Carolyn Henry, VP, CMO of Americas Regional Marketing at Intel Corporation In the pursuit of success, countless renowned individuals have encountered their fair share of setbacks and failures. From Thomas Edison’s 10,000 attempts before achieving the perfect light bulb to Arianna Huffington’s rejection from 36 publishers before finding success, these stories remind us that failure is an essential stepping stone on the path to success, shaping our character and providing valuable lessons. However, when it comes to embodying the never-say-die attitude, Carolyn Henry stands out as an exceptional example. As the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Americas Regional Marketing at Intel Corporation, Carolyn has not only established herself as a force to be reckoned with but has also become an inspirational leader in the tech industry. Yet, her journey to this position was not without its own set of challenges. Throughout her career, Carolyn encountered numerous obstacles and setbacks, each serving as an opportunity for growth and learning. It is her unwavering determination and remarkable ability to navigate through failures that have positioned her as an outstanding figure in the industry. Beyond her role at Intel, Carolyn Henry is recognized as an evangelist, speaker, and board member. Her dynamic presence and thought leadership have made her a sought-after speaker at various industry events and conferences. Carolyn’s unique perspective and exceptional ability to connect with others make her an influential and inspiring leader. She understands that success is not solely defined by achievements but also by the ability to empathize with those who are facing their own struggles. Her Inception Story Despite facing numerous obstacles and societal norms, Carolyn’s journey serves as a testament to the power of resilience and the pursuit of one’s true passion. Growing up, Carolyn navigated a time when intelligence was not always celebrated, particularly for girls and women. In a world that often discouraged their participation in math, science, and technology, she found herself “socialized out” of these arenas at an early age. Yet, it was this very adversity that fueled her relentless drive to prove others wrong. Hailing from an Italian immigrant background and raised just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Carolyn possessed a unique determination to overcome the barriers set before her. Unfazed by the messages of “you can’t do that,” she channeled her innate curiosity toward computers, recognizing that understanding technology was not rocket science. In fact, she went beyond mere understanding, using and exploring the possibilities of computers, which ultimately led her to a serendipitous role—teaching mature ladies in her neighborhood how to utilize their PCs. It was during her time working at a venture capital office that Carolyn’s perspective widened even further. Observing that the majority of business pitches were dominated by men, she couldn’t help but wonder, “Where are all the women?” Intrigued by the burgeoning momentum in the tech industry, Carolyn saw an opportunity to make her mark. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish from Connecticut College, Carolyn recognized the power of effective communication. Combining this with her newfound fascination with technology, she embarked on a path in technical writing—a bridge between her love for writing and her growing passion for the tech world. This was her entry point into an industry that would come to define her career. Carolyn’s journey, however, was not characterized by complacency. Despite her late entry into the tech realm, she embraced a mindset of perpetual growth and learning. Recognizing that expertise is never truly achieved, she sought to sharpen her skills through continuous education. From digital marketing to leadership training programs, she remained dedicated to honing her craft and staying at the forefront of industry trends. In 2013, Carolyn’s trajectory took an unexpected turn when she discovered her profound passion for sales and marketing. Invited to deliver technical demonstrations worldwide, she found herself invigorated by engaging with customers and solving real-world challenges. Her exceptional storytelling abilities and effective communication skills allowed her to create meaningful connections and communicate the value of products and services. Years of deep technical work gave her the credibility to hold her ground in conversations with engineers and industry experts, further enhancing her marketing prowess. Embracing her newfound calling, Carolyn joined BMC Software in 2016, where she spearheaded efforts to revitalize the Mainframe brand and propel market share growth in a declining industry. This experience served as a stepping stone to her next chapter at Intel. As Senior Director of Strategic Marketing of Data Center Solutions, she continued to make her mark, eventually ascending to roles at Intel headquarters, reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer. Today, Carolyn proudly serves as the Vice President and GM of Americas Regional Marketing at Intel, leading a team of skilled marketers across diverse segments. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Carolyn’s impact extends far beyond her immediate sphere of influence. With an unwavering dedication to fostering the growth and development of women and young professionals in the fields of Marketing and Tech, she actively guides and empowers others to pursue their aspirations. Furthermore, she champions the importance of creating access and opportunities for underrepresented individuals in STEM fields, recognizing the transformative potential of diverse perspectives and voices. In both her professional and personal life, Carolyn Henry embodies the essence of her favorite marketing motto from “Mad Men,” which aptly states, “If you don’t like what they’re saying, change the conversation.” It encapsulates her unwavering commitment to challenge norms, drive innovation, and reshape narratives in the tech industry. Additionally, she draws inspiration from Walt Whitman’s timeless mantra, “Keep your face toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you,” underscoring her optimistic and forward-looking approach to life. Surmounting the Obstacles In the ever-evolving marketing world, Carolyn Henry, like many CMOs, has faced significant challenges that require strategic thinking and innovative solutions. First and foremost, the pressure of balancing short-term thinking with long-term strategy is a constant challenge. Carolyn recognizes the importance of delivering immediate results while also charting a course for sustainable success. It requires a delicate balance of

Preeti Bajaj is a spectacular businesswoman who has carved a unique identity for herself through her remarkable leadership skills and exceptional vision in transforming the market concerning solar technology. With over two decades of experience in the corporate world, she has earned a reputation as a trailblazer, breaking down barriers and achieving success in industries traditionally dominated by men. Her tenacity, perseverance, determination, and relentless drive to succeed against all odds make her a fantastic and inspiring business leader. Preeti’s trajectory to the top is a capsule of motivation for anyone who aspires to achieve great things in their career. The Brief Being MD and CEO of Luminous Power Technologies, Preeti has been garnering global applause for reshaping the face of the energy solutions segment in Indian lands. Her establishment was conceived in 1988 and since then, there has been no turning back. In over 33 years of its successful journey, Luminous has managed to be India’s most trusted power backup, and residential solar space. The brand philosophy is to devise solutions that are sustainable and energy-efficient to make lives comfortable and full of happiness. Over the years, Preeti established a lucrative career at the intersection of technology and transformation. She has been highly active for over two decades in the Australian and Asian business environments which brought her extensive expertise to create as well as execute strategies to set the pace for sustainable growth across a range of enterprises (multinationals, ASX-listed corporates, and startups). The Impetus While in Australia, the dynamics of solar were accelerating, leading to her headhunting to join Schneider Electric as the Vice President of Strategy and Transformation in 2015, and that is what pushed her to enter this sector. She was fortunate enough to come close to solar technology in a country that was deploying it at scale and speed at the time. Australia has 25% of its homes already leveraged with solar solutions. Rooftop solar was a fast-growing market at the time, and Schneider Electric, the parent company of Luminous Power Technologies, was providing inverter solutions to that market. Preeti happened to work closely with some utilities there, and they embarked on a journey to solve the problem of energy access and energy savings for home consumers. They studied a lot of customers and their associated pain points, which included finding energy bills confusing, understanding solar and its payback difficult, and the installation experience somewhat lacking, wanting it to be a delightful experience. Sponsored and supported by Schneider Electric Ventures, Preeti established a venture called Clipsal. Solar and Clipsal are homegrown, well-established brands in Australia, similar to Luminous. She took on the task of being the CEO of the first-ever incubated venture in the group, which set up a home energy services company with the explicit purpose of driving energy savings, using connected technologies and solar into the hands of the consumer through the development of an app called Clipsal Cortex. After doing this for a few years, she moved on to her current position at Luminous Power Technologies. In a nutshell, her journey as a C-suite executive began around eight years ago and has earned recognition for her stellar performance.  The Flagship Portfolio Luminous is a purposeful and concise energy storage and solutions company that focuses on addressing the pain points of consumers in two distinct areas. The first area concerns consumers who require power backup solutions to ensure their appliances have the necessary power when needed. Luminous is proud to offer inverters and batteries that meet this need. The second area is solar solutions for those who want to run all their appliances with solar energy at an affordable price. Luminous provides full solar power generating systems ranging from sub-1 KVA to ten kilowatts. The third aspect is the technology-led component, where Luminous aims to provide consumers with digital and data capabilities for power backup solutions, including inverters from sub-one to ten KVA and beyond. Additionally, Luminous seeks to enable customers to access information about their inverter and power backup needs as customers are particularly interested in understanding whether their power plant generates sufficient power to offset their electricity costs. Today, the venture has carved an etch for itself in Indian as well as international markets.  Breaking The Glass Ceiling  Preeti Bajaj reflects on her journey as a woman entrepreneur, acknowledging that there were challenges along the way. However, she views these challenges as opportunities to increase her resilience quotient, rather than obstacles to her success. She believes that a career is a combination of ambition, asking, and action, and that having ambition means asking for challenges and complex problems to solve. The woman tycoon started her career in software sales, where she encountered gender bias, with people assuming that she was there to bring coffee instead of being a part of the team. Despite this, she remained positive and demonstrated her commitment to her work, ultimately transforming mindsets along the way. Preeti emphasizes the importance of finding a community of mentors and aspirational people who share similar goals and values to scale in one’s journey to higher aloft. She was fortunate enough to have these people in her life, which helped her to build her career and deliver impact across the masses globally. Thoughts On Leadership Throughout the world, leaders share different perspectives on leadership based on their personal experiences, values, and beliefs. In Preeti’s opinion, leadership is a gender-neutral activity, and in this context, she believes that there are three crucial skills that one must possess. Firstly, critical thinking is essential to peacefully and logically work through complex problems, regardless of whether it’s within your domain area of expertise or not. Secondly, learning agility is crucial in quickly adapting and learning new things to solve complex problems. This skill complements critical thinking, making it even more effective. Finally, resilience is paramount when it comes to dealing with fast-paced change and uncertainty. Preeti believes that as leaders, we have the opportunity to change the perception of volatility to velocity, uncertainty