Top 3 Things I Learned from SAP's CMO Maggie Chan Jones

For the last few days I have been in Orlando, Florida - not on vacation at Disney World - but instead at SAPPHIRE NOW! This yearly conference is SAP's largest event and features partners, customers, product demos and lots of excitement. My colleague, Jacob Stark, and I, have been Social Media Ambassadors for SAP's Chief Marketing Officer, Maggie Chan Jones at this event. We have been tweeting and using Periscope to share the exciting events at SAPPHIRE NOW.

We spoke with Maggie and discussed a variety of topics. Here are the top 3 things I learned from SAP's CMO Maggie Chan Jones:

The Next Generation of Leaders Will Be Powerful: Millennials are agile, creative, digitally savvy and they have fresh ideas. The next generation of leaders will be critical to organizations as they will push boundaries and be change agents. Maggie enjoys mentoring this group of rising leaders and she thinks companies should continue to invest resources into developing the next generation.

Being Your Authentic Self is Important: In order to be successful, you have to be yourself. Determine your goals and be true to who you are. Embrace your differences and know that leaders at SAP want you to succeed and they want to help you – all you have to do is ask.

Advice on Pursuing a Successful Career in Marketing: Marketing touches all parts of the organization. Get your foot in the door by starting out in an area like product marketing or any area that you feel passionately about. Follow your heart so you can follow your passion. Do not be self-critical, and instead take risks and ask for guidance and mentorship.

Fellow 2014 Duke MBA, Jacob Stark and I, have had a phenomenal time at SAPPHIRE NOW as Maggie’s Social Media Ambassadors. Thank you Maggie for this wonderful opportunity to work with you and your marketing team!