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What happens when you bring startup lessons into the C-suite?
This episode kicks off our mini series called Builders, where we talk with founders, product managers, and digital leaders about what drives their passion for building.
In this episode, we speak with Karen Stroup, Chief Digital Officer at WEX. Karen leads the digital strategy behind WEX’s payment solutions, which support sectors like fleet management, healthcare, and travel. She opens up about her leadership style, why she’s optimistic about Gen Z’s approach to work, and how a formative startup experience shaped her career path.
[01:41] AI Solutions to Longstanding Challenges
[5:30] 99 out of 100 Hours to Define a Problem
[9:47] Finding Your Leadership Style
[12:37] “The Coach Wants to Win a State Championship”
[13:37] Pivoting to A Startup
[17:05] Motherhood, then a Promotion
[18:47] The Gen Z Approach
[21:33] Reflections
Links:
Abril Villarreal Garcia on LinkedIn
About In Her Ellement:
In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?
About The Hosts:
Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.
Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.
Abril Villarreal Garcia is a first-year associate at BCG where she has done projects in Private Equity, Climate & Sustainability and Social Impact. She grew up in Monterrey, Mexico and lived for a few years in the Houston area. She studied International Politics at Georgetown University with a focus on culture. She is passionate about pursuing a career that gives her financial independence and stability while also making an impact.
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