Celebrating 25 Years with 25 Pieces of Career Advice
Salesforce Careers
March 06, 2024
Break out the candles and confetti: Salesforce is celebrating its 25 anniversary. That’s right — we’ve been blazing trails for a quarter century, growing from just four co-founders in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco to 72,000+ employee Trailblazers around the globe.
To celebrate, we're sharing 25 pieces of career advice from some of our most tenured employees: those in Koa Club, or those who have been with Salesforce for 10+ years. Check out their advice, admire those throwback pictures, and, hey, maybe grab a cupcake while you're at it. We're celebrating, right?
🎉 Want to blaze your trail at Salesforce for the next 25 years? Join our Talent Community.
Phil Cleary
Sales Leader Excellence Coach
Sydney, Australia
19 Years at Salesforce
“My top advice is to get involved and do things out of your comfort zone — volunteering, training, public speaking opportunities, mentoring. And be nice, always be nice to others, you don't know what they're going through at the time.”
Jonathan Hill
Regional Vice President, UK Commercial
London
10 Years at Salesforce
“Be open and vulnerable. We are all humans and connections are much richer if you go into them without an agenda or a bias. In other words, make sure you meet and get to know the person not the job title.”
Tom Benson
Senior Manager, Solution Engineering
16 Years at Salesforce
Remote, U.S.
“Know that the world of Salesforce, as large as it has become, is a small eco-system. Take all opportunities you can to build up your network, and lean into every work conversation by being curious and genuine.”
“As a Boomerang, my advice is don’t leave — but if you do, come back! There’s no place like Salesforce!”
Gino Ramos
Director, Equality Groups
Los Angeles
15 Years at Salesforce
“Get to know the person instead of getting to know what they can do for you.”
“Take a 'plus one' attitude — Ask yourself how can you not only build a better relationship with the person in front of you but how can you get an introduction to another contact from that person?”
Eugene Furuse
Sr. Director, Employee Recruiting
Tokyo, Japan
11 Years at Salesforce
“In our ever-evolving environment, continuous learning is a key factor for your own growth and development. In parallel, do not be afraid to share your own ideas with others to help foster more innovation. Innovation itself can come from anywhere and having an open, empathetic mindset allows for it and you to thrive.”
Nancy Kamerer
Sr. Director, Customer Success Marketing
San Francisco
19 Years at Salesforce
“Diversify your career. I have had 5 different chapters at Salesforce — from Sales to Executive Programs to Product to Marketing. This has contributed to my longevity and kept it interesting for me. It has allowed me to grow and have a more well-rounded perspective as I can view things through the lens of a customer, an AE, and a Marketer.”
Joel Oubre
VP Commercial Sales, SMB
Denver
13 Years at Salesforce
“I set a goal and build a plan at the start of every year that outlines the local/global community impact I want to make and communicate my goal and action items to leadership to build alignment.
Embrace change, focus on the opportunity at hand, and try to identify opportunities that allow you to work with co-workers to impact the community beyond the walls of Salesforce.”
“Stay curious and offer everybody some chocolate.”
Cameron MacLean
Sr. Director, Enterprise Architecture
Canada
10.5 Years at Salesforce
“Overdeliver on expectations, and always try to elevate the other person.”
Varun Guruvugari
Success Architect
San Francisco
10 Years at Salesforce
“Imagine having a chat with someone from Sales, diving into the latest industry trends, or exploring the unknown territories of Product or Procurement. It's not just about who you know; it's about how we all come together as a team to innovate and support each other. So, let's get out there, make connections, and see how we can lift each other up!”
“It's all about the people. Your Customers, their customers, your colleagues, your partners. Invest in those relationships and watch how the social capital you build multiplies the results you generate.”
Brittany Clark
Prime Named Account Executive
10 Years at Salesforce
Remote, U.S.
“I always use the phrase, ‘How can I help you or make your life easier today?’ at the end of every meeting. By prioritizing the needs of my colleagues and customers — both personal and professional — it creates a shared environment of trust.
Tracy Windeknecht
Sr. Manager, Solutions
Indianapolis
10 Years at Salesforce
“Say yes! People reach out all the time for help and advice, both internal and external. Give them 30 minutes. Respond to the Slack message or LinkedIn Inmail. It grows your network and helps them achieve their goals. You never know the difference that you can make, and the difference it can make for you.”
Anna Meier
Services Business Strategy Director
Indianapolis
15 Years at Salesforce
“Be curious. Be human. Connect the dots. As with meeting anyone, whether professionally or personally, bring your curiosity to the conversation and attempt to learn what they care about, what drives them and what obstacles they face. Then find where you connect. Is there something you can directly help them with? Do you connect on values outside of work — personal interests or philanthropy? Last, follow up afterward and reach out periodically!”
Javier Benavente
RVP, Sales
Madrid, Spain
12 Years at Salesforce
"Cultivate a network of like-minded individuals who share your passion. As a BOLDforce Leader in Spain, my role is to inspire and push the Boldforce team towards achievement, yet it is the team's dedication and drive that truly propel progress.
Be an information broker, enriching every interaction with value. Your impact will be unforgettable!"
“AI is game-changing. Be ready to be uncomfortable. Disrupt or be disrupted.”
Travis Lim
Sr. Manager, Real Estate & Workplace Services
Singapore
9 Years at Salesforce
“Approach networking with a genuine curiosity and focus on building meaningful connections rather than just collecting contacts. Listen actively, ask insightful questions, and offer value. Follow up promptly and maintain regular communication. Remember, networking is about cultivating mutually beneficial relationships, not just transactional exchanges.”
“Ask questions, and use the answers to the questions you asked to follow up and continually ask better questions.”
Tina at the Salesforce New York office in 2014.Tina Rozul
Senior Director, Product Marketing
Sydney, Australia
12 Years at Salesforce
“Leave people better than you found them. At Salesforce, we learn from talented colleagues, grow together, and empower each other. Help others be their best selves; it fosters trust and strengthens relationships, driving world-class innovation daily.”
Ashley Snyder
Senior Manager, Business Development - Financial Services
San Francisco
11+ Years at Salesforce
“Be authentic! We talk about building your brand at Salesforce and this stems to every interaction you have with someone — in the lobby, in the elevator, walking on the floors, sitting in the kitchen, virtually in a meeting, etc, every interaction is leaving someone with a feeling about wanting to engage or work with you. You also never know who is going to be your manager, co-worker, or mentor one day so treat everyone with respect and think about both the short and long-term relationship.”
“Always do what you promise, always keep your word, always help if someone needs you — and don't expect anything back. Be for your customer what you would like your suppliers to be for you.”
Heather Suguitan-Lee
Senior Global Intelligence Advisor
San Francisco
11 Years at Salesforce
“Take the time to grow, nourish and build your working relationships. Time invested in genuine connections fuels success and happiness.”
SharonOr Shemesh
Director, Program Management-Technology
Israel
11 Years at Salesforce
“Be open and honest - first listen, then talk. And bring your heart to work — it’s worth it at Salesforce!”
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