All Articles Tagged "african americans in technology"
Behind the Click: Brigette Jackson, VP and General Manager at T-Mobile

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Current Occupation: Vice President / General Manager of Field Sales & Operations – Michigan/Indiana Region, T-Mobile USA
Favorite website: Pulse, C-Net, Wall Street Journal
Favorite read: #1: Good to Great; #2: What Customers Really Want
Recent read: The Help
2012′s ultimate goal: Get oldest Son off to college in the fall & celebrate 19happy years of marriage!
Quote Governing Your Mission or a Quote that Inspires You: Essential Piece: Isn’t it a wonderful thing that we’re all different? Each of us has strengths and skills to share. And when we link our individual strengths together, we’re invincible. Can’t imagine us without you.
Twitter handle: @tmobile
Brigette Jackson, an executive at T-Mobile, is the subject of this next installment of Behind The Click. More specifically, she’s the Vice President and General Manager for the Michigan and Indiana Region of T-Mobile. I had an opportunity to connect with this fellow digital power player to learn more about her position. What follows will both inspire and encourage you, no matter what industry you currently work. Fasten your seatbelts!
LdC: So it seems that a lot of your foundation is due in large part to your education. What was it like attending Michigan State?
BJ: My college career was an enjoyable experience. I grew up, learned a lot and met many people with diverse backgrounds. A lot of the people I met are still my friends today.
LdC: Are you an active alum?
BJ: Yes, I stay informed and attend homecoming. I also participate in activities through the MSU chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, which I was a member of at MSU.
LdC: Did you express an early interest in the convergence of tech and customer growth or did you “fall into” it?
BJ: I graduated with a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis in Management. I have always been in sales jobs throughout my career. Working in sales management, I was introduced to technology and saw the rapid growth and innovation first hand. That’s what led me to my current position at T-Mobile.
LdC: What is a typical day like for you?
BJ: I conduct sales meetings with my team, attend strategy meetings where we plan business strategies and tactics to retain customers and grow the business, review sales reports, visit stores and our business sales clients and meet customers.
LdC: What is the biggest challenge of your day?
BJ: Continuing to grow sales and market share within the Region.
LdC: What advice can you give to women looking to get into telecommunications at an executive level?
B: Be ready for this fast-paced, innovative business. You need to make sure you are knowledgeable about all of the ever-changing technologies, stay ahead of the competitors and be able to make quick decisions.
LdC: What advice can you give to women with projects who are looking to create strategic alliances with T-Mobile?
BJ: Pull customer demographics, make sure the demographics mirror the area of the product you are targeting and do a business case to ensure the return on investment is healthy. Take as many business partners that relate to or support the project as you can throughout the process.
LdC: How do you balance work and family life?
BJ: Careful long & short-term planning to make sure I don’t miss any important engagements. I absolutely live by my Outlook Calendar to stay organized and I plan far ahead.
LdC: What’s your biggest dream for your position/department at T-Mobile this year?
BJ: At the end of the year, I would like to have a profitable business that has achieved all targets and have grown our customer base and increased our market share.
Thanks for reading! Keep up with tech events and more at my site www.ldcoleman.com while we prepare the next profile. Get the latest in digital news and more by following me on Twitter @mediaempress
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Black Man Could Be Next to Head IBM
(Fins) — Rodney C. Adkins oversees 50,000 employees and is responsible for $18 billion in revenue as senior vice president and group executive for systems and technology at IBM, one of the world’s largest and most durable technology companies. Adkins, 52, also is one of the most powerful African-Americans in high tech. Until Adkins succeeded his boss, Robert Moffat, after his arrestin relation to the 2009 Galleon insider trading case, most people had never heard of him. The IBM-lifer got the job on an interim basis, with the promotion made permanent less than two weeks later. Adkins is considered one of three candidates to succeed Chief Executive Samuel J. Palmisano, 60, when he retires.
The Onion's Baratunde Thurston on Real Issues and Fake News
(Fast Company) — “I think people turn to us in part because legitimate news has become so absurd that it’s often hard to tell the difference,” said Baratunde Thurston during a hilarious and enlightening talk at Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business event last week. Thurston, The Onion’s digital director and No. 49 on our list, said he believes viewers are growing skeptical and tired of the melodramatic coverage now common on cable news. “[There's] something happening with the lack of trust in legitimate news,” he said.


