In this interview, Rosemary DeAragon, Global Head of Retail & CPG Strategy at Snowflake, discusses unique challenges faced by women in business, such as the need to carefully choose words and balance assertiveness with perceived aggression. Offering advice to young women entering the tech industry, she emphasizes the importance of building a strong reputation in every role. She also advocates for greater awareness of the challenges women face when returning to work after starting a family, aiming to accelerate gender equality...

What has been your career-defining moment as a woman in business?

I think career defining moments shift and change as the years go by. In the current snapshot of time, the most recent career defining moment happened 4 years ago when I was awarded by Forbes on the 30 under 30 list. On the day it was announced, my first instinct was actually fear and anxiety – un-tagging myself on social media posts, etc. Up until and prior to that day, I made a conscious effort not to reveal my age to anyone in the workplace. I consider that to be a defining day because I was forced to be open about my age while battling insecurities of how I would be perceived amongst my peers and those on my team.

Were there any obstacles you had to overcome as a woman in business?

There are definitely behaviours and tactics I instinctually employ that I think are unique to women in business. For example, thinking carefully to choose the exact right words to reflect my opinions, or if I'm particularly passionate about a topic, I often think about whether I'm being perceived as being overly aggressive or assertive. A lot of these mental exercises come instinctually in response to perceived or real obstacles from meeting-to-meeting.  

Name a moment in your career where you felt proud to be a woman in leadership.

Looking at our org chart, women in leadership at Snowflake are unfortunately few and far between. So, I often feel proud to represent Snowflake in the tech industry where women leaders are not common (outside of marketing or HR).  

In addition, I recently won a global all-company award at our sales kick-off - while awards are often lacking in tangible meaning, it's a chance to reflect the impact I've had on our company and wider industry - that was a moment where I felt particularly proud to be one of the few women on that list of awardees.

"Bullet proof your reputation in every role you're in, no matter how inconsequential or irrelevant you may think that role is."

What advice would you give to a younger woman looking to join your industry?

There are tons of opportunities for women in the tech industry, and particularly in enterprise B2B technology. My advice would be to bullet proof your reputation in every role you're in, no matter how inconsequential or irrelevant you may think that role is. Let your work, intellect, and reputation speak for itself, and the rest of your path upwards in the tech industry will come easier.

"Generate more awareness on the issue of women who have trouble returning to the workforce after starting a family."

If you could do one thing to accelerate the pace of change for gender equality, what would it be?

It would be to generate more awareness on the issue of women who have trouble returning to the workforce after starting a family. In my view, one of the biggest issues facing gender inequality is the physiological requirement for the woman to carry a child; the resulting impact on their upwards mobility in a corporate environment is devastating - and oftentimes creates an opportunity for male counterparts to leapfrog the progress they had made up until that point.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don't be in such a rush to be older (I would give that same advice to my current self too ha).

"Think consciously about what work-life balance means for you at this time of your life."

What’s your go-to advice for preventing burnout?

Find a supportive partner and find a supportive workplace culture. Think consciously about what work-life balance means for you at this time of your life. Make a list of your non-negotiables (e.g. need to spend time with family at XYZ time each day) and set healthy boundaries with your manager and leadership around not encroaching on those items.

Why do you think it’s important for women to help other women win?

Women are often the first to judge or put other women down... we should recognize when we feel the instinct to do that and reverse those behaviours as much as possible (both in our personal and work lives). The proverb of the crab pot comes to mind -- a son asking his fisherman father to put a lid on the pot; the father responds "don't worry, when the crab reaches the top, another crab will pull them down to try to reach the top themselves. No one ever climbs out". It's important for us to recognize when these small habitual instincts occur within ourselves and reverse those micro-habits -- at work but also in social circles.

Finally, can you share a woman in business who inspires you or has pulled out the seat for you.

Embarrassingly, the mentors who have pulled the seat out for me have all been men. However, one of the women in business that I've worked with and admire is Fiona Tan - CTO of Wayfair; we previously worked together at Walmart. She was able to gracefully juggle work and some serious challenges/struggles in her personal life - ranging from romantic issues to recurring health crises.