Charlotte Le Roux is an accomplished marketing leader with over a decade of experience at SOTI, where she has played an integral role in driving the company’s regional growth and success.
Since joining SOTI in 2014, Charlotte has transitioned from sales roles to expanding her expertise into field and channel marketing, reflecting her commitment to professional growth and her ability to excel in dynamic environments.
As Senior Manager, Field & Channel Marketing for Northern and Western Europe, Charlotte leads a talented team of five marketing specialists. She specialises in designing and executing lead generation programmes that encompass direct, inbound, and digital marketing strategies. Her focus is on creating impactful campaigns and events that not only engage SOTI’s current customers but also attract new prospects, ensuring the company’s continued success in these critical markets.
Throughout my career so far, I have been lucky enough to work with clients and teams in vastly different countries and regions, each with its own set of challenges, strengths and unique cultural nuances.
There have also been some fantastic female leaders who have helped develop my understanding of what it means to be a woman in the tech space, particularly as workforces become more distributed and the industry increasingly competitive and globalised. What stands out most from my experiences is that success in this fast-paced field isn’t just about technical expertise, but human connections, empathy and embracing diversity.
It was during my master’s degree in business management where I realised that my passion lay in sales and marketing, specialties that can be applied to a multitude of sectors. It was also here that I broadened my language skills and started to engage with different cultures. After university, I joined the sales team at SOTI, a global provider of enterprise software solutions. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to grow alongside the company and wider team and develop into marketing-based leadership positions across EMEA. Now, after more than ten years with SOTI, I have learned some valuable lessons on what it means to succeed, and how young people entering the workforce – especially as a woman – can prepare to face and navigate the world of technology.
Building Human Connections
When I first stepped into roles that required cross-regional projects, I quickly realised that building strong connections is vital. People want to work with those they trust, and that trust is built by showing your personality and being genuine, even in high-pressure situations. Although your day-to-day might be laser-focused on technology, it still takes people to be the engine that drives innovation. By approaching your work with a relationship-focused attitude, you can help broaden your experiences and build your profile.
You might even find yourself with new opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise considered. We can learn so much from our fellow colleagues, particularly from female leaders who have potentially faced their own challenges competing in a male-dominated industry. Connecting with and learning from others helps us to be dynamic and pushes you to try different areas and fields, giving you the chance to explore even more and flourish in your career.
Additionally, emotional intelligence – understanding the motivations, goals and challenges of those around you – has often been my greatest ally when managing complex challenges as a team. It’s key to remember that everyone has their own goals, and sometimes we need to step back and look at the bigger picture.
A Diverse Team is Critical
One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been building teams that span mindsets as well as borders. I have seen firsthand how team members with diverse backgrounds bring in new and fresh perspectives and help look at tasks differently; this is something I consider when looking to onboard new talent. I currently manage a team of five people, all of whom come from varied cultural, professional and personal backgrounds, that we have been able to tap into to improve how we work.
At SOTI, most of our teams work remotely, which opens doors for people working and living in different countries to come together and avoid the restrictions of being tied to an office location. However, just because your colleagues are in different places, this doesn’t mean you are working independently. Connection and solidarity with your team is crucial to navigate the pressures of a fast-paced sector, so it’s important to communicate and lean on each other during busy periods.
Whether we’re tackling a project in retail, healthcare or transport and logistics, the shared insights from a multicultural team enrich every outcome. This focus on diversity has also shaped how I view leadership. Solidarity with your team and fostering an environment where every voice feels heard and valued, means we create a collective strength that goes beyond technical skills.
Embracing Cultural Exchanges
Working across different cultures inevitably presents challenges, but it’s also a chance to grow and develop. I’ve learned the key to navigating cultural differences lies in approaching them with curiosity and respect rather than assumptions. This can be significant no matter what stage you are in your career. By embracing new cultures and pushing the boundaries of your own experiences you can unlock skills that you can draw on for the rest of your life. For me, cultural exchanges have taught me resilience, adaptability and the immense value of listening more than speaking.
But when it comes to speaking, it’s worth noting that at SOTI, many of my colleagues speak multiple languages, which is a skill that enhances internal communication but also deepens our connections with global partners and clients. If you can speak another language, or are learning one, make sure the people around you know about it, as it might open doors to opportunities and new projects that will help you grow professionally.
Looking to the Future
Connectivity and integration must remain a central concern to anyone working in tech, for the benefit of the products and services we deliver and to ensure we’re getting the most out of our teams. By tapping into individual strengths and welcoming fresh perspectives, we can find collaborative solutions. Adopting this culture at SOTI has not only made our products and organisation more resilient in an ever-changing tech world, but it has also been a driving force in my own career growth.
That same spirit of integration extends to how we view the future. The technology of tomorrow is borderless and having the right tools that facilitate remote, yet globally connected, work (including Microsoft Teams and Google workspaces) is essential to driving valuable cross communication. These platforms not only ensure we can meet client needs but also help encourage close and productive relationships with colleagues regardless of where they are based.
By embracing an international mindset and building teams that reflect the diversity of the world we live in, we position ourselves to tackle the unknown with confidence. Whether it’s through AI-powered advancements or cultural collaborations, the key lesson I’ve learned is that technology doesn’t work in isolation — it thrives on connections, just like we do.
