Emily Glass
CEO
Boston
My Role
I am the president and CEO of Syncro, an all-in-one RMM, PSA, and remote access platform that helps managed service providers (MSPs) run more profitable businesses. Previously, I was Datto’s Chief Product Officer, driving product strategy and the Customer Experience Officer at Datto, where I created an award-winning technical support experience. I have also served in senior leadership positions at Alyce, Backupify, and worked in media at Akamai, and Brightcove. I hold degrees in both computer engineering and fine arts.
What I love most about my role
The MSP space is incredibly exciting. The industry is highly technical and evolves quickly, which means that there are always new problems to solve and new things to learn. I also love understanding MSPs' pain points and how to take them from frustrated to satisfied – it’s incredibly rewarding to help MSPs succeed and serve their end clients with better solutions. We help MSPs solve problems, grow their business, and improve their efficiency. Knowing that our team is making a positive impact for our customers is one of the reasons I wake up excited to come to work everyday.
The camaraderie of the MSP community is another thing I am grateful for in my role. MSPs are always willing to share their feedback, thoughts, and opinions, which ultimately helps Syncro understand how to improve its product and user experience. Connecting with MSPs to learn from their experiences is indispensable and is one of the most enjoyable things about being the CEO at Syncro
How I define success
I believe success is a combination of hard work and being given opportunities. I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to apply my hunger for growth and learning throughout my career.
I've also learned that success is not just about your own individual achievements— it’s also about helping others succeed and providing them access to opportunities. For my leadership team, success is making mythology together by wrestling with the hard problems, making smart, sometimes unconventional, choices, building people up to a better place, making a difference for our customers, and not wasting our time by failing to discuss opportunities and learn as we go.
I know firsthand the challenges that women face getting access to opportunities and I am dedicated in my career to do everything I can to help them secure more top leadership positions.
The best piece of business advice I ever received was
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. At the beginning of your career, there’s a lot of pressure to pick a path and stick with it. You may feel like you need to know exactly what you want to do with your life and that any deviation from your chosen path is a failure. But the truth is, you don't need to have everything figured out.
It’s okay to switch roles or careers as your interests or expertise changes over time. A great way to test different career paths is to reach out to your dream list of companies to see if they would be open to job shadowing. That can help you discern what you like, and maybe even more importantly, what you don’t like about different roles.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help is not a weakness. It shows you care, are invested, and want to do things the right way. It’s okay to try things you’ve never done before and ask for support along the way. That’s what being comfortable with being uncomfortable is all about.
What would I tell my younger self
Playing soccer from an early age has taught me so many lessons about what it means to be on a team. Among the most important is learning how to pivot quickly and make real-time decisions. As the speed of tech innovation accelerates at an exponential rate, moving swiftly with care and thoughtfulness is a skill that’s more important than ever. That’s why I’d tell my younger self to home in on being agile and flexible.
What 2B Bolder mean to me
Learning how to have hard conversations. A great example is learning how to have hard conversations about equity and diversity in the workplace. One of the ways I’ve been bold in my role is to help our company understand its bias and in turn, translate that understanding to better hiring and management practices to increase diversity. It’s certainly an uncomfortable feeling at first, but it’s important work that impacts so many people in so many ways.
Being bold to me means making small changes that add up to big changes to create an organization that makes everyone who works there feel cared for. Being bold also means pushing those around you to reshape company policy to put employees first such as parental leave policies, flexible working arrangements, or providing regular company-wide mental health days.
Years of Experience
20+
I recommend you focus on developing these 3 skills to succeed in a role like mine
Be curious and understand your company’s financials: push yourself to be more curious about budgets, company financial health, and the decision-making process. Remarkable leaders understand the financial aspect of running a business and are curious about the tradeoffs made at a level beyond their team. Having an appreciation for how company finances and metrics are derived and evaluated gives you a deeper level of knowledge about how your (and your team’s) actions can influence the results.
Explore what other teams are doing: Innovation and growth depend on a company’s ability to serve and delight its customers. To achieve that, you must have a holistic view of the business – beyond your department or project. Being curious about other teams’ work allows you to gain insights, share ideas, and collaborate more effectively. It’s also a great way to connect with your peers and build relationships across departmental boundaries. The more you observe and learn, the richer and more diverse your perspective becomes.
Seek out a mentor and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback: Outside perspective is invaluable, so I encourage everyone to seek out a mentor. It doesn’t have to necessarily be another woman, it just has to be someone who’s willing to help you talk through challenges and someone who keeps you accountable. For instance, I put this into practice by getting together with a trusted friend and former colleague once a month to discuss what’s working, what isn’t, and to set goals. This regular check-in keeps us both on track. And for anyone who wants to take their career to the next level, I highly recommend enlisting an executive coach. Working with a professional can help you see things from a different, experienced perspective and give you permission to try new things without as much fear and anxiety, helping you be the leader you’ve always wanted to be.