Getting Up to Speed Fast in an Executive Role - an Interview with Rachel Tuller, Vice President Global Channels at Autodesk

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Rachel Tuller, Vice President Global Channel Sales at Autodesk. Rachel discusses her career journey, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and overcoming challenges. She highlights her non-linear career path, starting as a technical trainer and evolving through various roles. Rachel credits her success to leveraging transferable skills and the support of mentors like James Mundell. At Autodesk, she emphasizes the importance of understanding the company culture, building trust, and establishing executive relationships. Rachel advised new executives to create a stakeholder map, have a clear plan, and leverage available resources. She stresses the balance between collaboration and confidence in driving success.

Key takeaways from this interview:

• 0:01:15 Rachel's family history of professional women inspired her to be a "fearless female" and pursue impactful work that helps others.
• 0:02:40 Rachel's career path has been a "lattice, not a ladder" with many opportunistic moves, and she emphasizes the importance of transferable skills.
• 0:04:38 Rachel advises feeling the fear and taking action despite imposter syndrome, building quiet confidence in one's capabilities.
• 0:10:18 As a woman in technology, Rachel embraced being unique and owning her position, focusing on performance over gender.
• 0:16:09 In her new role at Autodesk, Rachel focused on building trust and credibility by aligning, adapting, and accelerating.
• 0:21:53 Rachel emphasizes the importance of balancing collaboration with confidence, being clear about expectations and owning her expertise.
• 0:25:28 Rachel's advice for new executives includes having a plan, working the plan, and leveraging resources like coaching and mentors.

If Rachel's story resonated with you, I’d love to hear yours. Let’s connect and explore how you can apply these principles to your leadership journey. Book a call with me today to share your story and take the first step toward fearless leadership.

If you’re interested in being featured on the Fearless Female Leader podcast, please email me at info@sherylkline.com.