Lisa Healey, Sales Leader at Node4, shares her inspiring journey in the tech industry, from humble beginnings to a leadership role. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of being a woman in tech, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship, and the potential of AI to revolutionize the workplace. Healey emphasizes the need for increased female leadership in AI, highlighting the unique perspectives and contributions women can bring to the field. She provides valuable advice for young women aspiring to careers in tech and encourages them to embrace opportunities, develop essential skills, and build strong networks.

devmio: How did you transition from supporting a wider sales team to becoming Node4’s Sales Leader? What were the key steps and skills that helped you in this progression?

Lisa Healey: As someone that didn’t follow a conventional career path, I’ve always believed that every work experience, no matter how humble, is a learning opportunity – and that the skills and experiences you acquire in every role you undertake will serve you well at some point in the future.

Having left school at 16, my first job involved supporting a sales team by undertaking tasks like handling billing enquires and placing orders. Alongside gaining a deep understanding of how these roles contribute significantly to customer satisfaction and performance, I was able to observe up close what it takes to build a successful sales team. For me, it’s creating a collaborative environment where open and honest communication is encouraged.

Ultimately, you never know where your career path will lead you – the trick is to apply the skills and insights you’ve gained along the way to whatever opportunity is waiting in the wings.

devmio: What are you most proud of achieving in your 20 years in the tech industry? Can you share a specific accomplishment that has significantly impacted your career?

Lisa Healey: Winning my first million-pound deal was definitely a stand-out moment. And it was one that resulted in me moving from account management to a sales leadership role. While I may have been the one that was in the spotlight, getting the deal over the line was a team effort that involved a lot of people across the organisation working collaboratively together to craft an offer that exactly met the needs of the client.

I’ve never forgotten how important it is to motivate every member of the tactical team that’s brought together to work on a deal. Their unique perspectives and problem-solving skills are key to successfully progressing through each step of the sales process.

devmio: Who has been your most influential mentor or role model throughout your career? What qualities did they possess that inspired you?

Lisa Healey: I was employee #5 at a small IT organisation where the CEO was truly inspirational. His determination, passion, vision and sense of teamwork gave us all a common purpose with clear goals and expectations. His favourite saying was ‘we win deals together, we lose deals together’, an ethos that highlighted how everyone’s contribution mattered and that I still carry with me today.

That said, my own personal experiences of negative leadership behaviours have also shaped the dos and the don’ts of my management style today. For example, having been on the receiving end of temper tantrums and unreasonable work-related demands that saw me working through weekends, I know exactly how stressful and demotivating that feels. As a result, I take care to respect work/home boundaries and ensure everyone is constructively supported to work at their best.

devmio: What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the tech industry? How did you overcome these obstacles and maintain your career momentum?

Lisa Healey: Earlier in my career, I felt I always had to be ‘available’ 24/7. As a result, I missed a number of key life moments – birthdays, funerals, school plays, parent evenings – when the priority should have been connecting with friends and family. This understanding influences my management style today.

The other key challenge I had to manage was imposter syndrome, especially when a customer tried to bamboozle me with technical questions! To overcome this, I did a lot of reading up on technical topics, so I felt confident and knowledgeable enough to argue my case. Plus, I never hesitated to say ‘let me bring a technical expert in to talk this through with you’ if I was embroiled in a particularly testing customer encounter.

devmio: What strategies have you found effective in finding good sponsors and building a supportive network within the tech industry?

Lisa Healey: In the early days, I had several male allies who were supportive of me as a woman in the tech industry. They saw a strong female with ambition and drive and were happy to open doors to key customer contacts or workstreams because they believed I would represent them well.

Today, I’m happy to say my network features a fantastic blend of men and women of all ages, from all backgrounds, working in a variety of roles. For me, this is a manifestation of my personal mantra: there is value to be gained from engaging with individuals – no matter how humble their role – and nurturing meaningful connections.

devmio: How can the tech industry foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for women, especially in the AI space?

Lisa Healey: I think everyone would benefit from upskilling in AI and exploring it in a more considered way – not just women. AI represents a transformative moment in the workplace and businesses need to prepare now, or risk getting left behind. To help demolish these barriers, we need to create more safe spaces – such as round tables and events – where men and women alike can educate themselves on potential AI use cases, openly discuss their experiences in tech, and explore wider thinking on the topic.

Since most of us are already using AI in some form or another today – think Alexa or assistants on your mobile phone or laptop – we need to break down misconceptions that AI is a difficult or extremely technical field to get to grips with. Instead, we educate people on the real-world applications of AI and its value for business. In this way we can build everyone’s confidence around how and where to deploy AI.

devmio: Why are you particularly passionate about increasing female leaders’ confidence in AI? What do you believe are the unique challenges and opportunities for women in this field?

Lisa Healey: I recently came across this report that found around 60% of SMBs were excited about the business efficiencies that AI could enable. In the same report, 26% of male leaders said they were very confident about their capabilities in this space compared to just 9% of female leaders. This stark gender gap really struck me.

Many female business leaders I speak to are concerned about the backlash that might result if AI initiatives they’ve spearheaded fail to deliver anticipated outcomes. As a result, they are procrastinating about how to move forward.

As someone working in the tech sector, I think we need to lead the way with education, round table discussions and peer-to-peer networks that will help female (and male) business leaders overcome self-doubt and understand what AI transformation might look like for their organisation. That includes navigating the key building blocks and data foundations their organisations will need to put in place to effectively exploit this technology.

The key message here is rather than being intimidated by the technical intricacies of AI, think instead about how AI could enhance productivity and operational efficiency at your organisation and enable your people to work smarter.

devmio: What advice would you give to young women who are interested in pursuing careers in tech? What skills or qualities should they focus on developing?

Lisa Healey: Find sponsors, build a network, attend events, and develop your skills, confidence and resilience. Don’t be afraid to pivot and explore new or unexpected opportunities and adopt a growth mindset. Never underestimate the benefits of non-coercive soft power: active listening, building relationships, and being authentic and true to yourself. When you’re invited to the table, take that seat and sit where you want to sit. You’ve earned that place and you’re there for a reason.

devmio: Is there a specific tech topic or emerging trend that you’re particularly interested in learning more about?

Lisa Healey: As you might have gathered, I’m a passionate advocate for AI. Today’s co-pilots and personal assistants can capture and transcribe business meetings, create action points and generate proposals in a matter of minutes, releasing people to get on with more value-add tasks and activities.

Similarly, AI opens the door to improved workplace inclusivity. AI technologies can play a crucial role in supporting neurodiverse employees by delivering up personalised learning and adaptive work environments that enable these workers to leverage their unique talents and creative thinking skills.

Research has found that neurodivergent individuals can be 30% more productive than their neurotypical colleagues, are less prone to cognitive bias and are usually more consistent in rational decision-making. So, it’s no surprise that many global companies are now actively recruiting people with a range of cognitive variations.

As businesses wake up to the value of neuro inclusion, today’s assistive AI tools can level the playing field for these workers and make the workplace easier to navigate.