Victoria Pelletier’s career is a testament to early entrepreneurship and transformative leadership. Starting her professional journey at just 11 years old, Victoria took on her first business leadership role by 14. By the age of 20, she had acquired her first business, marking the beginning of her lifelong commitment to building and acquiring companies, while also navigating various corporate executive roles. At 24, Victoria reached a significant milestone as the Chief Operating Officer of a private BPO company. Since then, she has excelled in the B2B professional services sector, holding key positions including market and divisional executive roles at Fortune 500 companies, CEO roles at smaller firms, and serving as a Board Director for numerous companies over the past 15 years. We at CIO Global, are proud to introduce Victoria Pelletier as one of the Market Disruptor: Women Leaders, 2024.
Currently, Victoria is in a career transition, actively seeking her next C-level opportunity. She is also passionate about public speaking, personal branding, and executive coaching, reflecting her dedication to inspiring others through both corporate and entrepreneurial ventures. Victoria’s journey to becoming a market disruptor in the B2B professional services industry is characterized by her commitment to innovation and leadership. From acquiring her first business at 20, she has consistently challenged the status quo. Her focus on agility and strategic vision has enabled her to turn around struggling business units using a “whole human leadership” approach. This method emphasizes authenticity, transparency, and collaboration, helping her drive meaningful change and identify new opportunities.
“I want to leave workplaces, communities, and the broader world better than I found them, inspiring others to lead with empathy and authenticity.”
In her leadership roles, Victoria has embraced cutting-edge technologies and innovative business models, always aiming to enhance customer experiences and create value. Her approach has fostered a culture of continuous improvement, positioning her and the organizations she leads as pioneers in the industry. Victoria’s relentless pursuit of better solutions and her passion for leading with purpose have been central to her success. Navigating challenges and setbacks has been a crucial part of Victoria’s career. She practices what she calls “healthy resilience,” a concept she recently discussed at TEDx Miami. This approach involves five key steps:
- Be Clear on Your Vision and Goals: Having a well-defined vision and clear goals provides direction and motivation.
- Engage in Self-Reflection: Regular self-reflection helps assess progress and identify areas for improvement.
- Practice Strategic Intentionality: Aligning thoughts, actions, and behaviors with goals ensures purposeful progress.
- Surround Yourself with Supportive and Challenging People: Building a network of both supportive and challenging individuals fosters accountability and inspiration.
- Give Yourself Permission to Fail: Viewing failure as a learning opportunity helps refine approaches and encourages growth.
One notable example of Victoria’s impact through innovation and leadership occurred when she took over a troubled client portfolio at a company facing reputational damage. She focused on relationship-based selling, emphasizing open communication and a commitment to client success. Internally, she restructured the team to align better with client objectives, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability.
These efforts led to stabilizing the client portfolio and achieving growth in just 15 months, ahead of the anticipated 24-month timeline. This turnaround demonstrated the power of strong relationships and strategic leadership in overcoming challenges and achieving success. Victoria Pelletier’s career exemplifies a relentless pursuit of excellence and a dedication to leading with purpose and innovation. Her journey continues to inspire those around her as she navigates new opportunities and challenges in her professional path. Victoria Pelletier has long been an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which are core values that guide her leadership approach and the organizations she’s been involved with. Victoria is passionate about creating environments where every individual feels valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. Her commitment to DEI is both practiced and spoken about, reflecting her dedication to fostering inclusive workplaces.
To promote diversity and inclusion, Victoria focuses on several key initiatives:
- Promoting Inclusive Leadership: She encourages leaders to embrace diverse perspectives and create an inclusive culture by modeling behaviors such as active listening, empathy, and open communication.
- Creating Opportunities for All: Victoria ensures that hiring and advancement practices are equitable and transparent, providing opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to thrive. This includes implementing mentoring and development programs for underrepresented groups.
- Encouraging Dialogue and Awareness: She fosters open discussions about DEI within teams, creating platforms for employees to share their experiences and learn from one another, which deepens the understanding and appreciation of diversity.
- Leading by Example: Victoria participates actively in industry events and discussions on DEI, sharing insights and strategies to inspire others to prioritize these values within their own organizations.
Her efforts in advancing DEI have been recognized with multiple awards, underscoring the significance of her mission. Victoria remains committed to advocating for diversity and inclusion, knowing that these principles enrich workplaces and drive innovation.
For aspiring women leaders looking to make an impact in their markets, Victoria offers the following advice:
- Believe in Yourself: Trust in your abilities and vision. Confidence is essential for breaking new ground and challenging existing norms.
- Be Bold and Innovative: Embrace unconventional solutions and don’t shy away from taking risks. Innovation often involves exploring new and uncharted areas.
- Build a Supportive Network: Surround yourself with mentors, allies, and peers who inspire and challenge you. A strong network provides guidance, support, and valuable opportunities.
- Stay Resilient: Understand that disruption often comes with setbacks. Cultivate resilience by learning from failures and using them as opportunities for growth.
- Lead with Purpose and Passion: Align your work with your core values and passion. A greater purpose fuels determination and inspires others to join your cause.
- Lean into Discomfort: Embrace challenges and fears. Growth and opportunity often arise from stepping out of your comfort zone.
“Mentorship provides essential guidance, support, and growth opportunities, significantly impacting personal and professional development.”
Victoria emphasizes that women leaders’ perspectives and contributions are invaluable. She encourages them to embrace their role as change-makers and continue pushing boundaries to make a meaningful impact in their industries. Among her recent accomplishments, Victoria is particularly proud of publishing two books this year. The first, Influence Unleashed, explores personal branding and how individuals can leverage their unique strengths to create impactful and authentic personal brands. This book reflects Victoria’s frequent speaking and coaching on the importance of strategic personal branding for professional success.
The second book, The Power of Whole Human Leadership, is set to be released on September 10th. It presents a leadership approach that integrates authenticity, empathy, and vulnerability with strategic vision. This book distills lessons from Victoria’s experiences, both successes and failures, and aligns with the principles she advocates in her leadership talks and coaching.
These publications mark significant milestones in Victoria’s career, allowing her to share her expertise and experiences with a broader audience. She is proud to contribute to the conversation on effective leadership and personal branding and looks forward to the impact these books will have on readers.
Victoria Pelletier believes that mentorship is crucial in shaping the next generation of women leaders. It provides essential guidance, support, and growth opportunities, significantly impacting personal and professional development. Victoria emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded support network, which includes coaches, mentors, and sponsors, each offering unique contributions to a successful career.
Mentors are invaluable for their insights and advice, helping women navigate challenges and seize opportunities. Victoria encourages aspiring leaders to seek mentors who not only have significant experience but also come from diverse backgrounds and possess varied work experiences. This diversity enhances the mentorship experience, broadening mentees’ perspectives and increasing their adaptability. Coaches help individuals refine specific skills and strategies, while sponsors actively advocate for their advancement and create new opportunities. Together, these roles form a comprehensive support system that empowers women to overcome obstacles and reach their full potential. By fostering mentorship that embraces diverse voices and experiences, Victoria believes we can cultivate a new generation of women leaders who are innovative, resilient, and prepared to lead in a rapidly changing world.
Looking ahead, Victoria aspires to leave a legacy that transcends traditional measures of success, such as hierarchical achievement and financial gain. Her vision of success focuses on being a respected and influential leader who values humanity above all.
Central to her legacy is a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), social justice, and strong values grounded in integrity. Victoria aims to inspire others by demonstrating that leadership is about making a positive impact on the world, not just personal achievements. She wants to leave workplaces, communities, and the broader world better than she found them. By fostering inclusive environments, advocating for social justice, and leading with empathy and authenticity, Victoria hopes to motivate others to embrace these principles in their own leadership journeys. Ultimately, her goal is to create lasting change that empowers individuals and organizations to thrive. Victoria’s contributions are intended to resonate and inspire future generations to lead with purpose and compassion, ensuring that her impact endures and continues to influence the next wave of leaders.
“By fostering mentorship that embraces diverse voices and experiences, we can cultivate a new generation of women leaders who are innovative, resilient, and prepared to lead in a rapidly changing world.”