Global Touch's 100th IT Wondrous Woman™ ─ Debbie Dunnam, Innovative GTM leader driving customer and partner engagement and success…
September 21, 2021 • 3 Minute Read
Debbie Dunnam
Chief Commercial Officer
Dropbox
Are you looking for an innovative go-to-market leader who delivers value and outcomes that align with customer and partner priorities, goals and success? We know the person, who is the 100th IT Wondrous Woman™—Debbie Dunnam!
Debbie is the Chief Commercial Officer at Dropbox. As one of the IT industry's most successful and innovative leaders, she is now heading Dropbox’s go-to-market teams and driving collaboration across the organization using the voice of customers and partners to ensure continual optimization of Dropbox’s portfolio. Debbie combines strategy with her diverse set of experiences to enable growth, innovation, and customer and partner engagement. Prior to her position at Dropbox, Debbie held key roles in the world’s most influential technology companies, including Microsoft, Cisco, and ServiceSource. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and family, and occasionally singing to country music.
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Debbie Dunnam!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
I love to seek out unique gifts for folks that we are close to and wrap each one uniquely with my selection of cards, special wrapping paper and all the other things!
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
100K+
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
Multiple different kinds of unique sushi in Toyoko - much of which I wasn’t quite sure what it was!
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
My tenure at Cisco was one of the most rewarding and amazing times of my career. It provided incredible opportunities to work with diverse and talented teams across multiple functions. Each of these moments provided growth, learning, laughter and the pure joy of working together with a team toward a shared goal.
My time at a smaller company early in my career - Staywell - was where I learned how to be a business leader, manage a P&L and make difficult tradeoffs. I credit Nancy, the CEO, with helping me understand how to build a strategy, a business, a team and a successful roadmap.
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?
Nancy O’Neil, John Chambers as the CEO of Cisco, and Gary Moore, President and COO of Cisco were ardent champions of diversity, listening to different points of view and making sure everyone in the room had a voice. All three of these individuals have had a lasting impact on how I show up each day as a leader and how I interact with my teams, my customers and my partners.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Take MORE risks sooner, do things that challenge and scare you, and believe in yourself. You have skills, expertise and a voice that you should use.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I spend as much time as possible mentoring, interacting with larger group opportunities, and having a broad LinkedIn network so I can refer, help and advise people.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Taking on the Chief Commercial Officer at Dropbox during a time of opportunity and transformation. It’s exciting to be part of evolving our go-to-market strategy, our transformation to a Virtual First company (our shift to a primarily remote-first company), and integrating DocSend, our latest acquisition, into our portfolio.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
Finding multiple ways to connect with all levels of my team globally so that we can feel aligned and connected including recognition of key events or wins - like birthdays, people in new roles, key customer and partner wins, etc.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
Keeping teams together and engaged in Virtual First, and modifying our customer interactions in the new virtual/hybrid environments to support various and unique travel and face-to-face scenarios around the globe.
