Julie Knight-Ludvigson ─ one of the hot IT industry CMOs with a golden touch looking to expand her success record.
November 10, 2020 • 3 Minute Read
Julie Knight-Ludvigson
Chief Marketing Officer
Unit4
Are you looking for a CMO with nearly unlimited talent and a golden touch? We know the person ─ Julie Knight Ludvigson!
Julie Knight-Ludvigson is on a streak of great successes and looking to expand her track record, this time with Unit4, a cloud leader in enterprise software for people-centered organizations.
Julie has an impressive record as CMO for Topia and Reflektive and key marketing leadership roles at Zendesk, SAP SuccessFactors and Cisco. She is also a proud UC Berkeley alum! Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Julie Knight-Ludvigson!
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’m a bit of a fitness nut. I had the opportunity to join a fitness club that offered Muay Thai (kickboxing) training. I did that for a few years and really enjoyed it. While I didn’t fight in any matches, I did a fair bit of sparring - it’s much harder than you think.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
100K - mostly international.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
Haggis in Fenwick, Scotland.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
Team building has been something that I’ve consistently done across most of the leadership roles I held and it’s the most enjoyable. The recruitment process has taught me to be a better listener and that effective communication is critical right from the start.
I received candid feedback about the use of “vanity metrics” in a QBR - essentially metrics that sound great but aren’t tied to a business objective. It was a humbling experience but it transformed how I think about the use of data and setting metrics in leading, managing and reporting on the “business of marketing”.
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?
I’ve had the opportunity to have many mentors, some informal, throughout my career. The biggest lesson has been to “walk through that door” - don’t be afraid to ask and do take advantage of opportunities that are presented. You never know what may happen and what they might lead to, down the road.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
“Walk through that door” - if you end up waiting for the perfect opportunity, you’ll likely be waiting for a very long time and you’ll miss out on some that can take you in a direction that you would have never thought about but turns out to be beneficial personally and professionally.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I have an open-door policy and encourage people to reach out. With the pandemic, I often book time for “check ins” to see how people are doing, answer questions or offer advice. More often than not, it’s about listening. As a leader, you need to make yourself available to your team (not just your leadership team) - we learn from each other and we’re successful because we’re #oneteam.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
This past year, the team and I had the opportunity to work on the corporate rebrand for Unit4. It was an exciting project as it forced us to challenge ourselves and our biases, and work against a very tight timeline. It was also the first project I was a part of at Unit4 so I got to work with the team on something that brought us closer together and to learn about each other on an initiative that has been transformational for the business.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
I’m focusing on writing, at the moment. The art of communication through storytelling is so important. I’ve always been more of a “matter of fact” writer, less on the creative prose. It’s an opportunity to grow and to share ideas in different ways.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
It goes without saying that the pandemic has been a challenge because facetime with the team beyond video isn’t doable. While I’m a big WFH advocate, I also know that being with your team - individually and collectively - helps to build relationships, resolve misunderstandings, and offer opportunities for sparking new ideas. I’m looking forward to the day that we can get together on a more regular basis.
