Monica Gille is a dynamic leader with expertise in software engineering and AI. As Vice President of Sales, Enterprise and Global Accounts at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, she manages over $6 billion in revenue and leads a talented group of high-performance sales leaders, account executives and solution architects. Beyond HPE, she serves on various startup boards and NGOs, and previously led the HPE Switzerland sales organization. Monica’s background in business development, channel management, and strategic planning has powered double-digit growth, and fosters innovation while driving industry trends.
A Career Path Defined by Innovation and Leadership
Monica’s journey to becoming Vice President of Sales Enterprise and Global Accounts at HPE began with a dream of architecture. Finding her true passion in software engineering, she pursued a degree in Computer Science and later, an MBA in Business Management.
She began her career leading startup programs and serving as Chief Technology Officer for HPE Switzerland Her leadership roles expanded as she became a sales leader for Service Provider EMEA, Western Europe and later, Managing Director and Sales Leader of HPE Switzerland. Monica’s influence extends to sitting on several startup advisory boards and NGOs, highlighting her commitment to innovation and community.
Her relocation to the California Bay Area, marked a significant step in her career, where she took on the role of VP of Sales Strategy, Planning, and Operations for North America. Now, as the VP of Sales, Enterprise and Global Accounts, Monica oversees an extensive sales operation and continues to drive growth and innovation at HPE.
Harnessing Technical Expertise to Elevate Leadership in Sales and Business Development
Monica’s background in software engineering and AI has significantly influenced her leadership in sales and business development at HPE. She emphasizes data-driven decision-making, using performance metrics and predictive modeling to optimize strategies and understand customer needs and trends.
Her technical problem-solving skills enable her to overcome sales challenges and innovate processes, while her ability to communicate complex concepts fosters collaboration between technical and sales teams. This technical expertise also allows her to effectively convey product benefits, tailor solutions to customer pain points, and build trust with technically savvy clients, driving revenue growth and exceptional customer experiences.
“Be curious, invest in your dreams, and find your passion in technology. There is no limit to what you can achieve if you keep up with technology trends and continuously learn new things.”
Strategic Leadership at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Monica oversees the top 500 industry accounts in North America, driving over $6 billion in revenue across verticals including Health and Life Sciences, Telco, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail, Service Providers, Hyperscalers, and Digital Natives startups, with a focus on AI, Cloud, and Edge technologies.
Her strategies have led to double-digit revenue growth year-over-year by focusing on high-growth segments like hybrid cloud and AI, leveraging strategic partnerships and acquisitions to enhance market reach, and emphasizing customer-centric innovation.
A significant career milestone includes identifying high-growth market opportunities ahead of the curve by staying connected to the startup ecosystem, exemplified by capturing AI opportunities with companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, creating new revenue streams and reinforcing her leadership impact.
Balancing Corporate Leadership with Startup and NGO Involvement
Monica effectively balances her role as a sales strategy and operations leader with her involvement in startup investment funds, accelerators, and NGOs by identifying synergies and leveraging her network. Insights from startups inform innovation in her sales strategy at HPE while her connections in the startup ecosystem help build relationships and generate opportunities for HPE and its partners.
Serving on advisory boards for early-stage startups in finance, sustainability, and leveraging AI to create new products, Monica gains a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset, market dynamics, and risk assessment with a long-term view, enriching her corporate leadership.
The Role of Diversity and Inclusion in Innovation and Business Success
Monica highlights the pivotal role of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in driving innovation and business success, particularly in tech and enterprise sectors. She emphasizes that diverse perspectives lead to more creative problem-solving and expanded market reach, allowing teams to address a broader range of customer needs.
Diverse teams also enhance risk mitigation by challenging assumptions and identifying potential risks while prioritizing D&I attracts top talent, improves employee satisfaction, and reduces turnover. A strong D&I commitment also boosts a company’s reputation, drawing customers, investors, and partners.
In the fast-evolving tech industry, Monica underscores that D&I is essential for adapting to new challenges, gaining insights into global markets, and solving complex problems with varied skill sets.
Her leadership in innovation programs, such as the startup initiative focused on AI infrastructure, exemplifies D&I’s impact. This program identified a new market opportunity and doubled enterprise business in 2023, demonstrating how strategic innovation drives significant growth.
“Embrace innovation. If you don’t innovate fast, disrupt your industry and market, disrupt yourself, or you’ll be left behind.”
Strategic Approaches to Developing and Managing High-Performance Global Teams
Monica emphasizes a strategic approach to developing and managing high-performance teams, particularly in a global and diverse organizational setting. She focuses on fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and shared goals through several key principles.
Foundation for High Performance
- Clear Goals and Expectations: Ensuring everyone understands the team’s mission, objectives, and individual roles is crucial.
- Open Communication: Creating a culture of open and honest communication, using various channels to accommodate multiple time zones and communication styles.
- Trust and Respect: Building trust and mutual respect among team members, emphasizing the value of diverse perspectives.
- Safe Environment: Fostering a safe environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks, and learning from mistakes.
Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion
- Embrace Differences: Celebrating cultural diversity and leveraging different perspectives to drive innovation and problem-solving.
- Inclusive Leadership: Demonstrating inclusive leadership by actively listening to all team members and valuing their contributions.
- Cultural Intelligence: Equipping team members with cultural intelligence to understand and navigate different cultural norms and communication styles.
- Fairness and Equity: Ensuring fair treatment and equal opportunities for all team members, regardless of background.
Building Collaboration and Teamwork
- Shared Vision: Developing a shared vision and sense of purpose that unites the team.
- Effective Collaboration Tools: Utilizing technology to facilitate collaboration, such as project management tools, video conferencing, and instant messaging.
- Cross-Cultural Training: Providing training on cross-cultural communication and teamwork to enhance collaboration across sales, technical, engineering, operations, and planning teams.
- Virtual Team Building: Organizing virtual team-building activities to strengthen relationships and build trust.
Continuous Development and Support
- Performance Management: Implementing a performance management system that aligns with the team’s goals and provides regular feedback.
- Talent Development: Investing in the professional development of team members to enhance their skills and capabilities.
- Mentorship and Coaching: Providing mentorship and coaching opportunities to support individual growth and career development.
- Recognition and Rewards: Recognizing and rewarding team and individual achievements to boost morale and motivation.
Through these strategies, Monica fosters high-performance teams that thrive in a global and diverse environment, driving both individual and collective success.
Empowering Women to Lead in Tech and Enterprise
Monica emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset for young women aspiring to advance in leadership roles within the tech industry or large enterprises like HPE. . “Embrace challenges as opportunities for learning and growth,” she advises, highlighting the value of stepping outside one’s comfort zone and being open to feedback.
Monica also stresses the significance of demonstrating leadership. She encourages women to “take initiative” by seeking out opportunities to lead projects and take ownership of their work. Additionally, she advises investing in the growth of team members, creating a supportive, inclusive environment, and building one’s brand as a thought leader through speaking engagements or online platforms.
Monica advises women to be authentic and stay true to their values and leadership style, seeing obstacles as opportunities for growth and resilience. She underscores the importance of finding a strong support system of mentors, sponsors, and colleagues to seek guidance and support and develop the ability to bounce back from setbacks with a positive outlook.
“Stay true to your values and leadership style even when facing pressure and uncertainty.”
Insights from Startup Investment: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Monica’s role as a board member on several startup investment funds gives her a unique perspective on entrepreneurship and innovation. “Serving as a board member offers a deep dive into the challenges, opportunities, and potential of nascent companies,” she notes.
Monica emphasizes that understanding the passion, resilience, and unwavering determination of entrepreneurs is essential. “Witnessing their journey firsthand made me understand the risks and rewards involved in building a business from scratch.”
Monica believes the startup ecosystem is a breeding ground for innovation and being exposed to a variety of businesses across different sectors provides a comprehensive understanding of emerging trends and disruptive technologies. Gaining insights into market trends, customer behavior, and competitive landscapes becomes second nature. This knowledge is invaluable in identifying investment opportunities and supporting portfolio companies.
Monica also explains, evaluating the potential of early-stage companies requires a keen ability to assess risk; a skill which is transferable to broader business contexts. Ultimately, building high-performance teams is crucial for startup success. Observing effective and ineffective teams provides valuable lessons in leadership and organizational development.
Staying Ahead in Technology: Strategies for Strategic Business Planning
Monica emphasizes the importance of staying ahead of new technology trends and integrating them into strategic business planning. These strategies include:
- Cultivating a Culture of Curiosity and Learning: Monica dedicates herself to continuous learning through research, conferences, and workshops, focusing on AI. She fosters a culture of experimentation within her organization to explore new technologies and stays current by following tech blogs, newsletters, and industry publications.
- Building a Strong Network: Networking with industry experts, thought leaders, and early adopters is crucial. Monica collaborates with technology providers and startups to gain insights into emerging trends and engages with diverse individuals to broaden her perspective.
- Conducting Technology Assessments: Monica emphasizes conducting gap analyses, risk assessments, and cost-benefit analyses to determine the financial impact of technology investments.
- Integrating Technology into Strategic Planning: Aligning technology initiatives with business goals is a priority. Monica explores how new technologies can create new business models or improve existing ones, ensuring they support overall business objectives.
- Pilot and Iterate: Monica believes in piloting and iterating new technologies through Proofs of Concept (POCs) and iterative approaches to refine and implement innovations effectively.
- Fostering Innovation: Encouraging a platform for employees to share innovative ideas and promoting a culture of experimentation and learning from failures is key to Monica’s strategy. She believes in the mantra, “Fail fast, learn faster,” to drive continuous improvement and growth.
By following these strategies, Monica stays at the forefront of technology trends, ensuring their effective integration into strategic business planning.
“Fail Fast, Learn Faster. Promote a culture of experimentation and learning from failures.”
Future Goals and Leaving a Lasting Legacy at HPE
Monica Gille’s multifaceted career highlights her exceptional ability to drive innovation and growth in technology. Her leadership at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, alongside her roles on startup investment and NGO boards, demonstrates her commitment to advancing technology and developing future leaders.
As she continues to guide high-performance teams and strategic initiatives, Monica’s impact on HPE and the tech industry is primed to be transformative. Her dedication to fostering innovation and her insights into emerging trends solidify her as a key figure shaping the future of technology and business development.
Monica’s legacy will be defined not only by her achievements but by the lasting influence she has on the technology industry and the leaders she inspires.
