Zone of Excellence

The Truth Dealer a.k.a The CEO Whisperer a.k.a Trusted Proxy

As a trusted proxy and advisor to executives, I play a key role in translating vision, values, and direction into actionable plans and running the day-to-day operations of the organization in partnership with the executive team.

I’m exceptionally organized, an adept project manager, credible, approachable, and experienced at providing advice and counsel to senior leaders. I’m prepared to act on behalf of the CEO while serving as an honest broker and truth-teller with a company-first mindset.

I am a master of analyzing critical information that supports strategic decision-making. My problem-solving skills allow me to identify and solve issues with the wave of my wand, ensuring the company's performance is always on track.

The magic of time and energy management is my specialty, as I can use my magical abilities to prioritize tasks effectively, making sure resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to deliver results. With my communication techniques, I can ensure that everyone from team members to executives are always informed and engaged.

  • The magic I experience in strategy development and implementation is like a storybook coming to life, where high-level goals effortlessly turn into actionable plans. My technical knowledge is a magic wand, enabling me to understand even the most complex systems and processes with ease. I have been fortunate enough to lead both short-term and long-term strategic planning that have addressed business contingency plans and set multi-year strategic goals. I approach strategy development with an unwavering belief in success which energizes me.

  • With six years of experience in team management, I have a range of skills that include managing executives, senior leaders, contractors, performance management, and succession planning. I have also founded departments and supported hiring and retention efforts with a DEIB lens. I take pride in creating a culture that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

  • For the past 7 years, I have been working to support business development goals and strategic alliances for high-impact and high-growth organizations. During this time, I have honed my skills in leveraging CRMs and relationship management techniques to build partnerships with executives, government officials, and Fortune 100 companies. I take pride in my ability to identify opportunities for growth and collaboration, and my expertise in building strategic alliances has been critical in helping organizations expand their reach, resources, and impact.

  • I am experienced in leading and assessing critical change management needs for policy changes, product development, or reorgs. As part of my role, I have also led the learning and development portfolio for 1500+ employees. This involved managing technical training, continuous learning role-related pathways, and customized e-learning using tools such as EdCast and Udemy. To support change management efforts, I developed an ADKAR-based strategy, stakeholder roadmaps, end-user training needs analyses, content development strategy, and resistance management plans.

  • I have experience in human-centered design, which emphasizes empathy and innovation. Initiated by a rigorous instructional design rotation, where I developed my skills in content development, training methods, and adult learning theories for product teams. By analyzing stakeholder interviews and qualitative research, I was able to determine the performance strength via skill, motivation, and environmental assessments, which enabled me to develop a more tailored training program. Through work and academic-related experiences, I’ve honed my ability to lead cross-functional teams which facilitated my understanding of how to create innovative solutions that meet the needs of diverse stakeholders.

  • I gained extensive experience in risk analysis, specifically in the trust and safety space. This experience helped me gain an in-depth understanding of how to assess risk and develop effective policies to mitigate it. I developed a deep understanding of how to manage complex situations and respond to crises effectively. My skills in policy development, data analysis, and crisis management make me well-suited for roles that require a strategic and analytical approach to risk management.

  • As a fairy godmother of company performance and KPI management, I can wave my wand and identify areas for improvement, bringing positive change throughout the organization. My magical project management abilities ensure that all initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required standards. I have gained proficiency in popular project management tools and frameworks such as Agile, JIRA, Asana, and Notion helping me manage projects effectively, track progress and collaborate with team members to achieve project objectives.

    By establishing clear communication channels and collaborating closely with team members, I am able to gain buy-in and support for project objectives, ensure that everyone is aligned with project goals, and build a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.

Enneagram Personality Type

Let's Work Together

Let's Work Together

  • Marilyn did an expert job managing a nonprofit partnership at Google. She went far and above to by sourcing volunteers, consulting on curriculum development and supporting a PR strategy. Marilyn made a difference by making this nonprofit's education outreach more inclusive and accessible to students of all backgrounds.

    Abby D. (Google)

  • Marilyn is truly exceptional (legit Top 1% of my all-time favorite co-workers). We overlapped at both Google and Rally, where I was able to see/feel/witness and learn from her firsthand. Her calm, brilliant next-level communication & working style(s), coupled with her network + positive sphere of influence internally and externally is/was felt by everyone lucky enough to work with her at both companies. She authentically advocates for what matters most to users & communities and has a real-time pulse on what is strategically relevant to building interesting products & platforms across web2/web3 . She cares deeply about creating inspiring communities. If you've had a chance to hear any of her fireside-type chats- you sense immediately that she is in this space to make the world a better place (for all). I want to work with her again (3 times a charm!) because she is one of those rare, thoughtful, brilliant and incredibly creative people you meet in life that gives you 'work hope'. If I sound like a huge Marilyn fan - I am! Work with her for 5-10 minutes and you will be a huge fan, too. Thank you for being the best, Marilyn! ps please consider hiring me when you're an incredible, future CEO of your own :)

    • Katie B. (Rally)

  • "Marilyn is extremely proactive and finds excellent ways to channel her passions for the improvement of her team and org (and ultimately Google as whole and beyond). In her application and interview to join the Lobsters, she had multiple ideas to help narrow the gaps on our diversity and empowerment OKRs, such as monthly diversity discussions, cultural diversity events, and a permanent diversity committee on the [board]. She has the expertise and connections to bring a lot of these to fruition, and we're already seeing results such as securing Verna Myers to speak at our All Hands and making inroads in Unconscious Bias 100% attendance. I appreciated Marilyn drafting communications for the Unconscious Bias sessions. It was a huge help, and the managers benefited from specific action items."

    -Bill L. (Google)

  • "Proactive project management. Marilyn is self-starter who is always dedicated to producing excellent creative content. This group represents a population of 600 million+ students in their respective countries. She's shown both her amazing leadership & talent for sharing compelling thought leadership from around the world. Marilyn is instrumental in our effort to build thoughtful content. She has volunteered her time and worked with Googlers across the globe to make sure we have compelling and outstanding stories to share with. Marilyn, I cannot thank you enough for all of your leadership and work, helping out team manage  our community campaign for government decision makers."

    T. K. (Google)

  • "Marilyn is detailed oriented and flexible. I worked with Marilyn on the Diversity Core - YouTube EDU effort. This project was extremely ambiguous and the deliverables evolved constantly over time. Throughout the project, Marilyn was organized and a great business partner. This enabled us to deliver a list of potential partners for YouTube Kids that the team is currently pursuing."

    - Jonathan T. (Google)

  • "Marilyn [worked] on my project: designing/building a customizable onboarding framework. What she's done: significant number of discovery interviews, coding interview responses to quantifiable data, a week-long intensive design sprint, and major contribution to development of individual framework components. She has done this with the kind of dedication, attention to detail, and high-level of quality a project lead dreams of. For participation in the design sprint alone, she deserves recognition as it pushes limits from many angles; physical, mental, creative, analytical, and emotional. The best part is the stunning results, a framework with the potential to change the face of onboarding."

    Patricia P. (Google)

  • "Marilyn is an extremely hardworking and devoted teammate and I have found her to be patient, understanding, thoughtful, engaged and committed to her work and her team. She has exceptional quality across her products and her diligence and willingness to accept new challenges and responsibilities is a reflection of her desire to constantly expand her knowledge and grow within the team. She is also extremely perceptive to people's emotions and feelings and her ability to connect with others and help them overcome challenges is what makes her such a strong team member and vital part of the Legal Investigations team."

    J.S. (Google)

Let's Work Together

Let's Work Together