Claudia Romanini-Backus ─ Creating best of class devices with innovative partnerships.
October 21, 2020 • 2 Minute Read
Claudia
Romanini-Backus
Head of Enterprise &
Productivity Partnerships
Facebook Reality Labs
The lady who knows, loves, and has brought more devices to market with innovative ecosystem product partnerships around the world is Claudia Romanini Backus! She has used her savvy market know how to accelerate what we see and the value we can gain through technology for Microsoft, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Motorola, Palm, TiVo and eBay. Her current gig is leading Enterprise & Productivity Partnerships for Facebook Reality Labs. Please meet this “IT Wondrous Woman™” — Claudia Romanini Backus!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
Most of my colleagues don’t know that jewelry design is my passion. I am often told at work that the jewelry I wear is really unique and they are surprised when I tell them that I also have a jewelry business, Gyoié.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you fly annually?
On average, I flew over 100K miles a year for both personal and work travel. I am a million miler on more than one airline!
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
One hundred year old eggs (aka Century Eggs) in Taipei, Taiwan.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
First, launching the Palm Pilot into international markets, because we found a way for PDA technology to improve on the pen and paper experience in ways that consumers didn’t think would be possible.
Second, building the NOOK Apps business for Barnes & Noble. It was incredibly challenging to be part of digital transformation of a traditional bookselling business.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
Yes, Denise Sangster was my mentor. She taught me that I should believe in myself and have the confidence to grow and break new ground as an ecosystem leader in the technology industry.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Make a plan for your career journey early and always keep your focus on your destination.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I continue to mentor, guide and inspire young women to have the confidence to make impact as female leaders.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
I would definitely have to say that it’s what I’m doing now, enabling VR in the workplace to change the future of how we work, giving people the tools to enable collaboration and making them more productive, especially now, in a post-COVID world.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
The lines between our personal selves and our professional selves are disappearing, especially now that we are working from home (or living at work). We need to learn how to be our genuine selves and communicate more transparently and collaboratively with new messaging and social media platforms. Who remembers the asynchronous world of telexing, faxing and emailing?
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
Helping my business and partners adapt to the our “new normal” in a post-COVID world.
