Podcasts Other You, Me, and Your Top Three Don't Accept the Status Quo (wsg Tracy-Ann Palmer)

Don't Accept the Status Quo (wsg Tracy-Ann Palmer)

Published: Oct. 2, 2019, 10 a.m.

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During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Tracy-Ann Palmer, Vice President Global GTM, Strategy and Transformation at Rackspace and global technology executive who hails from South Africa. Tracy-Ann has worked with iconic tech brands that are known around the world. She is a humble leader who appreciates being pushed and encouraged to reach far beyond where she thinks she can reach. Tracy-Ann used her passion to found Midwest Technology Leaders and the non-profit We Build Character. Of course, Tracy-Ann talks about the importance of mentoring stemming from her \\u201cTop Three,\\u201d ranging from a caravan leader in Africa, to CEOs of tech companies, to the top tech executives in the federal government \\u2013 all of whom helped her to never accept the status quo.

About Tracy-Ann Palmer

Tracy-Ann Palmer has over 25 years of experience in high-growth, global, technology driven businesses. She has been consistently recognized for her strong leadership and ability to help accelerate growth for companies.\\xa0

Tracy-Ann is currently Vice President Global GTM, Strategy and Transformation at Rackspace.\\xa0 Rackspace is a leading provider of expertise and managed services across all major public and private cloud technologies.

Prior to joining Rackspace, Tracy-Ann held a variety of leadership roles in sales, channel and business operations at Cisco, Salesforce and in the start-up world including founding her own experiential marketing company that received numerous business awards.\\xa0

Since 2005 she has been a very active contributor to the community through numerous philanthropic efforts including serving on a variety of boards.\\xa0 She has a strong passion for developing leaders and founded a non-profit \\u201cWe Build Character\\u201d focused on building future leaders through executive mentoring programs.\\xa0 In 2004, Tracy-Ann founded Midwest Technology Leaders, an annual executive IT event bringing together top IT leaders together focused on collaboration, innovation and excellence.

Show Highlights

Segment 1: Overview

2:03\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Tracy-Ann Palmer \\u2013 a global tech executive whose worked with iconic brands. (Cisco. Salesforce. Rackspace.)

3:17\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 A journey across continents and across industries.

Segment 2: The \\u201cTop Three\\u201d \\xa0

5:18\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Tracy-Ann\\u2019s \\u201cTop Three\\u201d: Her Father \\u2013 Work ethic. Discipline. Warrior.

6:16\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Tracy-Ann\\u2019s \\u201cTop Three\\u201d: Mark Moritz \\u2013 Believed in Tracy-Ann more than she believed in herself.

8:31\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Tracy-Ann\\u2019s \\u201cTop Three\\u201d: Jane Sydlowski \\u2013 Creative. Absolutely resilient. (Michigan Council of Women in Technology. AMI Strategies.)

11:16\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The history of Midwest Technology Leaders (MTL).

14:08\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Tracy-Ann\\u2019s \\u201cTop Three\\u201d: Teri Takai \\u2013 Be deliberate about your career. Direct. Honest. Pragmatic.

15:22\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\u201cSurround yourself with people who aren\\u2019t necessarily like you.\\u201d

16:12\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Honest and directness are key. \\u201cAre you open to coaching today\\u201d \\u2013 David Behen.

19:46\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Tracy-Ann\\u2019s \\u201cTop Three\\u201d: Phil Bertolini \\u2013 Incorporating the business into IT. Career coaching.

Segment 3: Industry Disruption & Transformation \\xa0

22:18\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 We Build Character \\u2013 providing structured, community-based leadership mentor programs to high-potential professionals.

25:29\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The \\u201cabsolutely invaluable\\u201d role of reverse mentorship.

28:10\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\u201cI cannot tell you what an impact this has had in my life\\u201d \\u2013 a We Build Character Mentee.

34:01\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Rackspace \\u2013 a managed cloud computing company focused on mid-market organizations. (AWS. VMWare. Microsoft. SB.)

36:33\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The fascinating facts about a cloud model: 1. There is always a lot of disruption. 2. The business model is very different.

39:05\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 In response to transformation \\u2013 \\u201cI believe in looking externally for your answers \\u2013 not in your industry.\\u201d

40:19\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Disruption: \\u201cWe\\u2019re the problem, or the opportunity \\u2013 It\\u2019s all about consumerization.\\u201d

43:56\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Learnings from transformation of the past \\u2013 \\u201cAs a transformation leader, you\\u2019re at risk.\\u201d (Billhighway.)

Segment 4: Wrapping Up

49:36\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Advice to leaders \\u2013 \\u201cDon\\u2019t accept the status quo.\\u201d

51:15\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Advice to leaders \\u2013 \\u201cBreak our own patterns.\\u201d

52:04\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Rackspace is transforming \\u2013 watch the news!

52:38\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Connect with Tracy-Ann, Rackspace, and We Build Character. \\xa0

Additional Information

Contact Tracy-Ann Palmer:

Contact Rackspace and We Build Character:

Contact Gregg Garrett:

Contact CGS Advisors:

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