An Interview With Vanessa Morcom
Published in Authority Magazine medium.com 11 min read Aug 18, 2024
“You are the story you tell.” We often spend so much time in our heads crafting narratives and believing them. For many women, these narratives are filled with self-doubt and criticism, usually unfounded. By continually reinforcing these negative stories, we become them. Recognizing and reshaping these narratives to reflect our true potential and worth is crucial.
Asa part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, we had the pleasure of interviewing Roli Saxena.
Roli Saxena is a seasoned executive with board of directors experience at a late-stage, venture-backed company that tripled its revenue and valuation over the past two years. She is currently the CEO of NextRoll, a marketing technology company. She has extensive expertise in go-to-market strategies and general management for publicly traded and late-stage venture-backed companies, including LinkedIn, Brex, and Clever.
Roli has been recognized by the San Francisco Times as one of the Bay Area’s Most Influential Women and by Business Insider as one of Fintech’s Most Powerful Players. She won the Industry Leader Award at the Professional Businesswomen of California conference, and her article on “Practical Frameworks of Beating Burnout” was highlighted by First Round Capital as one of the 30 best pieces of advice for entrepreneurs. Her work in scaling LinkedIn has been featured in two Stanford Business School case studies, taught at multiple top U.S. business schools. Additionally, Dan Heath, a New York Times bestselling author, has a dedicated chapter on how Roli built a proactive customer-centric organization at LinkedIn in his most recent book, Upstream.
Roli has an MS in Management from Stanford Business School, where she was the class president. She also has an MS in Engineering from Rutgers University and a BS in Engineering from Anna University, where she graduated in the top five percent of her class.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Mycareer, like many out there, was far from being a straight line. I started my career as a chemical engineer at Exxon and transitioned to technology during the dot-com era. I was fortunate to have a few incredible experiences, including spending eight years in product management and, most recently, 16 years in various go-to-market roles. The most defining career moments and inflection points in my career were during my time at LinkedIn. I held a few executive positions leading multiple divisions, influencing LinkedIn’s growth from $300 million to over $3 billion in revenue. After LinkedIn, I served as the Vice President overseeing revenue (sales, success), support, partnerships and strategy at Clever Inc. In my three years there, I supervised over half the organization’s workforce and was responsible for 100% of its revenue. Through this experience, I gained expertise in business and operational growth.
I then became the Chief Customer Officer at Brex, responsible for customer revenue and launching Brex banking solutions. During my tenure, Brex grew from $10 million to $100 million in annual recurring revenue within one year and added $300 million in assets under management within five months. My diverse experience in functions and industries prepared me for my current role as CEO of NextRoll. Over the last three years, I have been building a comprehensive understanding of the complex advertising technology environment. I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to push the industry toward a privacy-forward mindset.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Recently, NextRoll concluded its eight-week test of Google’s Privacy Sandbox in order to gauge the viability of its Protected Audience API (PAAPI), Topics API, and Attribution Reporting API (ARA). This initiative marks a huge shift in the adtech industry, which has historically relied on third-party cookies. This is just a starting point for exciting new technologies, and we’re proud to be a pioneer in privacy-forward marketing and advertising solutions. Our goal is to empower marketers with powerful tools for targeted advertising while prioritizing user privacy, and we’re right at the forefront of it. I believe fundamentally that high-performance advertising and consumer privacy can co-exist, and it is not only the right thing to do, but will also be financially beneficial to the ecosystem. Will it be easy? No, and there will be winners and losers. But overall, it will create opportunities for those who lean into this shift versus those who resist it.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
That’s a great question — I don’t think I’ve been asked this before. Early in my career, when I was at Exxon, I had a funny experience. I was sent from our research and development division in New Jersey to a refinery near London to assist with disaster recovery.
I planned to arrive at the refinery at 8 a.m., accounting for a 20-minute commute with an extra 10 minutes as a buffer. However, my plan was foiled when a herd of sheep blocked the road for nearly two hours. Despite my best planning, I was out of options.
This experience was a great reminder that even the most thought-out plans can go wrong, and it’s important to keep moving forward.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I’ve been fortunate to have several mentors throughout my life, each uniquely contributing to my growth. My mother taught me the importance of persistence and building authentic relationships. This value of ‘relationships matter’ resonated deeply with me, especially when I joined LinkedIn, where it’s a core company value.
Professionally, I’ve had great managers and mentors who offered unwavering support. One manager at LinkedIn helped me realize my potential in a less defined role, allowing me to reimagine my capabilities and instilling a sense of ownership that motivated me to go beyond organizational boundaries.
Most recently, a mentor encouraged me to consider the possibility of becoming a CEO. Initially, I doubted my readiness, but through her guidance and sharing her own experiences, I gained the confidence to step into the role. She has been part of my journey every step of the way.
These experiences taught me that having someone who believes in you can make all the difference. Their mentorship has taught me the importance of supporting others and paying it forward. Now, as a manager, I strive to be the kind of mentor who encourages and guides my team to realize their full potential.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disrupting an industry can drive significant innovation and improvement, but it’s not always positive. Disruption is beneficial when it addresses inefficiencies, improves user experience, or brings positive societal change. For instance, Netflix’s rise disrupted traditional cable TV, providing more choice and convenience, and pushed the industry to innovate.
A system that has ‘withstood the test of time’ continues to function effectively and adaptively, like the postal service, which has remained relevant by evolving with technological advancements. In the adtech industry, the shift away from third-party cookies toward a more private internet is a current example of thoughtful disruption aimed at creating opportunities for all stakeholders.
Conversely, disruption can be negative when it causes harm or displaces communities without adequate alternatives. Generative AI, for example, offers great potential, but can also negatively impact society if used irresponsibly, exacerbating biases in AI/ML models.
In summary, disruption is positive when it leads to genuine progress and improvement, and negative when it harms stakeholders or causes instability. Balancing innovation with responsibility is key to ensuring constructive outcomes.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
- “You belong.” When I first took a board role, I doubted my ability to deliver value. A friend and mentor continually reminded me that I belonged. It’s incredible how self-affirmation can transform your confidence and mindset.
- “You can have it all, but not all at the same time.” This quote from Anne-Marie Slaughter, former director of planning under Secretary Clinton, resonated deeply with me. It was a response to Sheryl Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’ movement, emphasizing that women can have everything they want, but not simultaneously. I have taken career breaks to be present for key family milestones, and at other times, I’ve prioritized my career, missing personal moments. I firmly believe there is no perfect work-life balance. Instead, it’s about finding harmony by building your life in chapters and prioritizing what’s most important at each stage.
- “You are the story you tell.” We often spend so much time in our heads crafting narratives and believing them. For many women, these narratives are filled with self-doubt and criticism, usually unfounded. By continually reinforcing these negative stories, we become them. Recognizing and reshaping these narratives to reflect our true potential and worth is crucial.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
At NextRoll, we’ve always been at the forefront of privacy-forward innovation, and our commitment to a safer internet for all remains stronger than ever. Google’s recent announcement about its new approach to the Privacy Sandbox is a pivotal moment in this journey, and we’re fully aligned with it.
Google’s shift from deprecating third-party cookies to offering users a choice in how their privacy is protected in Chrome reinforces the idea that the browser should be the user’s agent, giving them control over their online experience. We believe this user empowerment is not just a win for privacy but also a step toward a more trustworthy digital ecosystem.
At NextRoll, we’ve been collaborating closely with Google and other industry leaders over the past four years to develop privacy-preserving technologies that balance the needs of users, publishers, and advertisers. The evolution of the Privacy Sandbox is a testament to the industry’s collective effort to create solutions that enhance privacy while ensuring that the web remains open and accessible.
Our commitment is clear: we will continue to invest in and develop these privacy-forward solutions. As the Privacy Sandbox evolves, so will our strategies and technologies. We’re excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and are ready to tackle the open questions and challenges that come with this new direction. The future of the web is private, and NextRoll is dedicated to leading the charge in making that future a reality.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
We have made some progress with women’s representation in senior leadership roles, but there still needs to be more movement. Only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and women entrepreneurs receive less funding than their male counterparts. This lack of representation makes it harder for aspiring women disruptors to find mentors and role models who can guide and inspire them. This lack of representation can also perpetuate the cycle of bias and limit networking opportunities.
There’s still a societal expectation that women need to take on more responsibilities at home, making it challenging to devote the same amount of time and energy to their careers as their male counterparts. This can lead to tough choices between advancing their careers and fulfilling personal obligations.
Lastly, visibility and recognition can be more challenging for women disruptors. Women’s contributions are often overlooked or undervalued, making it difficult to gain the recognition they deserve. For instance, why are women considered for a CEO role when something is wrong and needs to be fixed?
Addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts to promote gender equality, provide mentorship and support, and ensure women have equal opportunities and resources. Creating a more inclusive environment can help female disruptors overcome these obstacles and thrive. What I love about my current role is I can continue to build a culture of inclusion and diversity. As a woman of color, I understand the challenges of being an outsider and have developed mechanisms to manage them. In fact, at LinkedIn, I co-founded the LinkedIn Women’s Network, increasing women’s representation in senior leadership roles from 8% to 30%. Now, I’m really focused on operationalizing diversity and inclusion in the fabric of the culture at NextRoll.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I’ve really enjoyed the Acquired podcast lately. I also love reading spiritual books like “Bhagwad Geeta.”
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I serve on the Board of Culture Amp, one of the fastest-growing HR tech companies, whose mission is to allow businesses to put culture first with data, insights and technology. I advise Culture Amp leadership on go-to-market strategies to accelerate growth and invest in technology startups with business models ranging from SaaS, product/developer-led growth models and consumption models, HRtech, Edtech and Fintech. I’m also an investing partner for The Neythri Futures Fund, which positions South Asian women front and center as key investors and stakeholders and amplifies their influence.
Through my experience with those programs, I would personally love to create more mentorship programs and provide resources and networks to empower women to take on roles shaping the future of businesses and technology. It’s essential to have diverse perspectives at the decision-making level, especially during a time when our industry is changing rapidly.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Embrace the journey, not just the final destination.” As I mentioned before, I struggled to find my footing in my work and balance my personal life with my career goals. After overcoming various challenges, including imposter syndrome, I know now that these were all stepping stones. I think it’s important to live in the present and celebrate my successes, big or small.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can follow me on LinkedIn!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at [email protected]
