Nina Nets It Out

Leadership is not the end point; its task is to create an environment in which other leaders can flourish. Over the past fifteen years, I have been fortunate enough to witness an amazing amount of change and innovation in the organizations for which I have worked, as well as those of clients and partners. While some of these advancements have been driven by the clever implementation of technology, lasting business benefit requires a broad, systemic approach. There needs to be a focus on education, learning, knowledge transfer and change management. And this all needs to be matched with business process, innovation and “people” programs — with inspired, inspiring leaders at the helm.

To that end, my blog provides current and aspiring leaders with a forum for ideas and discussion. I will be investigating ideas, innovations and approaches to leadership, and welcome your thoughts on these topics or any others that affect the “nature of work”. The life of a senior executive is both challenging and exciting, opening doors and opportunities not afforded to everyone. I want the “net” of these experiences to be shared and hope that this blog can, in some small way, contribute to the continued advancement of women and men in the corporate world. So let the conversation begin!

About Nina

Nina Simosko is Senior Vice President of SAP’s Global Premier Customer Network (PCN) – and is also charged with leading the PCN Center of Excellence in North America and SAP’s Global Executive Advisory Board. Under Nina’s leadership, the PCN has spearheaded a new model of customer experience – bringing SAP and its customers closer together – with the CIOs and CTOs of many of the global Fortune 500 (as well as their teams)collaboratively designing and executing strategic programs which increase long term value and satisfaction. From executive sponsorship through strategic roadmapping to live and virtual events, Nina has driven programs which directly impact and measurably improve customer response times and satisfaction for SAP’s top 400 customers globally, while also providing an opportunity for them to engage and influence the SAP development roadmap.

Nina was previously part of SAP’s Global Ecosystem & Partner Group which is chartered with continuing to build and enable an open ecosystem of software, service and technology partners together with SAP’s communities of innovation. In addition, Nina has served as the Global Chief Operating Officer for the worldwide SAP Education organization. She was responsible for more than half a billion euros in global software and services revenue. Under her leadership, SAP Education was named the leading IT Education and Training organization in the world according to IDC’s Competitive Analysis Report, Worldwide IT Education and Training 2008 Vendor Analysis.

Nina has more than nineteen years of sales and operations management experience with a tremendous understanding of the global high-tech industry. Prior to joining SAP in 2004, Nina worked at Siebel Systems, where she served as General Manager of Education for the Americas and Asia Pacific/Japan regions and ran Global Support & Maintenance Sales. Nina joined Siebel after working at Oracle Corporation leading the Global Education Sales & Marketing team.
Nina is involved in a variety of industry associations including the:

1. Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives, an exclusive membership organization for women in senior positions at high growth companies
2. Professional Area Network for Women in Technology, a Silicon Valley-based, non-profit organization devoted to creating programs and educating professional women in technology
3. Alliance of Technology and Women, an organization that encourages women and girls to enter technology fields.