WCS Member of the Month highlights the fantastic stories of female leaders in the industry. This month, we spotlight Maria Saltz, Sr. Manager, Marketing and Customer Insights at Adobe
WCS: What excites you most about the work you are doing?
Maria: I have spent my career working in various functions at tech giants of Silicon Valley such as Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle), Yahoo, Seagate, and Adobe. I have recently joined Cleantech Open West where I am hoping to combine my experience in marketing, product management and data-driven strategy with my passion for Cleantech and Sustainability to help foster innovation in this space. Being a mom, I am keenly aware of the need to solve the issue of climate change and pollution in the next decade for my children to inherit a livable planet. I am very excited to be part of the enormous wave of new technologies, policies, and solutions that are aiming to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.
WCS: How did you get to where you are in your career?
Maria: My career has been primarily focused on data-driven business strategy. However, I have always felt that the skills that I have are easily transferable to a variety of business areas. Curious about emerging technologies and on a quest to always be learning, I have tended to gravitate to new and fast-growing areas. I went from Supply/Demand Planning to Web Analytics and Optimization when web presence became essential to companies. I took a detour into Product Management, working in the new field of online groups and social networks. That, in turn, led me to Social Media Analytics and later to cross-channel Marketing Analytics. As Sustainability and Cleantech became a new area of interest for me, I have been exploring ways to take my skills in that direction. I am currently a member of Sustainability action team at Adobe and a pro bono Marketing Chair for Cleantech Open West.
WCS: What led you to join WCS?
Maria: I first heard about WCS from a colleague and, after browsing through the website and the list of events for a bit, I was immediately interested in joining! I attended my first WCS Talks last year and was even more impressed with the passion and level of expertise this group of women has in all things Cleantech. In my first year of membership and attending several events, I have made many great connections with other members. Learning about other women’s very different journeys into cleantech and sustainability careers is very inspiring. I also love hearing about the variety of ways people are involved in the push for renewable energy and more sustainable economy.
WCS: What advice do you have for other women in WCS?
Maria: I want to emphasize the power of networking – if you are attending an event, make it a point to talk to a few people you have never met before and also re-connect with people you may have met at previous events. Sometimes a brief random conversation with someone can result in a great opportunity or an open door down the line.
