Women in Tech - Hear from Some of PetSmart's Finest!

Beth McCormick

• VP Commerce and Customer Engagement Technology and Data, Analytics, and Engineering

• Pet Parent to Maxx (two x's because he's extra cute!)

• 8+ years with PetSmart

"I'm in a highly technical field, in IT, but I don't have an IT education or degree. Everybody has a unique path—we all come from different backgrounds with different educations and experiences. I'm a retail leader that happens to specialize in IT."

"I always try to go above and beyond the expectations of my role. I focus on how I can overdeliver and make my leader's life easier by knocking my job out of the park and then looking for opportunities to do more."

"Recognize your strengths and your value and what you bring to the table. Being a woman in a male-dominated space isn't always easy, but it means you bring in diversity of thought and your own experience, which is important and creates a better team overall."

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Satabdi

• Lead Software Engineer

• 3+ years with PetSmart

"PetSmart is an amazing place to work and helps you grow not only as a professional but also a person. Every day you get to work on new challenges with cutting edge technologies, so you'll never feel monotony here. We have a huge IT team, and that’s all of the best minds working together. You name it, and PetSmart is doing it."

"If you love what you’re doing, you don’t have to work a single day in your life. That’s what I’m experiencing at PetSmart right now, because I love working here."

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Shannon

• IT Applications Manager

• 13+ years with PetSmart

In my time at PetSmart I've learned to:

• Have strong Mentors to help support your development

• Have strong Supporters to advocate for you behind closed doors

• Never stop challenging yourself

• Never stop learning

• Be humble

• Be patient

• Ask questions

• Make sure your voice is heard

• And more than anything else…find what you love and do it!

"PetSmart is willing to invest in you as much as you're willing to invest in it, and they've always kept me challenged in the best way."

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Annie

• Manager, EIM BES

• 2+ years with PetSmart

"I learned it is not about recognitions or promotions or winning. It is about not giving up no matter how many no’s I received, or how many people disagreeing with my decisions, or rejections and criticisms. Persevering, believing in myself, and loving myself throughout the process are what matters."

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Alicia

• Application Manager

• 13+ years at PetSmart

"My journey has taken me from Supply Chain to IT Systems Analyst to PM to Application Manager. None of this would have been possible without aligning my personal values, and always ensuring my work/life priorities were balanced. This has meant leveraging my experience as a Mom and with my family to help build that foundation of trust with my team, and learning to embrace uncertainty in changing times because experience has taught me that in the end that is how you and a team grow."

"During my 13 year-tenure here in PetSmart IT, there has always been an emphasis of diversity of thought and people."

"The leaders of IT embrace change and know that the way to Play to Win is to seek new and better ways of delivering for our business and pet parents."

"Just as hard as we work in IT, we celebrate our successes, give back to the community, and take time to connect with other teams."

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Dawn

• Senior Director - Store/Services Technology

• 5+ years with PetSmart

"Some felt I was ‘too caring for associates’ and there were a few times over the years I realized that due to the lack of women; I had to be more vocal to ensure we kept our associates top of mind. This isn’t to say that the men I worked with didn’t care, they just didn’t think about the impacts. One thing that I believe I learned because of these experiences is that I needed to speak up because I often shared an alternative idea or perspective than my peers. "

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Andrea

• Manager IT Service Desk

• 4+ years with PetSmart

"When I was growing up getting and education was not as important to everyone as it is today, especially as a young woman. But once I had a daughter of my own, I wanted nothing more than to raise her to be a strong independent woman. I still try to show her that once you set your mind to something and put in the work it will pay off! I love the path I have been on thus far with my technology career and am eager to see what is next for me!"

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Nikki

• Senior Systems Engineer

"I believe the strengths I needed to succeed were tenacity, willingness to volunteer on hard projects and not being afraid of hearing “no”. I am now a senior level engineer within the company and still learning new things daily."