Sharon Ehrlich: Hi, I’m Sharon Ehrlich, host of the Living While Leading podcast. You’re listening to a live recording of my conversation with Dorothee Ritz, Senior Vice President and Global Leader at Kyndryl, an American multinational information technology infrastructure services company.
This discussion is a masterclass in networking and leadership. Stay tuned to learn how to navigate self-promotion while staying authentic. Explore the biggest mistakes women make in networking and how to avoid them. Get Dorothee’s advice on turning feedback into opportunity even when it challenges your career vision.
You can find the full transcript and other resources for women leaders at www.livingwhileleading.com/63.
Welcome everybody to the Living While Leading podcast. My name is Sharon Ehrlich, and I am the founder and CEO of Living While Leading. I empower high-performing professional women to build confidence, take control over their careers, and lead with impact.
This show addresses a problem I encountered early in my career: I had little access to women executives and thought leaders. So, I created this platform to amplify the voices of many different women on various topics. Today, we are lucky to have Dorothee Ritz with us. So welcome Dorothee to the show.
Dorothee Ritz: Yeah, thank you, Sharon, for having me. I’m very excited to be here.
Sharon Ehrlich: Dorothee is a Senior Vice President and Global leader at Kyndryl. With over 30 years of experience driving digital transformation across Europe, Australia, and the U.S., Dorothee has been a pivotal force in the digital revolution, including an impressive 18-year tenure at Microsoft. Dorothee’s career spans executive and non-executive leadership roles across for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
A transformational leader and passionate advocate for lifelong learning, she is deeply committed to empowering girls and women to reach their potential. So that’s something we have in common, Dorothee. Beyond her remarkable professional journey, Dorothee is also a dedicated mother of two based in Munich. Is there anything you’d like to add to that bio that I just read?
Dorothee Ritz: No. Thank you very much. That was an excellent overview of I’m a trained lawyer. I was intensely interested in journalism and what information and communication can do. And so that’s how I ended in the media business.
I had an eight-year tenure at Bertelsmann, which was like my first professional career step. So, I spent eight years there, and then from there, I went to Microsoft with a little of a dear tour of one year. We might talk about that as well. And then, I had these 18 years at Microsoft with various roles going from consumer business to commercial. I spent the last six years as a country manager in Austria. After that, I became very interested in the energy business and how to get more renewable energy.
I joined E On in Germany during the energy crisis, which was a very exciting time. I spent two years there before joining Kyndryl one and a half years ago. So, I am just putting some company names behind it to give more context.
Sharon Ehrlich: So why don’t we jump right into some questions I’ve prepared for you, Dorothee? Our topic today is networking mastery. I would also like to understand how networking has significantly shaped your career trajectory as you’ve climbed the ranks in global organizations. And are there any connections that surprised you in terms of their impact?
Dorothee Ritz: The first statement is that networks are pivotal. They are super crucial. The more you are in senior leadership roles, the more value you add to your brand and network. Yeah. So, spending time building a network and investing in it, and we will talk about that later and nurture it, is very important. It became very apparent to me when I went to Vienna in 2015.
To join Microsoft as CEO there. I didn’t have any relations in Austria. I had only been twice for pleasure in Vienna. For my role, I needed to get to know the C suite and the CEOs of all of the significant Austrian companies as fast as I can and build good relations. If I couldn’t tap into a network that really helped me to create that network, those relationships in a minimum amount of time, I probably would have failed in that role.
That was probably the most notable moment in my life where I just saw what networks can do.
Sharon Ehrlich: I think that’s a fascinating story that you just told because we believe that when you are an executive, you just can sort of move to a city and everybody will embrace you with open arms. But it does take effort to build a network. And you have to be intentional about it.
Dorothee Ritz: Absolutely. You have to invest the time. So I moved to Vienna and met one fabulous woman, Margareta Schramberg, who was later employed at the Ministry of Exterior in Austria. Margaret invited me to a gathering she had of 20 women very early, like in the second or third week that I was there, just because she was interested in getting to know me.
These 20 women in that evening were crucial for building my relations with the entire C suite in Austria. You have to invest in that relationship because otherwise, people don’t trust you. And if they don’t trust you, they will not open their address book for you because they won’t recommend you. Because it is always a question of their own brand if they open their address book to introduce you to other people. But for me, it was amazing to see what that can do. It is important to note that networks and relationships are always two-way. So you have to invest a lot to get a lot. And it’s not always at the same time.
Sharon Ehrlich: When I think of networking, the word that always comes to mind is generosity. It’s not just about extracting things and contacts from people, but also giving and giving openly and willingly because it will eventually serve you.
Let’s talk about networking approaches. Do you think traditional approaches to networking, like meeting for coffee or attending events like the one you just described, have evolved? And how do you see digital platforms fitting into modern networking strategies?
Dorothee Ritz: First, I still genuinely believe that sitting down in a personal one-on-one or small group of people is unbeatable. So personal contact is crucial. So, one core coaching advice I always give young female professionals is never lunch alone.
Or, you know, everybody always has time for a quick coffee. So, be curious and go out and meet people purposefully. So it depends also, like, you know, what, what is really at the core of what you want to achieve, you know, and then see who, who might be there to have, you know, that lunch or that, that coffee with. So that is important.
On the other hand, of course, digital networks are excellent. So I’m using LinkedIn a lot just to put myself out there. And I truly believe everybody has something to give.
Many young women always say, hey, I have nothing to give. Why should I put myself out on LinkedIn or, you know, any other network? You have a lot to offer because senior executives like me. I have two children, so I get to see a specific age range. They are under 20.
I’m interested, for example, in how the younger generation communicates to make my communication with my team impactful. It’s just an example. So you have a lot to give. And the more you put yourself out there with the authentic things you have to say and give, the more people are interested in connecting with you.
Building purposeful connections on, for example, LinkedIn involves searching for people and connecting with them. However, it is also essential to put yourself out there with what you have to say that interests you. This is a good way to build a network or support the search for creating a good network.
Sharon Ehrlich: That leads to my next question. Many women feel hesitant about self-promoting within their networks. How can they overcome this discomfort about putting themselves out there and being authentic?
Dorothee Ritz: I know that putting yourself out there is daunting. But you need to do it. People have different preferences. If you feel more confident in a larger but more anonymous group, many, at least larger, companies do have topical networks. So, there might be networks that are women’s networks.
It might be around a specific location or a particular interest, professional interest, or private interest. There are so many networks within a company, mainly when they are larger ones that it’s a great starting point to introduce yourself in there and something that interests you and just start conversations.
Other people are just better in the one-on-ones as I said, never lunch alone. A lot of people have just time for coffee or virtual coffee. So try it and just be curious. Be curious and open and listen to what the other person says with a very open mind.
But then also think about what you might have to give. As I said before, you probably have more to give than you think because a lot of senior execs are interested in understanding what the working life of a younger person in a company or a younger executive looks like to optimize communication, interaction, processes, skill sets for their entire team.
Sharon Ehrlich: I’d like to discuss your career again. You’ve likely received career advice that didn’t align with your initial goals or expectations. How did you decide when to trust others’ advice, even if it didn’t align with your original vision?
Dorothee Ritz: Microsoft, for example, was very good at providing mentoring and coaching programs. So, I was in the consumer business, which was not Microsoft’s core business then. We are talking about the early 2000s.
I had a very senior executive from the core business, and he started coaching me because I knew that if I wanted to be successful within Microsoft, I needed to understand more deeply what’s on his mind now, and what makes him successful.
Also, my language was very different from what Microsoft was talking about. So that was my purpose. And then he, at a specific time, suggested ideas of how my career could evolve more in the core Microsoft commercial side. And I had seen myself on the more consumer, the fun, the advertising side of Microsoft. I was on that typical—probably, like, what we always talk about, what, as women, we sometimes really do—is to say, oh, I can’t do that. I don’t have skills in that. I don’t have that background.
And he just reminded me to say, look, Dorothee, I have 30 years of experience as a senior leader here within Microsoft. If I tell you I see you there, I expect you to give me a little bit of trust with all of my experience. I do that purposefully. So please trust me and just give it a different thought. That was a bit like a slap in my face because I said, “ oh, my God, I offended that guy. But he was very right. And I see that again and again.
Also, with young talents that I have promoted, I needed to remind them to say, like, can you please trust maybe of my experience and why I see you with the potential, maybe not in the exact skill set, but just what you bring to the table, that you can be very successful.
So that was, for me, a very pivotal moment that sometimes it just makes a lot of sense to trust also on the experience that these senior leaders bring, that they have a different view of you and that you definitely at least owe them a very open mind for exploration.
Sharon Ehrlich: Not only do they have a different view, Dorothee, but they also understand strategically what’s going on and have a little bit more insight than the actual employee. When we talk about careers and networking, how can ambitious women intentionally build a network that aligns with their career goals and the strategic direction of the industry they’re part of?
Dorothee Ritz: On the one hand, there are a lot of networks that you can purposefully join. Be careful and deliberate about which networks you enter because you only have minimal time.
So it’s imperative to see. Do you want to join an industry network? Do you want to join a female network? Do you want to join and spend your time internally, in a company, network, or externally? All good options, but you need to define what you want to do and if you have decided where you want to invest.
It depends on your career goal or exploring the career path you want. If it’s right for you, start investing in that network. So, start investing in relations in the network. Build them up to give and take and not be shy to ask for advice or say I have that interest. I want to develop myself in a certain direction.
What’s very important is that you don’t limit yourself to your current job description. That’s a very common mistake. You need to put your brand in a context that other people with different work contexts can relate to.
So, do not talk about a specific role, but your strengths. So, are you strong in communication? Are you more analytical? You know, are you more a salesperson? Are you more of a people person? These things are essential, and they create your brand and they make you more transferable to another role opportunity in a different context.
If I’m looking for a sales leader who’s strong, engaging with customers, who also like, is good in closing, who’s like number driven, that’s a very different type of context than somebody who’s very analytical, who kind of loves to work back office is very strategic. Maybe now who is much better than in a finance context or in an operational, internal operational context?
That’s important so that network people can also relate to you. And then you basically, because relations and network relations plus your brand make you successful.
Sharon Ehrlich: I’m glad that you mentioned branding. I coach executive women, and I do a lot of corporate training. When I bring up branding, people often cringe because they think of social media personas that talk about their brand, and they believe that this is only for those who are putting themselves out there, just trying to get a lot of likes.
But the context that you built around branding is so incredibly important. What do people think about when your name comes up— that’s part of your brand? What do people say about your skills and reliability, how you show up, and how you interact with people?
The brand can be as broad and deep as you allow people to understand it by carving and defining it for yourself.
So, we have some questions. Sigrid has a question. If you want to start your network in a new sector or location, what is your recommendation on connecting with new contacts? You mentioned this earlier when you moved to Vienna.
Dorothee Ritz: It also depends on whether you already have a good network of where you are. My strongest network is a fantastic network called Generation CEO, which is in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. And these are nearly 200 enormously successful, fabulous women in the top executive roles, executive and non-executive.
So, if somebody sends me to Singapore today and I have no real relationship there, my first go-to point would be that network. And just very openly, just ask the question, who’s there? Who knows somebody who can connect me?
LinkedIn, in a sense, can do the same thing if you don’t have that. Search your digital or physical network for some connection point and be open. If you have open conversations with people and are determined to listen, you will be amazed at what kind of comes up.
Usually, one first relation leads to the next. I have always been in the larger corporate world on larger companies. These companies typically have some network in all of the locations. Many times, there’s a female network. All of the large companies these days have some shape or form of women’s networks. That’s a great starting point.
Most of the time, women who join a women’s network are very open to helping you with that first step and making the first relations. If not, join a sports club. It’s so interesting to see where you find the people and again go out, have a coffee and a, you know, just never lunch alone.
Be open-minded about what people tell you. You make the first step, and once you have the first step, you know people, if you invest in that relationship, they will invest in you and forward your contact to the next person. That is my advice.
Sharon Ehrlich: To add to that excellent advice, please do not underestimate the power of LinkedIn Live and audio events. I met people in live LinkedIn events and audio events with whom I eventually developed a relationship. We started to DM one another, exchange, and have virtual coffee over Zoom.
I’ve met some in person, and others have even evolved into business opportunities. So, I suggest you rethink what networking means. It doesn’t always mean that you have to be someplace physically. You can also do it in the digital space, and there are many opportunities to do that.
We have another question here. “Thank you so much for the wonderful talk. What if you cannot give much to your network because you are not in a position to be able to provide them with what they need at the moment? It’s mostly a very uncomfortable situation.” You touched on this a little bit earlier, Dorothee. Would you like to add something else to that?
Dorothee Ritz: This is a very broad question and needs to fall into a very individual context. So, my first encouragement is to bring your authentic self to that network. You will often find that people’s interests might not be the first thing you have been discussing.
For example, I have been very active for a very long time with a children’s organization called Plan International, which is located in Germany, but it also has an international forum. Many of my connections and deep relations have resulted from that piece of work because people are just very interested in nonprofit work or have a passion for nonprofits.
I make this example because you might find people are interested in yourself and what you are doing in areas other than the tech sector, the AI digital forum that you just joined, or where you think you know, I’m really a starter and not just a senior.
I also made another example earlier about communications and how younger people live in an organization that usually has good leaders; senior leaders are very interested in exploring. So put some important topics out there and try again and again.
If one person doesn’t react, go to the next one and invest in building those relationships. It’s not easy. Not everything works. Not all coffees are great. But if you put yourself out there and even have a conversation where you say hey, you know, not sure how this could fit. Ask that person if he might know somebody or an anchor point in the company that might fit your first step.
Have the courage to go out and do it. And in, I don’t know, 80, 90% of the cases, you have more to say and to give than you think.
Sharon Ehrlich: There’s also a bit of intimidation when one goes to a large networking event and puts a lot of pressure on themselves to meet many people. And this is not the case.
You could set yourself a tiny target and say I’m in this room of 200 people. I aim to meet two people today, and you will achieve that. This takes so much pressure off of you to think you have to accumulate connections because that’s not what networking is about.
It’s about having relationships and an open exchange with people. And you can do that with two people at an event; you can’t do that with 50 people at an event. What do you think is the biggest mistake women make when networking within their organizations, and what’s one action they could take today to avoid this pitfall?
Dorothee Ritz: Networking always is good but work needs to come first. So you know, there needs to be an important balance. It is important to be purposeful in why you join a network, what the network is about, and whether the network also has goals that are, you know, that are accepted by the company.
There are sometimes women’s networks in large corporations that don’t have the buy-in from the senior leadership because it doesn’t match the purpose of what the women’s network has with what the corporate leadership is trying to achieve.
And yes, you know, sometimes, particularly if you have a very male leadership team, they want to see actions and outcomes. You know, a great network result is just basically building relations. So that sometimes doesn’t match the perception of what you should do so well.
Build it purposefully, but also don’t over-communicate or overspend time. Don’t join too many. Make it purposeful because it is part of the business life. You will be judged by being successful in your job and role.
That networking needs to fit nicely into it. Suppose you over-invest time in a network or also over-communicate that network and your purpose. In that case, particularly when you don’t haven’t established your credibility in the role yet, it might just give the wrong vibe within the company. Oh, she’s just about networking and should deliver results.
So don’t get me wrong, networking is super essential should be very purposeful. It is also a deliberate time investment. But the way that you invest it and the way that you communicate about it is essential. So, that’s a bit the direction I would give, but it’s very personal, I would say.
Sharon Ehrlich: Dorothee, believe it or not, we’ve come to the end of our time together and I wanted to know if you had any parting words for our listening audience today.
Dorothee Ritz: First of all, never lunch alone. Please really take that as Core coaching advice. It has always worked in building your horizon, broadening your network, and making you aware of opportunities you didn’t even think were out there just because you start to know another context.
And then I would always say just put yourself out there into areas you are passionate about. So, the way I made my career, I didn’t go straight up. I went from large teams. My large team at eON was a couple hundred, six hundred, and seven hundred people. At the moment, I have a small team because I work virtually.
It might go sideways up ways, very different, very diverse. But for me, the core was always to be very passionate about what I wanted to do.
I always want to learn a lot. So I put learning into the forefront of how I actually choose my roles and then very deliberately see who the people in my life are that I want to relate with. As I said, I have the Generation CEO as a fantastic female network, still a great network in Austria, and some other mentors and networks over my business.
And I’m heavily relying on them. So please don’t be ashamed to pull from them, but invest, not always see what you can give back to them. It might not be at the same time, but this must be somewhere, something that’s, that’s, that’s holding the balance. And with that, whatever your passion is, you will have a great career and a fulfilled life.
Sharon Ehrlich: We’ve come to the end of our broadcast. Thank you for those who are listening to us live and those who will listen to the replay. Dorothee Ritz, thank you for being with us today and sharing your experience and insights.
Note: this transcript has been edited for clarity