Teresa K. Richardson

I would say that being an athlete at Stanford University really shaped me. I was a Division I volleyball player there on scholarship, and I was an All-American and I'm in the Stanford Hall of Fame. Having that athletic background means I'm naturally disciplined and competitive, and I bring that to my work every day. I'm also a team player, and I like to say that I was born into a team because I'm the youngest of 10 kids in a big Catholic family, so I've been a team player all my life. That's super important in the corporate world, to be able to get along with all levels in a corporate environment. My differentiator from other revenue operations executives is that I have deep experience in all three main functional areas: finance, operations, and sales. I started as a controller at KPMG Consulting, then transitioned to partner sales, and then discovered that operations was a nice blend of the three. Because I have experience in all three areas, I can very easily lead and speak with financial executives and CFOs from their perspective, I'm really good in the field in terms of positioning products and enabling our field to sell, and I understand all the numbers and the data, which is super important especially in this new age of AI.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is that success comes from hard work and dedication. I firmly believe that with a strong work ethic, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence, anyone can build a successful career and become a top performer. Consistently putting in the effort, staying focused on goals, and maintaining a positive attitude have been key factors in achieving professional growth and long-term success.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to stay confident, work hard, and remain focused on their goals. This field offers great opportunities for driven women, and my experience earning the Top Performer Award and Friend of Sales Award demonstrates that dedication and perseverance can lead to success.

One of the biggest opportunities in my field is the ability to make a meaningful impact across multiple areas of the business. With experience in sales, finance, and operations, I’m able to connect teams, solve challenges, and support success throughout the organization. Being the “glue” that brings people and processes together creates tremendous value and opportunities for growth.

Being a team player is super important to me. I was born into a team as the youngest of 10 kids in a big Catholic family, so I've been a team player all my life, and that's super important in the corporate world to be able to get along with all levels in a corporate environment. I'm naturally disciplined and competitive from my athletic background, and I bring that to my work every day. I also believe it's super important to bring my A game every day, which I tried to do in raising my kids. Now that my sons are grown, I really enjoy having my freedom back and being able to work late without having to watch my clock. Outside of work, I'm passionate about my volunteer work with the Monterey County Food Bank and running 4-H agricultural gleaning projects where we go into fields that have already been harvested and collect the leftover produce to donate to the food bank so nothing goes to waste. My husband and I also do a lot of fundraising for athletic scholarships at Stanford, where we both were athletes and where we met. In my personal time, I try to be outside as much as possible, playing tennis competitively for the United States Tennis Association 3 or 4 times a week, and mountain biking with my husband.