In this episode of 5G Talent Talk, host Carrie Charles chats with Tonya Stopke, Senior Vice President at World Wide Technology (WWT). Tonya shares her inspiring journey from humble beginnings to a leadership role, emphasizing perseverance, authenticity, and community support. Tonya discusses WWT’s evolution into a global tech leader, their pioneering work in AI, and their significant investments in staying at the forefront of innovation. She highlights the shift from 5G to AI focus at the recent Mobile World Congress and how WWT leverages AI for meaningful business outcomes.
The episode also covers WWT’s commitment to strong company culture, diversity, and inclusion. Tonya offers advice for women in tech, stressing self-awareness, advocacy, and the importance of a supportive network. She shares personal experiences on balancing career and personal life, and her passion for empowering women in technology.
Introduction and Welcome
Carrie Charles: The race to 5G is on and the battle for talent is getting fierce. Welcome to 5G Talent Talk with Carrie Charles, a podcast dedicated to helping you face the future workforce head-on. Navigate this challenging talent landscape with innovative strategies to attract, retain, and engage people in this new world of work. Only here on 5G Talent Talk with Carrie Charles, CEO of Broadstaff Talent Solutions. Thanks for joining me today on 5G Talent Talk. I’m Carrie Charles, your host, and today I have with me Tonya Stopke, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Technology. Tonya, thanks for joining me. I’m really excited about this conversation.
Tonya Stopke: Thanks for having me. I’m super excited to be here.
Tanya Stopke’s Journey in Telecom and Tech
Carrie Charles: So, talk about yourself first. I want to know a little bit more about you, how you got into the industry, and how you got to your seat today. You’ve been very accomplished, and we’re going to hear a lot more about that later, but what’s your journey?
Tonya Stopke: Gosh, well nobody wakes up thinking they can’t wait to be in Telecom. My childhood dream was not to be leading the communication service provider division for Worldwide Technology, but here we are. It’s been an interesting journey. I’ve been with Worldwide for over 18 years. Like many people, you never think you’re going to start your career with one company and stay as long as I have, but somehow they haven’t kicked me out yet. I’ve had a number of roles at Worldwide, starting from an entry-level position to where I am today. I started my life in a trailer park, and for a long time, I was embarrassed to talk about it. Now I see it as one of the greatest gifts, giving me drive and tenacity. My mom’s influence and my experiences, from selling stationery to babysitting and waitressing, all contributed to my journey. I initially wanted to be an attorney but found my true calling in technology.
Overview of Worldwide Technology’s Growth and Focus
Carrie Charles: Incredible. By the way, I grew up in a trailer park too. So, talk a little bit more about Worldwide Technology and give a brief introduction.
Tonya Stopke: We’ve been in business since 1990, starting small and now a $20 billion global company. When I started, we had less than a thousand employees, and now we’re over 10,000. We lead in innovation around AI, focusing on global service provider, enterprise, and public sector divisions. We drive business and technology outcomes through partnerships with top OEMs like Cisco, HPE, Dell, Intel, and Nvidia.
AI Trends at Mobile World Congress 2023
Carrie Charles: You just got back from Mobile World Congress and mentioned AI. Last year it was all about 5G, but this year AI was a common theme. Can you elaborate?
Tonya Stopke: It was fascinating. Last year, everything was about 5G and finding the killer app. This year, AI dominated the conversations. We discussed leveraging AI for meaningful outcomes, driving service providers to the next level. We saw some crazy robots, flying car prototypes, and drones delivering packages in cities. The conversation has shifted significantly to AI.
How WWT is Leveraging AI for Telecom Solutions
Carrie Charles: You mentioned AI as a specialty of Worldwide Technology. What are you doing with AI, and how are you serving service providers?
Tonya Stopke: We’re making a $500 million investment into an AI Proving Ground, a collaborative ecosystem where customers can learn, kick the tires on, and build AI solutions. We have hundreds of data scientists and developers on staff. For service providers, we’re looking at AI outcomes to drive connectivity, like computer vision in retail stores, object detection for safety, and leveraging partnerships to help drive monetization conversations.
The Role of TBX in Driving Telecom Diversity and Innovation
Carrie Charles: What’s the story behind TBX?
Tonya Stopke: TBX is a wholly owned subsidiary of Worldwide Technology, focusing exclusively on service provider customers. It started as a project to drive diversity spend for a top customer and evolved into a specialized business supporting service providers in crafting solutions for their customers. We handle everything from back-office BOM building, validation, solution creation, kidding, white-glove delivery, and ongoing support, aiming to drive financial impact for our customers.
Strategies for Sustaining Company Culture at WWT
Carrie Charles: You’ve been at WWT for 18 years, and the employee count grew from 1,000 to over 10,000. How do you maintain your culture through such growth?
Tonya Stopke: It’s a very intentional focus on maintaining our core values, integrated leadership, and management practices. Our executive team deeply believes in these values. We hire for cultural fit and ensure everyone understands and embodies our principles. We focus on building trust, treating everyone with dignity, respect, kindness, and compassion. This approach has kept us on Fortune 100’s best companies to work for list for 12 years in a row.
WWT’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion in Tech
Carrie Charles: WWT has a serious commitment to diversity and inclusion. Talk about that for a minute.
Tonya Stopke: We’re a black-owned company and probably the largest black-owned company in the US. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion has been in our DNA since day one. We focus on creating an environment where everyone’s talents are recognized and nurtured. It’s not perfect, but we continually strive to do better. Our ERG groups and smaller communities support this mission. It’s important for us to look harder for diverse candidates and ensure they feel part of our ecosystem once hired.
Tanya Stopke on Supporting Women in Technology
Carrie Charles: How do you support women in tech, and what advice would you give to women seeking career growth in tech?
Tonya Stopke: Women need to do a better job of bringing up other women. Historically, there was one seat at the table, but now there are many. It’s essential to support and advocate for each other. My advice is to know yourself, be true to yourself, and find an advocate. Focus on advancing and advocating for others, as it often comes back threefold. Building personal connections and providing support, whether formal or informal, is crucial.
Managing Work-Life Balance as a Tech Executive
Carrie Charles: How do you balance being a single mom, an executive, and managing everything?
Tonya Stopke: It takes a village. I have an amazing ex-husband and supportive family and friends. It’s about prioritizing different aspects of life at different times. Balance is more about managing priorities over time rather than achieving it daily. Women often carry an invisible load, but with support and a strong network, it’s possible to manage. I chose this career and openly discuss these choices with my kids. Without the village, it wouldn’t be possible.
Conclusion and Wrap-Up
Carrie Charles: Thank you for sharing your insights, Tanya. This has been a valuable conversation. Can you share WWT’s website and the jobs page for those interested in opportunities?
Tonya Stopke: Sure, go to wwt.com and check out our careers page. We’re growing and hiring, and our HR team does an incredible job keeping our website up to date. It takes a minute to get hired because we protect our culture and do our due diligence.
Carrie Charles: Fantastic. Thank you, Tanya. This has been wonderful.
Tonya Stopke: Thanks for having me, Carrie. It was great to share this platform.
Carrie Charles: Thank you for listening to another informative episode of 5G Talent Talk brought to you by RCR Wireless News, Telecom Careers, and Broadstaff Talent Solutions. To access the show notes or leave a review, visit broadstaffglobal.com. Until next time.
