Why Publicis Sapient’s Teresa Barreira Is Transforming the Tech Space for Women

The tech space is still an industry where only a fraction of the work force is female but don’t expect those numbers to remain with leaders like Teresa Barreira in the C-suite. When Teresa joined Publicis Sapient as the Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer three years ago, her initial focus was to define the transformative vision for the company. Instead, she ended up relaunching the brand as a leader in the digital business transformation space, emerging as a powerful driver of innovation and growth. But for Teresa, it is in her nature to take on challenges and go the extra few hundred miles. Prior to joining Publicis Sapient, she was the CMO at Deloitte Consulting and previously spent over a decade at Accenture after starting her career with IBM. The secret sauce to her success? Persistence, risk-taking, and the aspiration to stand out in places where she could make the biggest impact. Read on to find out more about Teresa’s inspiring career mentality, why she focuses on investing in her team, and why it’s critical for women to make sure their voices are heard in the room especially in the tech world. How did you get to where you are today? Like any leader, it took lots of hard work and perseverance and some luck along the way. A lot of it was about taking risks. I never waited for opportunities to come to me, I always pursued them. Most importantly, I found the places where I could make the biggest impact and was very deliberate in making decisions. I never waited for opportunities to come to me. Earlier in my career, while working in Europe, I was traveling by train with a colleague who was senior to me. While on the train we passed through a poppy field. Every so often, we would see one or two very tall poppies that stood out in the field and towered over the others even from a distance on the train. My colleague said to me, “When you work for a big company, or any company—you have to become that poppy, the tall one that stands higher and can be seen from a distance.” It was a moment that stayed with me even all these years later. I’ve always aimed to elevate my own teams so that they become tall poppies that stand out from a distance amidst crowded fields of other poppies. How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? I foster relationships in an informal way. I make an effort to stay in touch with people and connect with them. Just like any relationship, professional ones need to be nurtured. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? What about within the past year? I’ve been bold and never shied away from things which has allowed me to grow and take on challenges without fear, even when they were difficult. In the past year, I’ve invested in myself by investing in my team. My biggest focus is empowering others and investing in young talent. I learn so much from young people on the team and spending time with them. I’m always looking to create opportunities and an environment where people can learn and grow and ways I can create a platform for them to do that. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? Before the pandemic we often had two versions of ourselves—one for inside the office and one for outside, but now we have no choice except to show up as our full selves. We live and work in the same environment. We can’t suppress parts of ourselves and go into the office. We bring our entire personality to work and we’re better for it. The company benefits from it too. Our workplaces are more inclusive, collaborative, and innovative as a result. The pandemic allowed that. Can you recall a situation where you've dealt with typecasting in the workplace? And what advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? I’ve worked in companies and industries that are male dominated and it’s not something that I always felt was evident. By the time I realized that there were fewer women at the table I found myself in a position to push for change which is something I’m incredibly committed to. My own leadership team is made up of 65% women. Be yourself… that’s the best way to fight stereotypes. People will always stereotype, it’s unavoidable. Don’t fight who you are to go against a stereotype. Be yourself, your best self, and embrace who you are—that’s the best way to fight stereotypes. The tech space is growing more diverse in terms of female representation, but it is still heavily dominated by men. What lessons have you learned along the way that you think will benefit aspiring female tech leaders? For now, in the tech space, women are going to be the minority voice in the room, that’s a given. But just because that’s the case, doesn’t mean you need to make your voice smaller. We might have to work extra hard for that voice, or expand our voices and be louder, or more deliberate about what we speak up for. Even though there are louder voices in the room, women’s voices count equally. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? I’ve handled challenging salary negotiations early on in my career and remember how traumatizing those moments can be when you’re starting out. You have to be your own advocate, no one is going to do it for you. You also need to think about the value of the work you’re being asked to do. It’s not about current salary or past salary, it’s about the value for the work. Having that mindset changes how you negotiate and what you ask for. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? One specific mentor early on in my career instilled the courage to lead and really believed in me and taught me to believe in myself. I was lucky enough to work for her in two different jobs. She taught me how important it is to have confidence, to be brave, and to take risks. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Believe in yourself. What does success mean for you? Happiness—doing something you love, where you feel you’re making an impact, where you feel valuable, and where you feel you’re changing someone’s life or their business. Doing something that matters, whatever that is for you, and you feel happy doing it. How Clinique’s Michelle Freyre is Empowering Tomorrow’s Latina Business Leaders

Women Trailblazers

Why Publicis Sapient’s Teresa Barreira Is Transforming the Tech Space for Women

The Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer is making sure there is a seat for women at the table

Luz Corona

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Luz Corona