Now more than ever, women are challenging the status quo and becoming the leaders we need to prepare for the next quickly approaching era. 

On April 14, the first-ever virtual SAP Speaker Series event welcomed Cheriana Griggs, a Sr. UX Designer at Google, Kasia Kesicka, a design team leader at SAP, and Pamela Bailey, Head of Design and User Experience at Facebook. These influential women presented in front of more than 350 digital viewers, doubling the number of attendees the Speaker Series has seen yet! These incredible women shared their unique experiences and told their deeply insightful stories that translated into meaningful advice for the audience. They discussed the future of the design industry while speaking openly about the challenges female leaders face today.

By Michelle Revell

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The speakers began by discussing their roles and how they are adapting to the new normal, in light of recent events. Together, these women emphasized the importance of staying connected and maintaining both personal and professional relationships during these unprecedented times.

When asked what advice they would give to their younger selves they stressed the importance of embracing one’s authentic self and focusing on owning one’s strengths and weaknesses. Cheriana wished that she could have told herself to not be afraid to speak up and challenge others because trusting one’s self is important for success. They briefly touched on the key characteristics that they believe attributed to their success today including, being empathetic and open-minded, taking opportunities, having a willingness to fail, and communicating effectively.  

The speakers uncovered some of the biggest challenges facing women leaders and the obstacles they encounter in changing the status quo. Cheriana explained that women oftentimes don’t see themselves as leaders or they find there is a lack of strong women leaders around them. This creates a discouraging environment for aspiring young women. Pamela shared her personal struggle of owning her narrative and further discussed the challenge women often face of understanding the individual value that they bring to a team. While there are many obstacles that women leaders face internally, Kasia revealed that the unfortunate reality of gender exclusion is still a challenge against rising female leaders. 

 
 

As the speakers dove into the design questions, they focused on highlighting key strategies for improving user experience and refining one’s design skills. Cheriana explained that ultimately a skilled designer is one that will leverage a brand to illuminate the path for a more complete end-to-end business process through products and design. A positive user experience is the key to creating strong relationships with customers while delivering business value. Pamela strongly noted the importance of looking at the holistic picture as a designer. A customer-centric understanding allows you to achieve harmony with both the experience and product for your customers.

To conclude the session, the panel shared their thoughts on current and upcoming design trends. Cheriana communicated that many companies are focusing on design minimalism and hyper-personalization, to provide customers with a unique experience. Kasia mentioned how companies are working to be culturally inclusive, while Pamela discussed omnichannel experiences and how companies are redirecting their focus to increase value for the customers. 

This panel of highly accomplished female leaders provided the audience with valuable information that they can use toward their personal growth and career goals, whether that be in leadership, design, or both. With that, I hope that you are as inspired as I am!

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Want to experience the event for yourself? Watch the full video here! 

Stay tuned for our next SAP Virtual Speaker Series.