International Women’s Day is important for many reasons. It’s a day to pause, celebrate and reflect. To remember how far we’ve come and inspire the continued pursuit of equality. We take this theme seriously at Sifted — and the women leaders we employ are a testament to that.
Logistics technology has historically been dominated by men, but times are changing. We sat down with a few of our women leaders to ask them about how they got to where they are today and what they’re doing to break the mold in the industry.
Ami Bensman, Chief Marketing Officer
Fun fact: Ami started her own digital marketing consulting agency right out of college.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career as a marketing leader in the tech industry?
“I knew that working at a software company would allow me to make a real impact through marketing. It’s different from when I worked with bigger consumer brands, but to me, marketing isn’t business-to-business or business-to-consumer. It’s business-to-human.”
Q: How have your mentors — both male and female — shaped your career outlook?
“I’ve had a lot of male mentors over the years and often wonder how my outlook would have changed with female mentors instead. That’s why I think it’s so important for more female leaders to step up and inspire the other women around them.”
Carrie Sandy, Vice President of Client Success
Fun fact: Carrie loves to read and looks to her favorite authors, Brené Brown and Kim Scott, for inspiration in everyday life.
Q: As a leader, what is your management philosophy?
“The phrase I look back to a lot is ‘Leadership is spelled E.X.A.M.P.L.E.’ I try not to ask my team to do anything that I am not willing to do myself.”
Q: What advice do you have for women who are still in the early stages of their careers?
“For women especially, it’s important to not let someone else’s definition of success be the goal. I try not to dwell on what others think, and instead focus on what success looks like for me and whether or not that’s going to bring me joy.”
Kari Boots, Head of Client Operations
Fun fact: Before getting her start in the supply chain industry, Kari wanted to be a radio DJ.
Q: What is a challenge you’ve faced in your career?
“Not gaining the same respect or advancing like my peers did due to circumstances I couldn’t change. As a woman in my early career, I felt like I constantly had to prove myself and work extra hours just to get ahead.”
Q: What compelled you to join Sifted?
“I was interested in Sifted because of its large presence of female leadership. When I joined, we had an equal distribution of men and women in senior leadership roles, and that was a foreign concept to me. It showed me that Sifted was serious about diversity in the workplace.”
Kim Edwards, Director of Carrier Operations
Fun fact: Since her mom used to work in logistics, Kim has been involved with the supply chain industry from the time she was a kid.
Q: Who were some of your role models growing up?
“My mother was always a strong and independent woman. Whatever a man could do, she could do. Being in the LTL (Less than truckload) industry, she was very much in a man’s world. She was a pioneer in her role, and I always looked up to her for that.”
Q: What is one of your strengths as a leader?
“I’ve always been able to recognize ‘good’ people, whether they’re good at what they do or good ethically. Throughout my career, I have surrounded myself with these people and learned from them whenever I possibly could.”
Tracey Meyer, Chief Product Officer
Fun fact: Before she was head of products at Sifted, Tracey got her start in STEM and software development.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from another leader?
“That you have to be part of the team, contribute, and understand the trenches. If you can’t understand what the people who are working for you are up against, you can’t help guide them through that.”
Q: How have you seen diversity in the workplace evolve over your career?
“When I started in 1997, the tech industry was dominated by men . Things that were acceptable back then wouldn’t fly today, which goes to show how much we’ve evolved. There’s still a ways to go, but it’s great to have more companies listening and taking action against discrimination.”
Tricia Pettyjohn, Vice President of Human Resources
Fun fact: Tricia considered many different career paths growing up, including art, interior design, and horse racing.
Q: What are some of your proudest accomplishments in your career?
“Before I joined Sifted, I was fortunate enough to be put into a leadership role at my previous company. I started in HR/Accounting and left as director of the entire HR department. That level of growth in a short time was something I am still very proud of today.”
Q: Why do you think diversity is important in the tech industry?
“Everyone has their own life experiences, whether it’s men, women, or people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. It’s important to have diversity because it brings varying perspectives together to achieve a common goal.”
Serena Williams said it well: “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” Thank you to these women, the ones that inspired them and all the future women leaders to come. We’re cheering you on.
