The Marine Biologist turned Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata ft. Sarah Edwards

In this episode, I am joined by Sarah Edwards, Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata who shares how a psychology degree led to Oracle's graduate scheme, coding, consulting, living abroad twice, and ultimately landing in the C-suite. She opens up about navigating male-dominated boardrooms, the confidence gap holding women back, negotiating compensation, balancing motherhood with executive travel, and why AI is reshaping the entire industry. Key takeaways: → You don't have to be the loudest in the room to lead → Take the leap even when you only check 50% of the boxes → Protect your "me time" — it's not selfish, it's survival → Flexibility attracts the best talent — full stop → AI is breaking the "grow headcount = grow revenue" model Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:43 - Meet Sarah Edwards, Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata 2:10 - How AI is changing her job daily 315 - The hardest part of AI innovation 4:20 - Career aspiration growing up 7:14 - Career switches, working abroad & pushing past the comfort zone 13:05 - Which roles she loved most (and least) 14:05 - Leading a global team of 20 15:09 - Why vertical beats horizontal in the AI era 16:40 - Navigating culture across orgs & countries 18:51 - The compensation gap for women in tech 21:52 - Retaining talent through remote work & flexibility 26:04 - Proudest career moments 30:29 - Breaking the "loudest in the room" stereotype 33:15 - Balancing C-suite demands & family 39:05 - The guilt every working mom feels 41:23 - Staying sharp: networking & research 44:00 - Have confidence & push yourself Connect with the guest: Sarah Edwards :   / sarahedwards3   Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠  / ⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZM... Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠  / ⁠   Connect with the Show Producer: Manali:   / manalibhat   _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.