Kavita May ─ educating and advocating for IT distributors around the world...
December 1, 2020 • 3 Minute Read
Kavita May
Senior Vice President, Planning
& Operations
Global Technology Distribution Council
Are you looking for someone who works with top global and regional IT distribution executives to meet changing and challenging needs of the IT industry? We know the person ─ Kavita May.
For many in the IT industry, distribution looks easy, when in reality it is often the most complicated and under appreciated engine of the IT industry. Enter Kavita, Senior Vice President, Planning & Operations, Global Technology Distribution Council . Through her innovative work over the last 18 years, she has helped turn the GTDC into one of the most powerful trade associations in the IT industry. In her role, she educates and advocates for the value delivered through distributors to the IT industry, which is much more than just in time logistics!
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Kavita May!
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?
At the age of four, I moved to Brazil with my family and lived there until I was 15. It was an interesting time as there were few Indian families living in the country. We didn’t speak the language and my dad took a job as a professor at a world-renowned university. He always said he was lucky that math and physics are “international languages”. We moved back to the US when I was 15 and it was time to learn English!
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
I am a focused road warrior flying 8-10 times a year, including 4 of the trips to international destinations. Not as many miles as some in this industry, but I am a seasoned virtual traveler through collaboration tools to keep up with our global members.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
I love food, and I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to try lots of foods from all over the world. I think the most adventurous food I’ve eaten are crickets in Brazil and Veal cheeks in Amsterdam, which I didn’t know I was eating until later. Nothing too crazy, I guess.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
I’ve had two experiences that have helped shape my journey that are professional and personal.
Professional: I was in my 3rd year at Tech Data, my first ‘big girl’ job. I was entrusted with a very big/important client. I increased their sales significantly and also calmed tensions that were ongoing with the clients and the previous Tech Data team, which handled the account. That was something I was really proud of and I received good recognition from my management team as well as added responsibilities and higher visibility.
Personal: While managing this growing client relationship, I had just become a first-time mother and trying to balancing my work-parent schedule, which was extremely difficult. I felt I was falling short on accomplishing all the things I wanted to do as a mother, which made me feel guilty and frustrated I could not do it all.
These two experiences helped me prioritize my goals and ensure that I paid attention to the things that really mattered. It also helped me take more control over my career and realize the definition of success sometimes means not always being available to do everything that is asked of you. Saying no can be very liberating.
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 had a couple of managers early on in my career that really helped guide me in my career, including teaching me how to grow in my role and improve my interpersonal and diplomatic skills. One of my managers was a father with two kids. He was instrumental in helping me understand office politics and how to ask for more without coming across as deserving, but rather someone who has earned it. He was also a big champion for mothers and played a big role in creating a space for moms who were still nursing.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
To be more assertive and to market myself more aggressively. That is, stop volunteering to be the support team, and go for the team lead.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I am proud to be a mentor for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Kate Tiedemann College of Business. It is a privilege to talk to students and help guide them as they begin their professional careers. It’s particularly rewarding to work with young women and answer their questions about work/life balance and what it means to be the only woman in a meeting and often conferences.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
I look for new and impactful ways to educate and advocate about the value delivered through distributors fueling the IT industry’s success. In some ways, it is the most complicated part of the IT industry and because distributors do it so well, the complexity is often overlooked for the value delivered for scaling sales, financing, enablement, partner readiness, and so much more.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
I am working in an industry that values innovation and staying ahead of the curve. Educating myself on technology and disruptive innovation to understand how it’s being implemented and utilized to drive the digital economy is not only important, but a requirement for success. This new era is all about digitizing everything, which has planned and unforeseen impact on the workforce. It is also changing the way we interact with one another and stay connected.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
As a trade association, I have had to re-invent the way we engage with our membership and executives. It’s become even more important to stay actively engaged and seek input from our partners. As we all know, the virtual environment has its advantages, but I am working to create the same dynamic exchange of a face-to-face environment.
