the biggest part. In my personal life, I want my wife, my family to be able to say that they can depend on me in any situation.
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