MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT

KARI WILHELM

   SVP, Data Strategy & Enablement

Worldpay

Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?

I am most inspired at work when I’m working for or with outstanding people. I gravitate toward leaders who are smart, pragmatic, clear in their expectations, strong communicators, and focused on developing people. These types of leaders inspire me to do my best work and go the extra mile—they also make the day-to-day effort a lot more enjoyable..

Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?

In my experience, much of the initial opportunity is based on luck but what you make of that opportunity is based on hard work. I try to show up every day ready to work hard, to contribute to things outside of my immediate scope of work, and to maintain a positive attitude. I believe that doing so positions me well to act on an offer for a new role or project when it arises. However, there is always an element of luck to being in the right place at the right time.

What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?

I take pride in producing high-quality work. Rather than think of achieving a certain level or title, I aim to do good work on each individual project or challenge. That way, I know that whether it’s creating a specific deliverable, executing on a longer-term initiative, or standing up a team, I did the best that I could to create a functional, efficient, and operational environment for everyone involved.

If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?

I’m not a natural networker; opting instead to focus on the task at hand. I’ve now seen the value of having a wide network—colleagues are leveraging their networks to jump to new roles, bounce ideas off peers at other companies, and develop a deeper understanding of the market. I’d encourage women early in their career to force themselves out of their “networking shell” to maintain the relationships you build along the way.

What was your most favourite job/role and why?

In college, I was one of 25 students who acted to shepherd incoming freshman through university orientation. Unsurprisingly, I had an incredibly fun summer with 24 people who became my closest friends. What is more of a surprise, though, is that the leader in charge of training us and managing orientation was, to this day, one of best bosses and more effective operational leaders I’ve ever worked with. I learned so much from him about building cohesion in a team, achieving operational excellence, and putting your “customer” (in this case, both the incoming students and their parents) at the center.

Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?

“It’s easier to edit than to author.” While this is perhaps not the most inspirational of mottos, I find that remembering this universal truth empowers me—both to take more risks when I’m starting with a blank page and to accept feedback willingly and without defensiveness. It helps me see a large part of my role as giving others something to react to so that we can better harness the individual expertise of each collaborator.