CMO Spotlight | Jacqueline Woods - Teradata

Welcome to the CMO Spotlight, dedicated to exploring the minds and journeys of marketing’s top leaders. 

At Setup, we're focused on championing stories that matter. In the spirit of Black History Month, our CEO, Joe Koufman, recently virtually connected with Jacqueline Woods, the Chief Marketing Officer at Teradata. 

Join us in this insightful conversation that goes beyond marketing strategies and delves into Woods’ journey to becoming a marketing leader, advice she would share with other marketers, where she finds inspiration, and more. 

Let's honor and celebrate diversity, leadership, and the impactful journey of Jacqueline Woods. 

WATCH + READ THE RECAP BELOW (SCROLL TO THE END FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW)

Q1 | What is your superpower?

Woods' sense of humor is her superpower. She has an innate ability to make even the most serious situations more palatable by lightening the mood. “I'm very serious, but I'm also very funny.” 

“I tend to try to lighten up situations, even situations that are serious and critical, and things that are hard, things that we're trying to get done.” She also is “the queen of analogies,” and will use one for almost anything to ensure that things are broken down for everyone to understand.

Q2 | Is there any advice you would like to share?

Woods shared questions that marketers should ask themselves to help evaluate their current circumstances: 

• Are you in a place that makes you feel wholesome where you can be the best you? 

• When you show up for work every day, are you having fun and enjoying yourself?

• Do you feel included and feel like you're a part of the team at your organization? 

• Are your leaders and coworkers putting you in a position to give you the opportunity to show your best work and to show your best self? 

Woods shared that if you aren't resonating with those questions, then it is time to find a place that is a better fit.

Q3 | What values are important to you?

“The value that you should demand of people on your team is mutual trust.”

Woods is all about trust in her leadership environment. To her, it's a make-or-break deal – if you can't trust your team or leaders, you shouldn't be in the mix. 

Trust sets the stage for positivity and doing what's right. Woods believes that long-term relationships should be built based on integrity because, according to her, it's also tough to avoid the consequences when trust is broken. Sticking to doing the right thing is the key to success.

Q4 | Is there a book that inspires you?

One of Woods’ favorite books is called Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson. The book entails handling and adapting to changes in life and professional settings. Woods loves this book because it teaches individuals how to deal with disruption, which can be positive when met with the right approach.

Q5 | What brand do you admire?

Woods described herself as an Apple “fanatic.” She is especially a fan of their intentional seamless integration and simple interface. “I love them. I love the integration. I love how everything works together. I think it's very smart, clever, and clean.”

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For more marketing leadership advice and a view into the mindset of marketing executives in various industries, be sure to watch the full interview with Jacqueline Woods, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW TO THE RIGHT.