Teena Piccione, Global Transformation & Operations Executive at Google, joined Campbell Business students as the keynote speaker for the 2023 Business Week.
This year’s Business Week focused on industry related technology, systems, networks, analytics, and portfolios. The keynote dinner, hosted at Garibaldi Trattoria in Fuquay-Varina, welcomed over 25 faculty, staff, and students to hear from this industry leader.
Piccione has spent her career bringing transformational leadership and creative organization in the tech, finance, telecom, and non-profit industries. Prior to joining Google, Teena worked at RTI International, and before that she served as SVP/COO at Fidelity Investments focused on modernization, integrated technology, customer experience and innovation.
She began her career as an international consultant and joined AT&T where she was appointed Vice President and leader of the Big Data Center of Excellence. Beyond that, she has been a champion for DEI and mentorship across industries and within higher education.
“Every job is a journey, and every single person plays a position. Every single person is critical.” Teena encouraged students and gave them advice on confidently going into interviews, “All we’re looking for is curious people who want to figure it out. Go into the interview asking, ‘what’s your biggest problem, and how can I help’?”
Teena truly believes that it’s not what you know but who you know that moves you forward. She contacts all 30,000 connections she has on LinkedIn once a year. Her goal is to create value in her personal and professional relationships so when she calls everyone always picks up the phone.
She challenged students, “You can always ask for 15 minutes; people are typically willing to give that.”
Students who participated in the keynote event, as well as other Business Week speakers and events, came away with a better understanding of how they can apply their education and be proactive in professional growth.
“Engaging college students through interactive events, real-world applications, and guest speakers is imperative to student development as it provides a chance for students to supplement their core learnings with industry practices. Some of the most insightful things I’ve learned in my life have come from these types of environments,” shared Kevin Mills, 5th year trust and wealth management student and MBA candidate.
In closing, Teena reminded the audience that “Leadership is in your mind not your level (position/title/superiority).”