Mary Hamilton, Managing Director, Accenture Technology Labs

As the managing director within Accenture Technology Labs, Mary Hamilton has come a long way from those early years when she worried others would think of her as “nerdy” as she excelled in her male-dominated field. Today she’s proud of it!

She oversees Accenture’s Global Enterprise Collaboration group, leading research and development on emerging collaboration, social and knowledge management technology.

Since joining Accenture in 1997, Hamilton has brought innovative technology solutions to Accenture and clients across various industries – running technology innovation projects from incubation to large-scale implementation.

In an overwhelmingly male field, she is making her mark. But, the journey was no walk in the park.

“STEM is competitive and remains a male-dominated at many companies and that can be intimidating to some women trying to establish themselves as leaders,” she tells PINK.

Hamilton began her career right out of college and, initially, made a point not to tell share the specifics of her education and experience. If someone asked where she went to school, she’d give the city, Boston, instead of her school, MIT. “I didn’t want people to think I was too nerdy or assume I was bragging because I’d gone to MIT,” she says.

Looking back, she realizes she wasn’t alone. “STEM is competitive and credentials are a language,” says Hamilton. “I realized that it’s OK to let people know you’re intelligent by sharing some context about yourself – it can help overcome unconscious biases.”

Today, she’s not afraid to toot her own horn, from time to time.

“I’m not afraid to share anecdotes or details about important projects I’ve led or experiences I’ve had. These details of my life and career give others a perspective on where I’m coming from and it helps project my confidence.”

Mary graduated from MIT with a SB in Materials Science and Engineering. She has several hobbies, including soccer and lindy hop.

This PINK Spotlight is brought to you by Accenture. For more information and career opportunities, please visit  http://careers.accenture.com/us-en/pages/index.aspx.