Social Responsibility Intuit’s Marianna Tessel on Her Trusted Advisers The chief product development officer at the software company’s biggest unit turns to four sources for career guidance Marianna Tessel A chief product development officer at Intuit When the veteran software engineer was hired last year as the first chief product development officer for Intuit’s biggest unit, she faced a tough task: Transform an Written by Intuit Blog Team Modified Nov 7, 2022 2 min read The chief product development officer at the software company’s biggest unit turns to four sources for career guidance Marianna Tessel A chief product development officer at Intuit When the veteran software engineer was hired last year as the first chief product development officer for Intuit’s biggest unit, she faced a tough task: Transform an operation that develops software for QuickBook products while taking charge of the largest number of people—more than 1,500—she had ever managed. “I worked quickly to immerse myself in the team,’’ says the 50-year-old daughter of engineers. Here are four trusted advisers who have offered career guidance at critical junctures. Tayloe Stansbury Intuit’s chief technology officer Mr. Stansbury—who was Ms. Tessel’s boss at a small web-commerce company called Ariba—brought her to Intuit after she requested his recommendation for a position elsewhere. His best leadership tip? Face an issue head on by digging deep into details. You uncover solutions “that you didn’t see before,’’ she says. Bill Coughran Sequoia Capital partner; former Google engineering executive Mr. Coughran helped recruit Ms. Tessel to Docker, the software startup where he is a director, in 2014. He has urged her to maintain her technical expertise, no matter how many engineers she leads. ‘‘To be able to steer a ship in a particular direction, you need to understand the sea,’’ she says. Aileen Lee Partner at Cowboy Ventures Ms. Tessel tapped Ms. Lee’s startup expertise before joining Docker. The venture capitalist also shaped her view of career moves as a chess match. “It’s important to think several steps ahead,’’ Ms. Tessel says. Lee Franklin Executive coach at California Leadership Center Mr. Franklin taught her that effective leaders understand the importance of telling the truth without blame. In other words, Ms. Tessel says, be authentic and accountable. Previous Post National Inventors Month: 5 Customer-Favorite QuickBooks Features Next Post Coding With Compassion: Q&A with Intuit Accessibility Leads Ted Drake… Written by Intuit Blog Team More from Intuit Blog Team Browse Related Articles Life at Intuit 5 ways Intuit is building a great virtual sales culture Global Stories The transformative power of foundational technology Innovative Thinking How Intuit Combined Advanced AI and Human Expertise to Reshape the Future of Finance for 100M+ Customers News Ahead of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Administrative Hearing Innovative Thinking Helping taxpayers make the most of the 2023 tax season Customer Stories Building wealth over looking rich online with The Millennial CPA Customer Stories A London-based accountant rides the wave of digital transformation Customer Stories Helping taxpayers make the most of the 2023 tax season Customer Stories Carving out a niche: from frustrated cook to happy knife sharpener Intuit Experts Harnessing the power of the platform: Intuit’s innovative approach to power prosperity