Michelle Dutton, 47, did not have a microwavable path to engineering. Her high school experience provided the opportunity to code in three languages and exposed her to the technical fields. This equipped the Philadelphia native with the tools to receive her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and her master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. With more than 25 years of leadership at Verizon under her belt, Dutton now serves as the vice president of Global Network Systems and Support where she leads a team of engineers that plan and administer the operations systems for the telecommunications company’s global voice data and IP networks, which currently spans more than 2,600 cities and 150 countries on six continents. She believes engineering sets the foundation for leadership and professional rigor.
Black Enterprise caught up with the Dutton to discuss her rewarding career at Verizon, the importance of STEM education and advice for the next generation of tech leaders.
How did you get involved in technology? What peaked your interest in tech?
I did not have a direct path to engineering. It was a little bit of curiosity and a little bit of happenstance. I was always advanced academically. I was bussed out of my neighborhood for middle school, so that I could attend a more advanced school, which was diverse. I wasn’t very happy there and so I found out that there was this new high school opening up in Philadelphia called the High School for Engineering and Science, which you had to test into to attend. But the real bonus there was you had the opportunity to accelerate your education and graduate a year early if you could handle the rigorous curriculum they had there. So I was advanced in math and science and was always told that I was pretty smart, and so I went for it. My agenda was really to get out of school early, so I can get on with my life–believe it or not. However, while there I learned to program computers in three languages, do engineering drawings and I was just exposed to some fabulous teachers that had earned their Ph.D.s in technical fields. I was totally blown away in high school.
I also participated in Inroads Philadelphia…they provided me with corporate mentors and some exposure as well.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! Join us for the landmark 10th Annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, March 2—4, 2015, at Fort Lauderdale Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL. This exciting, one-of-a-kind executive leadership summit is designed to train, equip and encourage women to become industry leaders, learn career strategies, and discover proven work—life balance techniques. Register Now! https://blackenterprise.com/wps
You’ve been able to work your way up at Verizon and have been with the company for over 25 years. What advice would you give to a young professional looking to work his/her way up the corporate ladder?
A healthy work ethic–plain old hard work is always a win. But building solid networks of people that have supported me over the years and being aware of the organization’s political landscape. It’s just as important that you can understand how you’re perceived, how you’re interacting with the organization, and really how that dynamic can be managed, so that you can provide the maximum [and] optimize the value that you’re providing. I also understand that great companies understand how to reinvent themselves to stay relevant amidst changing times
I’m a continuous learner. I allow
my curiosity to drive continuous learning opportunities and I challenge the status quo. I drive my team to do likewise because it’s important to groom change agents that really understand how to embrace change in such a rapidly evolving industry, so these characteristics enable me and my teams to realize our corporate priorities. For Verizon, it’s delivering great customer experiences, growing a business, driving increased profitability and building our teams culture into a competitive advantageAs a woman in an executive position in tech, are there any challenges that you face? If so, how do you face those challenges head on?
Although there’s challenges being a female in a male dominated field, I’m very careful not to assume that that if someone is not comfortable with me, it’s because I’m a female or because I’m black. I focus on getting the job done and I work to ensure that my colleagues see me for the value that I bring to the organization based on my skills versus leading with my differences.
Why is it so important for today’s youth to explore careers in STEM, specifically underrepresented youth?
The technical fields create that ability to level the
playing field through knowledge and financial means. Once you have that degree, no one can take that away from you. If the opportunity is not embraced, then only incremental progress will continue to be realized, so knowledge is power especially in this age of technology and, to some extent, every field out there is touched by the technology. You can’t walk down the street without experiencing technology. They can’t afford to miss that. Without it, the gap will continue to widen.Dutton is featured in the February 2014 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine. Check out the feature “Top Women in Tech.â€
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! Join us for the landmark 10th Annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, March 2—4, 2015, at Fort Lauderdale Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL. This exciting, one-of-a-kind executive leadership summit is designed to train, equip and encourage women to become industry leaders, learn career strategies, and discover proven work—life balance techniques. Register Now! https://blackenterprise.com/wps