BlackHawk Data’s CEO, Maryann Pagano, was recently honored by being the first guest feature on Woman of the Week (WOW) by Women of the Channel. Women of the Channel is an organization dedicated to supporting women in the IT industry.
Maryann Pagano was interviewed by Kim Stevens on her experiences as a woman in the IT industry. We’ve collected some gems from the video below.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be in the channel since the late 90s.”
Maryann found her first job through her grandmother at a reseller. While she was exposed to several different IT environments early in her career, Maryann considers herself blessed to have worked for only two CEOS and mostly small companies throughout her early career. These environments and continued relationships allowed her to collect deep insights into company leadership and all aspects of business operations.
“Everything from accounts receivable, to inventory control, to HR…I got to touch a lot of different things.”
Her previous positions shaped her to become the professional she is today. Maryann believes that it is what you do with opportunities that define who you are; her past experiences gave her many opportunities for growth.
“I took my job seriously. It wasn’t a job; it was my career.”
When Maryann decided to create BlackHawk Data, she set out with the purpose of finding relevancy and importance; she wanted a chance to grow to her full potential. She co-founded BlackHawk Data with mentorship in mind.
Maryann believes all of her employees have the potential to learn and grow to greatness.
“I knew that challenge would always be ahead of me.”
After deciding to transition her career to BlackHawk Data, Maryann was forced to face unexpected challenges. Although she always kept her vision in mind, it was hard to adjust to losing a support group from previous jobs.
“We do need each other.”
When Maryann decided to create BlackHawk Data, she set out with the purpose of finding relevancy and importance; she wanted a chance to grow to her full potential. She co-founded BlackHawk Data with mentorship in mind.
Maryann believes all of her employees have the potential to learn and grow to greatness.