Leading In The Tech World
Photo/Edd Cote
Karen Wall
Title: Senior vice president, global infrastructure services
Company: Akibia
Location: Westborough
Karen Wall, senior vice president of global infrastructure services at Akibia in Westborough, got her start in the human resources department. She joined Akibia, an IT services provider, in 1999 and rose from her position as vice president of HR to her current post. She oversees not only human resources, but also the company’s legal, facilities and IT departments. In the community, she is a delegate for the U.S. Girl Scouts, a Girl Scout leader and president of the PTO for her local middle school in the Nashoba Regional School District.
Who is your most influential role model, and why?
My son, who meets every challenge head on and succeeds, despite his Asperger’s Syndrome.
In watching my son grow and find his place in the world — on the baseball team and on the honor roll — I have learned to never accept failure and how to rise to every occasion.
His approach to life has served me well in business. Whether that means working with the Akibia team to identify and deliver the next data center support service to our customers, or identifying IT solutions that will bring ROI to our business, I know we can meet the challenge.
Why are you good at what you do?
I think to be good at your job, you must learn every day. I do my best to take that approach in business and in life. When you fill your team with other lifelong learners, you create a truly collaborative environment. This teamwork results in a more successful business.
Our customers always comment on our collaborative approach to finding solutions to their IT challenges, and as a result we see remarkably high customer satisfaction and retention.
How does your organization give back to the community, and what role have you played in those efforts?
Akibia’s approach to philanthropy is to keep things focused on our local community. That includes MetroWest, where we are headquartered, but we also encourage employees in our regional offices across the United States and Europe to participate in local initiatives, as well.
I oversee Akibia’s Philanthropic Program which serves such organizations as Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest and the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce. We also recently donated a number of computer systems to local public schools. In addition to corporate-sponsored activities, we have an employee-matching gift program and allow employees to take time off for community service.
When the stress level gets too high, what’s your secret remedy?
I limit stress by looking at large-scale projects as specific, compartmental tasks. I then tackle the toughest tasks first. I also exercise every morning, which puts me in a good mindset to start the day.
How have you tried to balance your career and your personal life?
Whether you are a man or woman, balancing career and family life is really just about being flexible. If you focus and work efficiently, it’s possible to drive results and be successful in and out of work. Technology solutions, such as WAN optimization that Akibia provides, have really helped people be more flexible, whether working from home, on the road or in the office.
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