Conversation with Isabel Gomez Vidal on Values-based Leadership and Supporting Emerging Leaders in AI
Have you ever met someone who can shift the energy in a room simply by walking into it? I recently had that experience when I met Isabel Gomez Vidal, Chief Revenue Officer at Dun & Bradstreet at the IBM Analyst Forum in New York last week. Isabel has a powerful in-person presence such that when you meet her, you feel instantly energized! In our wide-ranging conversation, she shared her career journey, highlighted some of the challenges she overcame along the way, and the personal values that shaped her approach to responsible AI.
Isabel is a successful executive but at her core, she is an entrepreneur who left her home in Spain at a very early age to follow her passion. She didn’t let any obstacle get in her way and moved to the United Kingdom despite her broken English. Her entrepreneurial drive is a key force behind her hugely successful executive roles at small high-growth companies and large enterprises like Moody’s.
Technologies are not built in a vacuum, and they reflect the priorities of the people designing and building them. Isabel’s leadership style is grounded in her personal values and motivated by her desire to maximize value to her stakeholders. She is a visionary who was a pioneer in realizing the potential of AI and data before many others. It was her leadership and shared organizational values brought together IBM and her employer, Dun & Bradstreet for a partnership that focuses on transparency and demystifying AI black boxes.
Despite her busy schedule as the parent of two boys and her role as a high-level executive, Isabel still finds a way to give back by serving on the board of The Posse Foundation, which helps marginalized communities get access to new opportunities. Women account for one third of the tech workforce but hold only a small fraction of tech leadership roles. When asked what advice she would give other women who want to take on leadership roles in AI, Isabel stressed the importance of curiosity and taking bold leaps to reinvent your career in this rapidly evolving space.
As we wrapped up our on-screen interview, it was clear that Isabel is a huge believer in the power of solidarity and the vital importance of successful women helping other talented women get access to new career opportunities. I am excited about the future as women leaders bring others along with them so that we can achieve gender equity in AI and technology leadership.
You can watch the full recording of our conversation below or on Women in AI Ethics YouTube channel.
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