Our Women in Digital Breakfast is easily our favorite way to kick off the week at Adobe Summit. We brought conference attendees together before the opening keynote to connect with peers and dive into meaningful discussions about the roles women play in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
A Morning of Inspiration and Insight
The event featured a panel of inspiring women who have made significant strides in their careers and included:
- Kristen Harris, Director of Marketing Data Strategy and Optimization at H&R Block
- Aileen Herndon, Senior Vice President of Distribution Marketing at Jackson
- Kelly Wyatt, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at GM Financial
- Julia Dane, Vice President of US Enterprise Sales at Adobe
Erin Rushman, General Manager of Perficient’s Customer Experience and Digital Marketing practice, moderated the panel. Erin guided the conversation through a series of thought-provoking questions about how to embrace new technology, balance innovation with daily operations, the power of mentorship, inclusivity, navigating challenging business decisions, and what women can do to lead in our evolving landscape.
Embracing New Technologies
The discussion began with a focus on how to stay updated with the latest trends and
technologies. Kristen shared how she simply started integrating ChatGPT into her daily life as a way to embrace Generative AI.
She recounted, “When I do the hard work of actually trying to integrate a lot of these new technologies into my daily life, it’s transformative in the way that I’m able to help bring my team along and help make it seem less scary.”
Her story highlighted the importance of hands-on experience in demystifying new technologies. Kelly chimed in, acknowledging the challenge of finding time to learn new technologies amidst a busy schedule.
She candidly admitted, “It’s hard for me to find the time to learn the technology or the application but I do agree… and as you move up in the organization that becomes harder and harder.”
Her honesty resonated with many in the audience, emphasizing the universal struggle of balancing learning with leadership responsibilities.
Balancing Innovation and Daily Operations
Aileen brought a unique perspective from the highly regulated insurance and annuity space. She spoke about the delicate balance between innovation and day-to-day operations and how taking small pieces of innovation is key to making progress while remaining compliant.
Aileen shared, “You have to pilot new things to a smaller audience to see how that works and what kinds of results you get. I also really think you have to figure out where there is going to be a long-term impact. Really try to look at what’s going to be happening in a year from now that you can try to devote some time and innovation to transform.”
And when it comes to finding the time to devote to innovation, Aileen talked about sharing the load with her extended team.
She said, “Trying to carve that out and get people to still think innovatively can be challenging because there’s so much day to day. So, I have our extended leadership team really drive new projects. I want everybody to have new ideas and bring those to the table. Even in a regulated environment, we’re able to see progress that way.”
Her approach underscored the importance of incremental innovation and the value of small-scale projects.
The Power of Mentorship
The conversation then shifted to the role of mentorship. Julia reflected on her long career in technology, recalling, “I’ve had a glorious long career… And I think for the first ten years I was the only woman in the room. So, my mentors early on were authentic male leaders that I could trust and I was fortunate enough to have one that I worked with for 14 years that really helped guide me and really treated me no different than all the men in the room. But I think it really becomes meaningful when you start mentoring other people.”
She emphasized the profound impact of mentorship as well as the importance of paying it forward by mentoring others.
Kelly added her insights, highlighting the value of informal mentorship connections. She shared, “Many companies have very official mentor/mentee programs, but they feel very mechanical to me. I spend a good amount of my week connecting and meeting one-on-one with people. If they have a problem and they want to talk it through with me, I say shoot me a message and I’ll jump on a call with you. Being available to help support the people that you mentor is extremely important so it doesn’t just become a check-in type process.”
Kelly also encouraged seeking diverse perspectives when it comes to mentorship. She advised, “It’s important to be mentored and mentor people that are not like you. It’s really easy to connect with people who are just like you, but you’re going to get the same advice that you’d give.”
Inclusivity in Leadership
Inclusivity was a recurring theme throughout the discussion as well. Julia spoke about the importance of bringing in those who might feel left out.
She said, “I’ve worked hard early in my career to go and bring in the person who is on the outside…. I probably see the shyest or the least involved before I see the most vocal. Because the most vocal are going to be the most vocal no matter what. But it’s the ones that are on the outside that I think can be brought inside and become advocates.”
Her commitment to inclusivity served as a powerful reminder of the impact of small, intentional actions. Kelly echoed this sentiment, urging leaders to give their team members opportunities to shine.
She said, “Allow your team members to do the presentation. Allow them a seat at that table and let them be the voice.”
Kelly also acknowledged how scary that can be but also how important it is to overcome fear to learn and grow. She said, “If you’re a leader, pull those people along and let them be there and lean in. I tell my young people you are at that table for a reason. You got your position for a reason. Lean into it.”
Navigating Challenging Decisions
The panel also discussed the long-term benefits of making tough decisions and the resilience required to lead through change.
Kristen shared a story about a significant decision she had to make as a leader during a data transformation project. She recounted the challenges of migrating to a new technology stack and the impact it had on her team.
“We had to make the call to modernize despite the fact that we didn’t really want to. So, for me that was a really challenging call. My team was impacted. All my internal employee surveys were really low because I came in and everyone was really mad. They didn’t understand the platform. They didn’t see the big vision. We did the best we could to support everyone, and transition is hard. Change is hard. Especially when you’re trying to make a leapfrog to something new. Sometimes you have to be the bad guy and work through those challenges,” she said. “Change is challenging but it also leads to a lot of benefits.”
Aileen added that sometimes the most challenging decision can be deciding not to do something.
She said, “Some of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make are to say we’re not quite ready. Here’s what we need to do to get ready. And as much as that’s not in my personality, the best decisions that I’ve made are when I’ve recognized that and saw that we were running too hard and too fast for something shiny and new that wasn’t going to work for us.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Digital Experience
The panelists concluded with a forward-looking discussion on the future of digital experiences and how women can prepare to lead in this evolving landscape.
Aileen emphasized the importance of continuous learning and maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit.
Kristin encouraged embracing technology and seeking to understand it deeply, while Julia reminded everyone of the responsibility to be role models for the next generation.
And Kelly left the audience with a powerful call to action: “Learn the technology. Don’t fight the automation. Don’t fight the GenAI. If you don’t learn it, you will get left behind.”
Her words resonated as a reminder of the importance of staying ahead in the digital age.
Continuing the Conversation
This event not only highlighted the achievements and challenges faced by women in the digital space but also underscored the importance of community and support in driving innovation and growth. We left the breakfast with renewed energy and a deeper understanding of how we can all contribute to shaping the future of our organizations and the digital world.
Thank you to our panelists, attendees, and everyone who made this event a success. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and supporting each other in our digital journeys.
We hope to see you again at Adobe Summit 2026.
