Celebrating Women in Technology: Q&A With Natalie Huff, Global Vice President of Solution Engineering

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are sharing a collection of candid Q&As with women at Kantata who are leading the way in the industry. Each conversation highlights their impressive achievements and unique experiences in the technology industry.

In this Q&A, we spoke with Natalie Huff, Global Vice President of Solution Engineering, about the benefits of healthy work-life boundaries, the women leaders who have influenced her, and more.

1. How did you navigate your career path to reach your current role at Kantata, and what advice would you give aspiring women leaders?

Each step along the way, I developed relationships across my professional ecosystem, wasn’t afraid to take risks, always advocated for myself, and stayed resilient. From an early point in my career, I took care to form and nurture professional relationships with peers and mentors both within and outside of my companies. This provided a well-rounded network that cultivated growth as I advanced in my career, and opened opportunities that I would not have been privy to without my network. Having individuals who I know and trust be able to refer me for advancement opportunities, validate my skills and readiness for the position, and vouch for the workplace culture enabled me to take professional risks that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

From this, the best advice I can give aspiring women is to build these professional connections at the peer and mentor levels early, and to rely on them as you grow professionally. Success does not often come spontaneously to individuals, it is awarded to those who build trust and rapport across companies and communities.

2. How do you balance professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what strategies have you found effective in maintaining a healthy work-life integration?

Initially, I wasn’t the best at setting boundaries between my professional and personal life. Over time, I learned to prioritize my mental and physical health by scheduling time off, leaving my laptop home on vacations, and enjoying extra-curricular activities. My personal strategy is to live by the adage, “Work hard and play hard.” I am blessed that my husband enjoys extra-curricular activities with me. We met playing softball and over the years we have enjoyed playing volleyball, mountain biking, traveling the world, and raising our amazing children together. As empty nesters we now spend the weekends playing golf together and organizing game nights with our friends. Taking the time to pursue these activities with my partner gives me the balance I need. It has taken time to learn that the most productive employees are those who have the space to prioritize their health and happiness. As a leader, my strategy is to encourage my employees to mentally unload after major deadlines and to intentionally get to know them as individuals to support their ups and downs in life.

3. Can you speak on any of your recent accomplishments? What are you most proud of in your work at Kantata?

I am most proud to have been awarded the WISA (Women In Sales Award) for Best Women in Technology Sales, 2016. It is a national organization that recognizes women in sales, and my CRO at Adobe submitted my name as a candidate based on my skills, legacy, and success as a Sales Engineer (SE). I am in my first 90 days at Kantata, but I negotiated specialized training for my SEs where they learned the importance of focusing their demonstrations on the value customers would realize from the Kantata solution. Armed with this, our team’s demonstrations will be more engaging to our prospects and help us articulate “why Kantata.” I look forward to leveraging my career successes in developing a healthy workplace culture that accomplishes the vision of Kantata to deliver remarkable outcomes to their clients and employees.

4. In honor of Women’s History Month, can you highlight a woman leader who has inspired or influenced your career, and how did their impact shape your leadership style?

Early in my career I was given an opportunity to become a Solutions Engineer (SE) under a female sales executive whose leadership helped form my style. It was rare to have a female executive in enterprise software in the 90s. She advised me to find a specialty within my role and become the best at it, which in turn makes you invaluable to an organization. An example she gave was Dr. Ellen Ocha, whose patented research led to her selection by NASA as an astronaut, classifying her skill sets as essential to advancing human exploration into our Solar System. In each phase of my career, I have reflected on that advice and have tried not only to be the best I can be but also to identify a specialty that an organization needs that I can provide. Because of her and other women leading the way into the internet age, I witnessed female software engineers rise to the top of communities and succeed in a field dominated by men. From this, I have never felt the glass ceiling, have been empowered to perform beyond what is expected, and have found joy in leading the next generation of women in enterprise software.

Learn More

Natalie is one of many women at Kantata who are driving results both within their organization and within the technology industry. To hear more stories from the women at Kantata, browse the entire Women in Technology series here. And to learn more about career opportunities at Kantata, visit this page.