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Shellye Archambeau is the woman who pulled off the most incredible Silicon Valley turnaround you’ve never heard of, according to Reid Hoffman, co-founder and former executive chairman of LinkedIn. She stepped into the role of CEO of a failing tech company and rebuilt it into the multi-million-dollar, software giant MetricStream. Her expertise as a woman of Color leader in business and tech is just one of many reasons Leeds welcomed Archambeau to speak to women and students of Color on October 19.

One of Silicon Valley's first female African American CEOs, , held two virtual discussions with undergraduate and graduate students of Color, women students, faculty and staff. The event was hosted in partnership with , a preeminent global organization for women business leaders that supports Leeds’ ongoing efforts to reach diverse student audiences.

As a former CEO, C200 member Archambeau is well-positioned to speak to women and students of Color in the Leeds community about leadership in business.

At the event she shared professional insights from her life and career, focusing largely on the importance of relationships, from the idea of having “a village” to support you both personally and professionally to mentee-mentor interactions. Thaala Loper, current MBA candidate, co-president of Leeds’ Social Impact Consulting Club, and the VP of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the MBA Association Board moderated the evening discussion, and Liliana Arredondo-Morales, Leeds junior in Finance and Accounting, as well as Ruby Batalla, director of Leeds’ Office of Diversity Affairs, led the afternoon session, allowing for thoughtful Q&A with participants.

Improving the odds

Archambeau grew up in an environment where she says the odds were not in her favor. Instead of letting them get her down, she learned to be intentional, setting goals and figuring out strategies to improve her chances to make things happen.

What sparked her interest in running a business was her high school guidance counselor. She encouraged Archambeau to explore her interests, which at the time was leading clubs, and helped her realized that was akin to leading a company. Once Archambeau made that connection, she then intentionally set her sights on becoming a CEO.

There's a lot of value, says Archambeau, in being intentional and using strategies to improve your odds to create the life you want. She has carried those sentiments with her throughout her career.

It takes a village

She considers her strong network a village because it takes all types of support to navigate life’s challenges. In her opinion, we all need this kind of support, and having many mentors is part of the equation.

Archambeau made the key point that mentoring relationships do not need to be formal. If we examine who is in our lives, we may realize we have many mentors (or potential mentors) already.

She also discussed how critical it is for mentees to not only take the initiative to set up meetings with their mentors but also close the loop with them on the actions and outcomes that occur as a result of those meetings.

When a mentor feels vested in their mentee, they become proactively invested in their mentee’s career. Over time, those mentors can evolve into sponsors, who she says are the ones who will open doors in your career.

The power of storytelling

Another insight Archambeau shared was to make sure people know what you’re doing in your career, i.e., when people ask, “How are you doing?” do not be afraid to tell them.

It’s not bragging to answer their question honestly; it helps others learn about your work, the hurdles you have overcome, and the achievements you have made in the process. These are things they may be unlikely to know otherwise.

“Learning that so early in my career was huge—huge,” says Archambeau. “So it's not enough just to work hard. It's not enough just to get the job done. People have to know what you do in order for you to actually get recognized for it.”

We all have the opportunity to share our stories in these micro-moments. It takes 20 seconds, and people will remember.

About Shelly Archambeau

currently sits on the boards of Nordstrom Verizon Roper technologies and Okta. She advises the Royal Bank of Canada capital markets and Forbes Ignite, as well as growing startups. She is the protagonist of the Harvard School case study on becoming a CEO and the author of Unapologetically Ambitious, which encourages readers to take risks, break barriers and create success on your own terms. In her spare time, she's a Forbes contributor, runs a gourmet dinner club and writes a career advice blog.

About Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Leeds

The Leeds School of Business supports an inclusive experience through our recruitment efforts, outreach programs, career support and learning opportunities and programs for students of diverse and underrepresented populations programs. Leeds’ commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is long-standing. Since we received the naming gift for our business school in 2001, this has been a central focus. Learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Leeds here.