When we last spoke to VP of Information Technology for Oracle NetSuite, Katty Coulson, she shared her reflections on being a Latina in the tech world. From her first tentative steps on a three-month contract at Cisco Systems back in 2006, to leading an organization responsible for some of the world’s most vital service architecture.
Now, Katty celebrates a new milestone: recognition as a Silicon Valley Business Journal 2023 Latinx Business Leadership Award honoree. It follows hot on the heels of her entry into 2022’s HITEC 100 Awardee list—the Hispanic Technology Executive Council’s pick of the 100 most influential Hispanic leaders in technology today.
Mindset
Katty has been on an astonishing career journey. Her story speaks to the power of always moving forward and giving back to your community. The spark for this mindset lies with a conversation she had with her husband when she returned to work after having their second child. It’s also when she committed to being a leader—even if it didn’t seem that way at the time. “When I received my first job offer as a full-time employee, my husband asked me, ‘Are you going to accept a job or are you going to start a career?’”
“Thinking about a career rather than a job is an intentional mindset. The mindset makes all the difference. It gives purpose to the job, no matter how humble it is. With this mindset, you continuously repeat to yourself, ‘do your best on the task at hand and keep moving forward’ and you will keep growing and moving your career forward.”
Community-building
The Silicon Valley Business Journal’s award acknowledges exemplary local Latinx business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs. It also celebrates contributions and commitments to the community, along with outstanding professional performance. It’s fitting then that someone who values building community links and fostering talent as much as Katty has been nominated. “I began my involvement with the Latino community the moment I moved from Mexico to the United States in 2003. When I joined Cisco, I started formally coordinating Latino community outreach programs for my team”.
Developing the next generation
Soon after, Katty was instrumental in launching ‘Program Escuela’, an initiative that helped middle school students from underserved communities realize the importance of staying in school and learning about technology. The program went on to spread this message in Latin America, Spain, China, and beyond. When Katty joined Oracle, she was already well positioned to take up a similar community role. “When I joined NetSuite, I immediately got involved with the Latino employee resource group (ERG), Oracle Latinos Alliance (OLA) and volunteered to co-lead a mentorship and leadership program for Hispanics and Latinos with the goal to develop the next generation of leaders.”
Joy and purpose
Now in its third year, the program is showing strong results. Many participants have secured promotions and are succeeding in their chosen career paths. Along with driving this, Katty is also OLA’s current executive sponsor and active on NetSuite’s diversity council. Outside of NetSuite, she serves as an advisory board member for the Hispanic Technology Executive Council (HITEC)—the premier national program dedicated to cultivating executive talent among Hispanic technology professionals. Beyond professional outreach, she reserves time for the children’s charity, Ronald McDonald House of Charities Bay Area (RMHCBA). “One of the initiatives that brings me the most joy and purpose is becoming a board member for RMHCBA. This organization helps families with critically ill children, of which many are Hispanic and Latino. The organization has an incredible leadership team, that also includes Latinx.”
Getting results
It comes as no surprise then that her leadership style leverages empathy and diversity into tangible results that benefit everyone. “From a diversity perspective, I am proud of the work we have done. It is well studied and documented that diverse teams perform better, and I believe that to be true. From a business perspective, my team and I have completed initiatives that have resulted in measurable improvements”. Results like this don’t just happen at random. It’s the result of years of perseverance and a conscious commitment to doing good. Again, it’s all about mindset and the approach has gained Katty plenty of fans around the business!
Role models
SVP Cloud Operations, Brian Chess shares: “Katty is not shy and not afraid to tell you who she is. In a corner of the industry that’s dominated by technologist introverts, Katty stands out because of her outgoing nature and her focus on business results. She is a fantastic champion for the Latinx community and a great role model”.
A director on Katty’s team, Larissa Carroll has always experienced Katty’s approach as inherently social. “Katty focuses on the notion of leaders as social influencers who help others maximize their efforts toward a goal. This definition suggests a fundamental respect for the participants themselves and what they bring to a solution, and I think that is Katty’s superpower. I’ll add that her pride in her Latinx identity inspires us to not only try to excel at what we do, but to be strong and clear about who we are.”
So, what’s the ideal outcome? Katty believes that when we see someone recognizable at the highest levels, we can picture ourselves there too. She’s willing to be that someone for her community. “When we have representation at executive levels, we provide the employees at the company with role models and inspiration.”
Do you want to grow and succeed alongside Latinx leaders like Katty? Explore our open roles today and help diverse, high-performing teams create the future of technology.