Our member of the month for March is Monika Ambrozowicz, Lead Product Manager at Forest Admin. Monika is a long-standing and valued WDS member from our Geneva community and is no stranger to the volunteering world, having volunteered for Geeks Girls and Carrots. Monika transitioned from being a marketing generalist to Product Marketing, and she loves the team-led aspect of her job.
I'm Monika Ambrozowicz, and a few years ago, I moved from Poland to a French town next to the Swiss border near Geneva. For the last 10 years, I've mostly worked in startups in various marketing-related positions. Currently, I'm a Lead Product Marketing Manager at Forest Admin, a trailblazer in providing internal tools as a service, which saves software developers hundreds of hours and equips business teams with user-friendly back-office tools.
I used to be a marketing generalist, but 3 years ago, I transitioned to product marketing, which I find exciting as it's probably the most cross-functional marketing role. As product marketers, we need to cooperate with product, marketing, sales, and customer support teams to ensure the message about products and services is clear and meets the market's expectations.
How long have you been a member of WDS?
I consider myself a WDS veteran! For the first time, I became a member in 2017, and although I don't think I've always kept my official membership for all these years, I used to attend WDS meetups and remained close to the community.
What was your first interaction with WDS and how was it for you?
It must have been either one of the WDS meetups in Geneva or the big conference in 2017. It's hard to say for sure. What I remember, however, was a great atmosphere and welcoming community. I kept coming back not only because I was interested in the presentations but also to meet familiar faces who eventually became friends. WDS meetups helped me feel like home in a new city; I'll be forever grateful for that.
What was the reason you joined WDS?
I have always enjoyed attending meetups, and discovering new meetup groups was one of my first activities after arriving in Geneva. I wanted to meet like-minded people, listen to interesting presentations, and exchange knowledge and experiences. This led me to being a speaker at one of the WDS meetups. Now I'm also a member because I find the WDS community extremely valuable and helpful.
Tell us something about you that might surprise us
It may not be very surprising, but after moving to Geneva, I discovered a great passion for skiing. I used to dislike winters. Now I hope for ones that are long and full of snow. I'm proof that it's perfectly possible to learn how to ski in your thirties and not stand out from those who learn as little kids. Everyone can give it a try. Surprisingly, I've realized I can also combine skiing with a bit less mainstream interest in brutalist architecture, and I fell in love with monumental resorts like Flaine and Avoriaz.
Which professional achievement are you especially proud of?
Marketing can be a very rewarding job. After all, we help great products get the visibility they deserve, discover product-market fit, and guide users to get the most out of tools or services they use every day. What I enjoy about product marketing, in particular, is that it focuses on making sure products are understood and new features are noticed and used. I'm proud each time I see it in data and hear positive user feedback.
Product Marketing is also teamwork. Even in small organizations, it is fundamental to cooperate with people across different departments. I've always enjoyed that part, and I found hiring and team building not only one of the most important parts of every business but also one of the most exciting.
Maybe that's why I find becoming a Lead Product Marketing Manager the most rewarding achievement - building and supporting a team and being part of strategic decision-making is a remarkable experience.
Are there many women in your industry?
Even in the technology industry, marketing departments are one of those that attract more women than other departments. My team is diverse. However, the same can't be said about startups, and the technology industry in general, where men visibly outnumber women. I don't have enough expertise to say why this is, but I can see that things are changing - and communities like WDS, workshops and mentoring programs for women make this gender gap smaller.
Which aspect of your industry might interest other women to start work in this field?
There are many reasons to start working in a marketing department in a startup. The role is exciting, impactful, and it's impossible to get bored. Marketers typically have diverse backgrounds, and soft skills like empathy, active listening, and being a team player can be as crucial as hard skills and experience.
Which future trend is the most interesting in your opinion?
AI in marketing has been a buzzword for a long time. However, now there is no doubt that chatGPT will tremendously impact our jobs. It has already started, and there is no turning back. I use it frequently in content creation, research, and data analysis.
Would you like to become a future member of the month? Join our Supporter tier membership. Want to chat further with Monika? Tag her in a post on our WDS Connect forum
