Women In Tech - Jennifer Stickney

Jennifer is a Vice President of Global Legal Technology and Business Process Subject Matter Expert. She heads global operations for the Lawyers On Demand (LOD) division supporting flexible talent, structured teams, direct review staffing, and direct hire teams.
 
Jennifer’s role is to serve as a change agent to streamline processes and adoption of new technology, ensure operational efficiency, and support growth across LOD teams. Jennifer specializes in complex people, process, and technology integrations as well as planning and executing strategic initiatives. Jennifer creates alignment across departments to better serve Consilio’s clients and employees.

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How did you get into this industry?

After college, I leveraged my previous customer service roles and started working in the finance industry. When the company transitioned to a new transfer agency platform, it highlighted a need to ensure that policy and procedure changes were vetted across departments, approved, and communicated.  Through that work, I became the front-end subject matter expert helping to translate the business impacts and needs to IT and the development team and vice versa.

I was fortunate to have a strong network of people who were willing to vouch for my work ethic when my job was eliminated during the recession in 2008. As a result, my resume was passed to a local law firm for their practice support project management team. Since then, I’ve held a variety of roles at both law firms and service providers, as well as across eDiscovery and now Enterprise Legal Solutions. What I’ve realized is that the common thread through all my roles is solving today’s problems while building toward a greater vision.

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

My most pivotal moments have been when I have had to take a leap of faith while also being vulnerable to grow. The biggest pivot was the shift from finance to the legal industry. I was initially worried that I didn’t know anything other than what I’d done before, but I was underestimating how translatable the skills I’d developed were for other industries. That willingness to put yourself in a position where you feel semi-incompetent while engaging your curiosity and skills gives you the confidence to try more things.

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

I’ve often been one of only a few women in the room in my career. While there have been men who have asked questions and then talked over my answer, there have also been times when someone recognized it and pointedly said, I think Jen was speaking. It is up to all of us, regardless of gender designation, to ensure we are giving space to everyone, especially those who are underrepresented.  In past roles, as the leader of a primarily male team, I took great pride in ensuring that there was no gender pay gap in comparison to performance as I grew the team.

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

I try to assume positive intent. There are gender biases still in play and while they may range from barely perceptible to overtly toxic, it is important to remind yourself that there are very few men who believe that women do not deserve a seat at the table. The challenge is normalizing including women in the conversation, women as leaders, and women as contributors in more than traditional predominately female roles.

I think building a network of allies within and across companies is critical to share experience and seek advice. Trusted colleagues who will both cheer you on and who will challenge your assumptions or interpretations are vital to your growth, success, and mental health.

Most importantly, expect to have an equal seat at the table. Expect that your contributions are every bit as important as your fellow male peers.  Make more room at the table for other women to be seen and heard. Elevate others’ voices. The more this is normalized, the stronger organizations become.

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

Companies that focus on DEI efforts, mentorship, and a balance of women in C-level roles walk the talk. I’ve often seen organizations with great diversity in race or gender in entry and mid-level roles only to have very homogenized executive ranks. If the executive team rarely sees women at their own table, how can we expect women to see themselves in those male-dominated fields?

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