How Rachel Turkus is Living the ACW Pledge: Women Supporting Women

May 17, 2021

Alliance of Channel Women is highlighting women who are Living the ACW Pledge: Women Supporting Women. We’re seeking nominations from the channel community for women – from the mailroom to the boardroom – who embody the oath in their words and actions.

Rachel Turkus, Senior Channel Marketing Manager at NetFortris, was nominated by Sophia Miao, Brand Design Manager at NetFortris, and Erica Mikulsky, Global Content Manager at Poly.

In what way(s) is your nominee an example of Living the ACW Pledge of women supporting women?
Sophia: In a lot of ways, I feel like Rachel is a life and career mentor to me. Whenever I struggled with time management, she would gracefully help me prioritize projects. If I ever felt like I couldn’t finish something on time, Rachel was flexible and able to change the schedule while coordinating with the appropriate stakeholders to make ends meet. I very much respect the way she handles things. I’d say the most important things she has taught me are always being honest and transparent with your workload and that you can’t be everything to everyone – you’ve got to do what is best for you.

Erica: Rachel is always thinking of ways to highlight her colleagues and coworkers. She is constantly seeking ways to elevate her female colleagues – be it in meetings or social networking.

What is a specific example of what she did for you and when it happened?
Sophia: When Rachel joined NetFortris, she brought with her a wealth of knowledge and channel marketing experience. Specifically, she guided not just me but our entire marketing team with strategies on different campaigns. There’s a lot of moving parts and pieces in the channel. Whenever there was a product push, she would orchestrate whether there would be a PR, event, landing page, flyer, partner or direct sales emails, social posts and much more to spread the word of our company’s offerings. She knows the telecom industry and what makes it tick with marketing.

Erica: Rachel helped me to develop a marketing campaign when I was new to the organization. Instead of taking joint credit, she kept telling everyone how much I contributed and how I am an asset when I presented to the group.

What impact did her action have on you and/or your career?
Sophia: I’m not only our company’s graphic designer but also our website product page builder, and Rachel made sure the right content came to me to build the creative elements. When reviewing design mockups, she always had great constructive feedback. She also challenges me never to be static when it comes to design! I feel like my work has evolved a lot since I’ve joined the company, and it’s thanks to Rachel and her firm encouragement.

Erica: Rachel took me under her wing, and we still bounce ideas off one another even though we both have moved on to new opportunities. Our relationship was founded at work and continued in friendship. She’s professional and human – a great leader and a straight shooter.


Want to Nominate a Woman Who is Living the ACW Pledge?
Do you know a woman who has played a supportive role in your technology career, please tell us who she is and how she had your back!

Nominate

 

 

ACW will accept nominations throughout the year and will recognize:

  • Every nominee in the monthly ACW Member Newsletter
  • Name a Big Impact Award Winner every quarter

For more information, visit ACW Advocacy Pledge.