Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the tech industry. In this Q&A, we are featuring Cara Munnis, VP of Product Management at Amwell.
Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?
I grew up in the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts with a younger brother. Curious, energetic, and reluctant to go to bed. Even as a child, I was a night owl. My parents taught me how to operate a VCR and fall asleep to movies at the age of 2!
I grew up in a Boston-based family business owned by my father and uncle. I remember the days when money wasn’t plentiful but I watched my father and uncle work hard and take risks that ultimately allowed them to provide for their families. It is fun now to see that they built working relationships and friendships that have persisted to today, 40+ years after starting their company. Boston was always a short trip away and a familiar place I’d go with my father.
What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?
I focused on biology, psychology and pre-medicine at the College of the Holy Cross. My First job out of college was working as a research assistant at the National Institute of Health’s Framingham Heart Study.
Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?
During my college internships, I struggled to find an area of medicine that most interested and motivated me, and after some debate, my father convinced me I was really best cut out for business. I ended up going to Bentley University’s graduate business school and had an enlightening experience where I honed in on a nerdy passion for business processes, systems operations and technology. In my first professional experiences after earning my MBA, I chose to work in healthcare but in a role as a business systems analyst where I worked cross-functionally on various internal technology implementations. Eventually I fell into a product management role, a career track that I have stayed on to this day.
What is your current role and responsibilities?
I lead the Product Management team at Amwell, an industry-leading technology company offering telehealth SaaS products and services focused on digital healthcare delivery. In my group, I oversee product managers and product operations leaders, all of whom are focused on advancing our roadmap and delivering on client commitments. Aside from guiding my team, I personally contribute heavily to annual and quarterly product roadmapping, client conversations, internal presentations and thought leadership forums and handling of escalated issues related to the execution and delivery on our commitments.
Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally? Was it always your goal to be in this position?
Not at all! Once I finally gave up my childhood dream of being a medical doctor, I didn’t have a plan. The only conscientious thing I did do as I navigated the twists and turns of my career was to ensure I was exposing myself to different types of digital healthcare roles and products in each new position. This was to stave off boredom more than anything else. Looking back, I’ve learned that once you are in a company for 12+ months, opportunities tend to naturally present themselves that are most suited to your abilities. I would say my path found me more than I found it, and the most important thing I did was continue to check in with my own satisfaction while evaluating and pursuing any appealing available options.
For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?
- Stay close to the technology, especially in your years as an individual contributor. This knowledge will establish the basis from which you will guide your teams and influence others as you grow into the management level.
- Be a good listener and ask for clarification if something doesn’t resonate - no matter your level, there is almost always more to learn either about the subject itself or about the perceptions of those with whom you are working.
What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?
- Assessing employee and stakeholder satisfaction
- Composing thoughtful content tailored to my audience
- Effectively influencing others in my organization by utilizing appropriate communication styles and/or aligning to their natural motivators
- Product Management and Healthcare industry fundamentals
What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work? What’s the most challenging?
I love setting things up and watching them run. Initially in my career, this applied to building software products with a team of engineers, launching them into the market and measuring utilization and user satisfaction. Today, this applies more to enabling and empowering my team members. I love nothing more than motivating a product leader to hone their natural skills, give them the agency to deliver successful products to market, and watch them measure their success.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
There have been a few times in my career when I found myself on a “transformation team”. These are times when software development teams are adjusting to new processes while they are also under the pressures of delivery deadlines. These times seem to indicate the most challenging phases of growth or change that I’ve been involved with, but they also positioned me for growth and a tremendous sense of accomplishment once on the other side.
Q&A
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I’m almost certainly with my kids. I have two young children, and it’s incredibly fun to introduce them to new things and watch them as they try and make sense of this world.
How do you manage stress?
A Vinyasa Yoga class is always my go-to.
How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?
One! Any more and I won’t sleep at night.
Any book or podcast recommendations?
No new reads that I would highly recommend, so will recommend an old business book that despite the now-obsolete corporations it studies, teaches a framework for business success that still resonates with me today- Good to Great by Jim Collins
What advice do you have for recent college graduates?
If when you begin to transition out of studies mode and into getting that first professional job, and (like me) aren’t quite sure what you want to do, start looking inward for answers. Get a few internships in different disciplines and in different roles. After each one, ask yourself “what did I especially like about that?”, and ”What didn’t I like?”. When you get those answers, go even deeper. Ask yourself why you liked or didn't like each one of the experiences. You should begin to see a pattern about the types of tasks/responsibilities that you do or do not enjoy. Knowing this and using it as your career compass is essential to finding what will make you successful in your future. If you wake up excited to do what you do most days, this not only suggests you may enjoy your workdays, it is what will set you apart from others in the same role. You are smart. We all are smart. You could probably attain moderate success in just about any industry, but being in a line of work that suits your natural skills and interests will make all the difference in the energy you devote to your job and your willingness to achieve real excellence.
