"If I wanted someone who would commute, I could have hired a man from New York."
That's what a private equity partner said to Kimberly Williams while offering her first CEO role. She took the job anyway, delivered results he couldn't argue with, and changed how he saw women in leadership.
Kimberly is Chairperson and CEO of Absorb Software, and before that grew CST Holdings more than five-fold in seven years, taking it from fifth in its market to first. In this episode of Leading Women in Tech Kimberly shares the career advice that took her from a strategy role at Boston Consulting Group to the CEO seat — including the single piece of guidance she gives every ambitious woman, why asking for help builds supporters rather than doubts, and how she thinks about AI transformation as a sitting CEO.
What we cover:
Why one small comment from anyone in your life can change a trajectory, positively or negatively
Boston Consulting Group as the first true meritocracy she'd worked in
The accidental route into running a business: a $4.3 million business case
"If I wanted someone who would commute, I could have hired a man from New York"
The importance of your support network, and why this may be the most consequential move you make in your career
The career advice Kimberly gives every woman: fight for roles that carry numbers
Why asking for help creates supporters — the cognitive dissonance effect
Humility as a CEO strength: your job isn't to have the answers
AI transformation: why AI serves your strategy rather than being your strategy
Pick projects that could make your company great, not 1% more profitable
Testing agentic outbound sales outside the core business
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