Natalie Romano

I attribute my success to having very strong mentors throughout my career who pushed me into ensuring that I had visibility and that my voice was heard. That voice has resulted in the role that I have today. It's really not one particular achievement, but a bunch of little things that resulted in something that got me here. My education has been observing and watching and learning from others - that has been the most impactful to my career. While I went to college, what I learned there doesn't really apply every day in terms of my role. Instead, it's been more about micro-learning - courses on conflict resolution in today's world and interpersonal skills, which are so much more important than technical skills. I do have certifications in all of our technology solutions and our competitors, I'm certified in PMP, and most recently I got AI certified through Google and through Microsoft. But truly, my education has been just observing and watching and learning from others. I also belong to several professional organizations including Leanin.org, Professional Women of America, and Cloud Girls, which focuses on women in STEM that are adopting AI. My involvement with Hope Store and other nonprofits focused on domestic violence prevention and children's causes has also been meaningful to me.

I'd say go for it. Make sure that you learn all aspects of what you're looking to do, and treat the lowest person in the organization the same as you would the highest person in the organization, because that's building your relationships along the way.

Right now, one of the biggest challenges and opportunities in my field is the rapid pace of change, especially with the rise of AI and ongoing industry transformation. In this environment, I see the importance of intentionally building and maintaining a strong personal brand, as it helps ensure that my experience, value, and contributions remain visible and relevant. As roles and tools evolve quickly, having a clear professional identity allows me to stay adaptable, continue growing with the changes, and avoid becoming lost in the broader shift brought on by AI-driven disruption.

In my professional and personal life, I value treating everyone with respect, regardless of their role or position, as I believe this is essential to building strong, lasting relationships. I have been fortunate to gain experience across many areas of business—including sales, marketing, delivery, service, and support—as a customer, manufacturer, and partner, which has given me a well-rounded perspective that I apply in everything I do. My accomplishments include being selected multiple times for a Circle of Excellence award as a sales engineer, which is especially meaningful in a support role, but I consider my greatest success to be the mentors who have helped elevate my voice and visibility within my organization. On a personal level, being a mother to my daughter Grace, who is 16 and recently started driving, is my greatest joy, and I am also deeply committed to supporting domestic violence prevention and children’s charities such as Hope Store, Children’s Charities, and St. Jude’s to help women and children access the support they need.