About Grace Hu-Morley
Silicon Valley Business Catalyst
Multi-Functionality
On this page you will find out more details about my
multi-functionality. My goal here is to give you more insight
into my character and abilities.
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My coworkers and friends frequently use the term “Grace under pressure” to describe me. Not only because Grace is my name, but also because I am motivated, goal-oriented, reliable, and energetic. They see me as a high achiever and I tend to agree with them. Even under overwhelming conditions, I am able to assume additional responsibilities.
My history of multi-functionality began at Pulse Metric after graduate school. When I joined the company as an Applications Engineer and a Sales Engineer, I encountered various daunting problems: slumping sales and long lead times, all under very tight budget constraints. So in addition to my engineering and sales responsibilities, I expanded into marketing and went to work. The marketing materials that I developed not only doubled the company’s sales, but also decreased mailing costs by 85%, and increased qualified leads by 22%. Soon after, I was promoted to Project Leader of Marketing and International Sales.
At Cirrus Logic, I handled business marketing activities, and later took on product management and program management responsibilities. Due to my enthusiasm and reliability, within ten months I was promoted even when others were being laid-off. My multi-functional skills also allowed me to take over the responsibilities of five vacated positions. This trend of assuming many functions did not end at Cirrus Logic.
I also had business development and program management responsibilities in my position as Senior Product Marketing Manager at Trident Microsystems. Six products were under my management, which was no easy feat especially since support was minimal. I used my negotiation skills to smoothly blend the customer's product needs with Trident's resources, which led to high customer satisfaction and met the company’s targets. As each target was met, my managers put more faith in my reliability and gave me more responsibility. That is why I managed six products. I enjoy the fact that managers and customers rely on me.
My-functional skills were certainly helpful when I was the Director of Marketing for a start-up called Komodo Technology. Not only did I manage all the outbound marketing strategies and tactics, but also took on business development and strategic alliance functions. My marketing activities led to editor’s choice awards, respected trade magazine articles, industry roundtable invitations, thought leadership speeches, multiple acquisition offers, and ultimately the acquisition of this successful start-up by Cisco Systems.
Even in a large company like Cisco Systems, where marketing roles are more clearly defined, I took on responsibilities beyond the Senior Product Manager role. There were many times where I had to take on product marketing and program management responsibilities when support was not available or limited. Why did I take on more functions? When I manage product lines, I run them as the “business owner”. I personally believe overseeing the whole product process from concept to launch to sustaining to grave is necessary to drive the success of the products I manage.
My ability to implement better methods and to approach problems from different angles leads me to be able to take on further duties, as well as enables me to be an effective liaison and catalyst. Many co-workers and managers have told me that I am very reliable. This sense of reliability stems from many directions; my willingness to learn new things and take on new responsibilities leads me to be involved with, and on top of, almost every facet of a project. I am able to deliver information faster than other sources and make the tough snap decisions that let others move forward, catalyzing the whole team to be more productive; hence, the term “Grace under pressure.”
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