CDO Matters Ep. 03 | Women in Tech & the Gender Gap with Cory Munchbach

CDO Matters Podcast

The first step to overcoming an obstacle or barrier is admitting the problem and building a base from which to grow. For women in data and technology, it is understanding the potential for change in which the gender gap continues to close.

In this episode of CDO Matters, Malcolm interviews the President and COO of BlueConic, Cory Munchbach. Cory is a fellow recovering analyst and runs one of the top Customer Data Platform, or CDP, solutions available in the market today. In her role, Cory is at the forefront of some of the biggest customer experience and digital transformation initiatives of many of the best-known brands on the planet.

During their discussion, the two focus on the role of women in technology and how we can improve on the many gender imbalances that continue to persist both in their companies, and society at large.

They also discuss the role of CDPs in the digital transformation landscape, and how those solutions differ from other customer-data management solutions – such as MDM or analytics platforms. If you are one of the 25% of CDOs tasked with executing your organization’s digital transformation initiative, this episode of CDO Matters will help bring you to a higher-level understanding of how CDPs ‘fit’ into a broader MarTech and IT technology stack, and the value they bring to the organization.

The conversation closes with a dialog around the possibility of a coming recession, and what CDOs and other senior leaders can do to best prepare for some form of economic slowdown. Cory shares her experience in working with major consumer-facing brands over the last recession, and how many ‘doubled down’ digital transformation investments as a means to improve customer relationships and drive competitive advantage.

Key Moments

• 01:56-4:43 The current market of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs)
• 04:56-6:30 Activating customer data throughout the organization with CDPs
• 6:35-7:35 How do Chief Data Officers (CDOs) benefit from CDPs?
• 8:00-11:31 How CDPs can co-exist with master data management (MDM)
• 11:42-14:22 Thoughts on the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in tech
• 15:04-18:05 Pay transparency as a catalyst for equality in the workplace
• 18:15-18:58 Being the only woman on the leadership team
• 19:06-21:58 The impact of tech companies on expanding access to benefits
• 22:10-24:33 How CDOs can respond to economic uncertainty
• 24:35-26:22 Building a data strategy around a clear business objective
• 26:24-31:43 How GDPR, CDPA and other regulations will continue past 2022

Key Takeaways

The Coexistence of CDPs and MDM (9:15-9:37)

“I would have conversations…with IT leaders...about this false perception that it was either CDP or MDM. My answer always was both.” - Malcolm Hawker

The Underrepresentation of Women in Technology (12:06-14:04)

“...this is much less of a tech problem and more of a social problem...we’ve always had an underrepresentation of women in technology, so there haven’t been enough people to go to battle for the kind of things that will make more women come.” - Cory Munchbach

Pay Transparency in the Workplace (15:38-17:08)

“If you have a certain role...then everyone in that role should be within that pay band...over time, your value for the organization grows and we don’t make a lot of adjustments for that internal expertise...” - Cory Munchbach

Responding to Economic Uncertainty (23:19-25:24)

“I am a big believer that you should plan for the worst and hope for the best...this should be transformational because it changes how you work...the thing that you need to have is the relationship with your customer.” - Cory Munchbach

About Cory Munchbach

Cory is the current President and COO of BlueConic. She previously worked as an analyst for Forrester supporting marketing technology and the former author of the Forrester ‘Wave.’ While being an early-stage startup investor and advisor, Cory also serves as a member of Chief – a private network designed for the most powerful women in executive leadership.

EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Visit BlueConic’s official company website
• Follow Cory Munchbach on LinkedIn