PeopleStrategy’s Emily Robinson, A Top 50 Woman Leader in SaaS

Emily Robinson does it all, balancing a family with her career while rising to the unique challenges presented by the complexities of building outstanding software solutions.

Robinson started her family at a young age and quickly discovered that motherhood was in and of itself, a rigorous “on the job training program” where Robinson picked up a slew of new skills, spanning project management, problem-solving, logistics, negotiations, and exceptional communication. A burning desire to apply her computer science degree and fast-developing soft skills led the then new mother to teach piano lessons, build websites, and dabble in some graphic design all while her children ate, slept, and played.

Eventually, she found herself back in the workforce as the technology lead at Delphi Analytics, a consultancy specializing in training and solutions in data science. But it was an unlikely connection through her children that would bring Robinson to PeopleStrategy, where she’s thrived for the last six years.

At the heart of what makes Robinson a success isn’t a long list of coveted roles at prestigious companies, but her experiences as a mother. “I believe there exists many brilliant women that took time off to stay at home who are now insecure, may have lost their identity, or feel they wasted their marketable skills and can no longer provide value to companies searching for glamorous resumes,” Robinson told The Software Report. “Having experienced this first-hand, I made it a goal to help women navigate the scary prospect of re-entering the workforce after time off to raise children.”

Like many mothers, Robinson’s incredible ability to juggle a multitude of tasks is inspiring. On top of mentoring women and her position at PeopleStrategy, Robinson will soon graduate from the University of Central Florida (UCF) with her MBA. Unsurprisingly, she counts her insatiable work ethic as one of her greatest assets. “When a challenge presents itself, I’ve been able to take it, tackle it, and thrive under the pressure of a deadline and deliverable. I’m constantly hungry for new challenges and work extremely hard with a desire and willingness to just ‘get it done.’”

Her unwavering tenacity has brought her much success, but not without a few challenges to overcome. Following a reorganization at one employer, Robinson viewed her new position as a demotion in disguise and was forced to reckon with a blow to her ego. “I felt like nobody saw or appreciated what I once thought was so valuable and important,” she laments. “I was powerless to change the situation and finding a new job wasn’t a viable option due to other circumstances. I decided to keep my head down and deliver what was asked with hopes to leverage future successes and change perceptions.” As a leader, Robison made the choice to stay positive, persevere, and find a way to inspire those around her.

In contrast, her highlights at PeopleStrategy have been her own implementations, including the utilization of agile and scrum methodologies. Simultaneously improving operations and removing communication gaps, this collaborative approach drastically improved the company’s stability, quality and user satisfaction. Robinson has also been instrumental in the modernization of the company’s payroll engine. “It was one of those intimidating projects that seemed insurmountable with complexities that even our subject matter experts struggled to define. Now that we are wrapping it up and preparing for delivery, it is something I am incredibly proud to have my name on.”

For Robinson, working at PeopleStrategy has been an all-encompassing experience, where she’s not only been an intrinsic part of the team but learned from others. Counting CEO, Randy Cooper, as a personal and professional inspiration, she cites his compassion, vision and excitement as one of the reasons the full-service brokerage and provider of comprehensive, cloud-based HCM solutions is a great place to work.

Ultimately, Robinson is a lover of the simpler things in life; from the beauty of nature to the company of the people she loves the most. But it is her passion to propel women, especially mothers, that pushes her to move forward. These idiosyncrasies make Robinson a glowing example of what unconventional and undervalued strength looks like. “Running a household is a marketable skill that is often ignored; however, my success in life is completely intertwined with what I have learned at home.”