At ADT, our goal is to serve our customers and help save lives. We achieve this goal when we have the best talent in an environment where employees feel valued, included, and recognized. Many women at ADT help foster our inclusive culture and are dedicated to helping us achieve this goal. Today, we’d like to highlight some of them.
In honor of International Women’s Day, we asked women in leadership roles at ADT to tell us career advice they’d give to young women and about their experience as a woman working at ADT. Here is what they had to say:
“Support can come in different ways for women – mentorship, flexibility, family encouragement, and challenging opportunities. There is more that we can do to help identify and mentor women and this is where I am most excited to see growth at ADT. I am proud that we have many women in prominent positions leading critical functions for the company. Men and women are different, and those differences make us stronger and better - bringing diverse experiences, points of view and perspectives. It’s an exciting time to be at ADT no matter who you are!”
– Jamie Haenggi, Chief Customer Officer
“Having a strong role model in my life has helped to shape my independence, strength and grit as a female leader. That role model has been my mother. As an immigrant from Greece, she worked full time while taking care of my dad and two brothers. Not a small feat, especially in a different culture. I encourage all women to find that role model or group of women that can inspire you to be the ‘BEST YOU.’ Throughout my professional career, I’ve leaned on strong women to be that inspiration. To me, it was like calling that 'lifeline' – there to help you and support you.”
– Harriet Harty, Chief Administration Officer
“I’ve been working with ADT for 24 proud years. I have had the privilege of personally knowing many women in the company who have been promoted and/or held executive positions and continue to mentor other women not only in their professional but personal lives as well. I’m excited about the commitment ADT has made to support diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and am proud to be part of such a great organization. To the young women out there: Be authentic, be confident, and be YOU. Find what you are passionate about and go after it. Don’t be afraid to use your voice.”
– Mayra Robson, Senior Director of Emerging Markets
“I encourage all young women who have a relentless quest to succeed and lead to approach their careers unapologetically and intentionally with a mindset of Aspiration at each key career milestone. Aspiration is not simply the desire to obtain a promotion. It is also getting to the next level of personally understanding your unique value to an organization. You should Boldly self-advocate in a way that is not brazen but organically enlists others to recognize your talent and leadership skills. Lastly, it is important to understand the significance of cultivating your corporate Connections. These Connections are key in helping you confidently navigate the organizational landscape!”
– Kimberly Jackson, Senior Director of Mobility Operations
“ADT provides an environment that supports diverse leaders and encourages everyone to strive for more senior positions. We have a corporate culture of inclusion that fosters diversity and a general belief that a higher degree of diversity and respect for ideas leads to a more effective team.”
– Natalie Jones, Director of Audits & Indirect Tax
“ADT exists because we believe that everyone deserves to feel safe. “Everyone” is a very important part of that mission statement, with diversity at its very core. I remember when I first came to ADT, I was so pleasantly surprised and impressed to see so many women in the Marketing department. In my four years in the department, I've been proud to see these talented women achieve impressive accomplishments - shaping the ADT brand transformation, helping to inform our product strategy and drive our data and analytics. ADT values diverse perspective because diversity means more perspective and greater creativity. I'm proud to work for a company that realizes that representative populations help to better serve our customers - and to be a part of the change that's taking place at ADT.”
– Shannon Hendrickson, Vice President of Marketing
“In any majority-male industry, shifting the paradigm takes a lot of work. Some companies want to do the work it takes for meaningful change, and some don’t. ADT wants to do the work. This means every woman in our organization has a voice in shaping how ADT does business going forward. And there is no better way to support and advance a woman’s career than to give her a seat at the table where decisions about change are being made.”
– Kasia Moore, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Commercial
“I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to work with inspirational women. For my almost 8 years at ADT, I’ve had the privilege to work with former and current women leaders who have taught me valuable lessons. One lesson that stands out– ‘Hope is not a strategy’ was a point a former boss liked to tell me every time I used the phrase, ‘I hope so.’ The adage of ‘prepare for the worst and hope for the best’ does not work when engineering solutions. You have to design for the best beginning with the basics – the foundation, the plumbing, the electrical wiring. And details do matter a lot.”
– Raya Sevilla, Senior Vice President of Product
“My journey at ADT has been exciting as I have launched new products and services while getting a deep understanding of the inner-workings of the overall business. In that journey, ADT has fostered my learning and personal development by affording opportunities to grow and develop. I know I am lucky to be surrounded by a diverse team that supports and uplifts the challenges I see as a working professional and full-time Mom that enable me to bring my 'whole self' to work every day. Of American working women, about 29% are represented in a VP level role, a slight uptick from the 5 preceding years. I think that the enablement of women in Executive positions will fundamentally shift the face of corporations in the future, especially in traditionally male-dominated industries – like tech and security. I feel that the ADT Executive team has strived to provide equality in policies, procedures, and pay. These fundamentals will help in pushing tomorrow’s changing face of Executives to look a little different.”
– Leah Page, Vice President of Mobile Security & Strategic Projects
“I have been fortunate to have had a mentor for most of my career who happens to be a man and also an Executive Leader. He has spent many years advising, challenging, and developing me into the leader I am today. We have very candid conversations about some of the biases that I face, which most of the time are not within our four walls but outside of our organization. He is just one example of the several allies that I interact with daily, but there are many more within ADT. I look forward to experiencing ADT’s growth as it continues work on cultivating a culture of understanding.”
– Tiffany Galarza, Director of Telecommunications
“For young women looking to advance their careers – First and foremost, do great work and be a team player, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Be clear about your goals and then make a plan. Seek out meaningful relationships, people want to know you!”
– Abby Langebartels, Assistant General Counsel