Autodesk Life
At Autodesk, we’re building a culture of belonging where all employees have equitable opportunities to succeed and contribute. We strive to create an environment where everyone, everywhere, is excited to come to work, feels a sense of belonging, and can fully contribute their talents in the workplace.
That’s why we created our Autodesk Women in Sales & Success (AWIS) initiative. AWIS was born out of a need to provide a platform for women in sales and customer success roles at Autodesk to share experiences, build connections, and grow in their careers. We believe cultivating a community supporting women in sales and customer success can drive innovation. From attraction to advancement, we are building a culture that supports women in sales.
Since launching AWIS in 2022, we have been able to make notable progress and increase the overall representation of women in sales.
Building successful careers
In 2023, AWIS collaborated with our Autodesk Women’s Network (AWN) employee resource group (ERG) to enhance a global speaker series that featured virtual sessions and on-site events around the world, including in Amman, Jordan; San Jose, Costa Rica; Munich, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; and Atlanta and Denver in the United States. This speaker series brings in both internal and external women in sales to discuss careers, belonging, and engagement, and we have continued to expand it globally.
To help with our talent attraction efforts, we’ve hosted numerous webinars with external partners and our Talent Acquisition team and attended partner conferences to provide opportunities for external women in sales and success to meet with Autodesk employees to learn more about their experiences.
Also in 2023, AWIS focused on encouraging a wide range of diverse and talented candidates to apply for sales roles at Autodesk. The sales organization piloted an analytics tool to measure inclusiveness in job descriptions and make recommendations to ensure those descriptions speak to all candidates. That year, the number of female applicants for sales roles increased significantly within six months.
When it comes to career growth, we want to make sure Autodeskers continue to learn, grow, and find opportunities for advancement. For the past few years, AWIS has hosted a luncheon at Autodesk’s annual sales conference, featuring themes like “Resiliency,” “Dream Bigger,” and “Taking a Chance on Trust.” The theme for this year’s event will be “The Role of Trust in Empowering AI-Driven Innovation.” These events continue to grow in popularity each year.
AWIS also piloted a “horizontal career move” program in 2024 in partnership with our Young Professionals Network and Women’s Network ERGs, which broadened the horizon of opportunities for employees outside of sales and success.
Shaping the future of sales
Autodesk Women in Sales & Success is made up of inspiring women who are leading the change to create a more inclusive future. Here’s what a few of them have to say about working in sales at Autodesk:
“Each woman looks for a comfortable place to work and takes into consideration the responsibilities that we have as moms, as working moms, or as women in general. Autodesk is the place where you can see that your contribution is valued, and this is a place where you really make an impact.”
– Haneen Dagher
Strategic Territory Sales Representative
Amman, Jordan
“Autodesk provides inclusive opportunities and employee resource groups to support women’s career growth. We can learn from other women’s experiences and strengths. I believe that’s the beauty of diversity.”
– Hyohee Kim
Territory Sales Manager
Seoul, South Korea
“The Autodesk Women in Sales & Success network lets us come together to talk about our unique challenges and have a sounding board so we don’t feel like we’re off on our own addressing the challenges we face.”
– Veronica Babridge
Territory Technical Solutions Executive
Chicago, USA
Through the Autodesk Women in Sales & Success initiative, we’re focused on building a strong foundation and framework to support women while also leading a cultural shift that ensures all employees feel valued and their voices are heard. We’re excited about the future and look forward to continuing our efforts to support and empower women in sales at Autodesk.
Ready to be a sales changemaker at Autodesk? Check out our current job opportunities!