I was a rising star inside one of the world’s largest industrials, but my world came crashing down overnight when my division got rolled into the new digital arm of the business. Suddenly, I was the “dusty-director” whose vision was too grounded in the limitations of domain expertise. I was in a sea of Allbirds and Buzzwords…

So, I ditched my sport coat and khakis and went on a mission to learn this new world. Three years and 3000 Diet Cokes later, I’m happy to report I led one of the largest Digital Transformation programs across the company and jointly launched a new vertical for the business.

Turns out, domain expertise matters. Who knew?