Women in Technology - Linda Sarti Cardwell

This blog is part of our ongoing Women in Technology series.

Linda is the Vice President & Head of Global Advisory Sales for Consilio. Linda’s role is to manage the global Advisory Sales organization, delivering plans and initiatives to clients on the value of transforming their operations through the use of the latest technology, artificial intelligence, processes, and innovation, with a focus on a full spectrum of strategic needs including legal technology planning and implementation, change management, out-sourced legal platform administration, outside counsel management, and cost & financial controls.

Linda brings more than 20 years of experience working with global corporate legal departments and insurance claims organizations in their selection, implementation, and optimization of their people, processes, and technology, including implementing and optimizing software solutions for eDiscovery, Cyber Security, Spend & Matter Management, Contract Management, AI-assisted out-sourced Legal Bill Review, and AI-driven analytics.

Linda is also experienced in building new sales organizations in adjacent technologies and expanding sales globally into new markets.

Linda has also been a frequent moderator and panelist for many corporate legal conferences globally.

How did you get into this industry?

My entire career has been focused on services and technology solutions for corporate legal departments. I started working for a leading provider of business administration and compliance solutions, selling Registered Agent and Entity Management solutions to the Transactional side of the legal department. As Matter and Spend Management solutions came into the market, and eDiscovery began to move in-house for some companies, I moved to the enterprise side of legal technology. And then, of course, there was the explosion of contract management technology that intersected with many departments within a corporation. It’s been fascinating to be a part of the evolution of in-house legal’s use of technology and its part in the overall use of technology within corporations today. It’s also been great to see these departments create and further develop the role of Legal Operations, who are often the owners of all this technology within legal.

What were some pivotal moments in your career that helped to get you to where you are today?

I have been fortunate to have had several great mentors throughout my career. I had the opportunity to see what good looks like. Managers who empowered me to take on more responsibility as it became available, and the respect, trust, and support to give me significant autonomy to run my business. There were 2 pivotal moments in my career. When I was first promoted to sales management, a man who reported to me told me a few years later that he never thought he could work for a female manager but realized it had been a great experience and very beneficial to developing his skills as a salesperson. The second pivotal moment in my career was when I was asked to take over technology sales in EMEA, and in the same year, build a CLM sales team from the ground up due to an acquisition. Both were great experiences, much was learned, and it really expanded my knowledge in the legal industry I love.

Have you ever noticed a time in your career where your gender proved to differentiate you?

First, I will note that the great mentors I mentioned above all happened to be men. Most in enterprise technology sales leadership are actually men. The majority of my peers have also been men. So take heart, there are good men in leadership out there! But I will also say, the road can and will be harder for women – especially to achieve senior leadership roles. Too many companies will hire from the outside, rather than promote a qualified woman from within.

What is your advice for someone working in a predominately male workplace?

I have been on teams where I felt gender was never even noticed. We all respected each other, and we all worked hard. I have also been a part of teams and companies where it was clear there was an “old boys club” culture, and I was not in the inner circle. I chose to work hard, gain their respect, and try to break through that “old boys club”. That’s why I say the road for women can and will be harder. You may have to work harder than your male peers, you may need to learn more than everyone else to get their respect. In the end, you’ll have to decide whether respect and career growth are achievable where you are or whether it’s time to find it somewhere else.

What do you think companies could do to motivate more women to pursue careers in technology?

I am a big believer in developing your network and finding mentors. Companies that have these programs in place for women send a strong message. Today, there are so many more women in technology than when I started. That’s great to see. It is also important for companies to show they promote women to senior management roles from within. When women see other women succeed and lead, they will follow.