Name: Kristina Gustafson
Title: Senior Director of Portfolio Management for Agent Tools, Charter Communications

Company: Charter Communications
Role with The WICT Network: Midwest: Director of Membership

What is the value of volunteering as a board member for The WICT Network: Midwest?

I enjoy having a direct influence on the WICT Network Midwest member experience as a member of the Board of Directors. The Board is made up of energetic volunteers that are passionate about the development of future women leaders in our industry. I have enjoyed the friendships we’ve made and seeing the results of our hard work in planning successful events, and receiving feedback on how the WICT Network has made a lasting impression on its members.

Advice for member engagement:

Check out the events calendar on the WICT Network Midwest website wictmw.org, join the LinkedIn group, and set a monthly reminder to check the global organization website, wict.org, for advice and opportunities available to the full membership community.

Name: Sydney Smith
Title: Market Intelligence Manager
Company: Charter Communications
Role with The WICT Network: Midwest: Vice President

What is the value of volunteering as a board member for The WICT Network: Midwest?

The WICT Network and more specifically the Midwest Chapter has given me the opportunity to hone in on my leadership skills and really develop my voice as a leader. I am currently the Vice President of our chapter which means I have also had the opportunity to network with a variety of women and men at various levels of experience and title within the cable and telecommunications industry. This would not have been possible if I did not join The WICT Network.

Advice for member engagement:

What you put into your membership is what you will get out of it. If you have a talent or a passion you are looking to display, there are always opportunities within our membership and Board to exemplify those talents and passions.

Name: Noelle Tieszen
Title: Senior CX Operations Manager
Company: Midco
Role with The WICT Network Midwest: Member, PMDS participant

What is your professional passion?

If you’re familiar with the Myer-Briggs 16 Personality Types, I’m an INFJ through and through! I am passionate about people— their backgrounds, their stories, their motivations, their goals, their needs. Digging in to help people understand their what, their why and their how— that’s my jam!

What do you value most about your membership in The WICT Network?

Through my membership with The WICT Network, I value the connections I’ve made with other Midco women— especially the ones I don’t regularly work with.

What have you gained from the experiences and/or relationships within The WICT Network?

Since joining The WICT Network a few years ago, I have attended several events like Tech It Out and Spirit of the Midwest. I also participated in the Premier Management Development Series in St. Louis. Each experience has allowed me to learn more about leadership and the media, entertainment and technology industries while also networking with inspiring women leaders.

Name: Edo Branch
Title: Continual Service Improvement Analyst
Company: Charter Communications
Role with The WICT Network: Midwest: Tech it Out Chair

What is the value of volunteering as a board member for The WICT Network: Midwest?

The value of volunteering as a WICT Board Member is having the ability to share the gifts and expertise that I normally do not share in my regular work. I have been a member of a sorority for the past 26 years, and one of the things that I valued the most is understanding not what the organization can do for me, but what I can do for the organization. This is a value that I carry as a Board Member within WICTMW as I share my gifts and expertise. I have a multitude of skills and talents, and while just sharing (one) and being an integral part of the vessel that contributes to the greater good that WICT provides, is rewarding.

Advice for member engagement:

Support, acknowledge, reward and network. The old saying goes, “There is no “i” in team.” No single person can be WICT alone, but a group of women with a common interest and goals of progression can move the world. WICT would not be where it is today, without its members. Supporting members, acknowledging members, rewarding members, and being a network that stretches very far, is the glue for engagement.

Name: Chasity Shahi
Title: Sr. Mgr Enterprise Operations Support – Process Engineering
Company: Charter Communications

What is your professional passion?

Helping others grow and become successful in their roles.

What do you value most about your WICT Network Membership?

I love the WICT Network events that bring women together for networking and celebrating achievements.

What have you learned from serving on The WICT Network – Midwest Membership Committee?

A proactive outreach to renew existing members, and spreading the word to your coworkers for new member enrollment is essential to keeping the WICT Midwest Chapter growing and flourishing. The WICT Network is a wonderful program that provides its members with all kinds of resources for learning, development, and networking.

Tell us a little about yourself. Family, Hobbies, Favorite Vacation spot, etc.

I’m married to my college sweetheart, Prakash. We have two children: Priya, 16, and Cruz, 14. We enjoy traveling to new countries and experiencing different cultures. My most memorable vacation was the first time I travelled to a jungle resort in Nepal in 2002. I had “hands-on” playtime with an energetic, nine-day-old baby elephant while its mother calmly observed nearby.