“This company allowed me to see my own potential”

Áine Rogers is now the director of small and medium business for the United Kingdom and Ireland at Cisco. She credits her return to professional success to the culture of support and mentorship at the company that patiently inspired her to rediscover her own potential

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“Even during the interview process, they were offering me higher positions than the sales administration roles I was interviewing for, but I thought ‘No, I’m okay in my lane here.’ It took time, but the passion for the business built up and the fire was reignited,” she says. “This company saw who I was, believed in who I was, and allowed me the space to believe it myself.”

Rogers says it’s vital that SMBs embrace a similar mindset to recognize and support diverse talent. “To allow women to break barriers and expand boundaries, we have to be inclusive and creative in our view of what possible could be,” says Rogers. “It’s having the mentors and sponsors who will speak about you when you’re not in the room because they know who you are and they know what you bring.”