Laura Pickering is vice president in the Office of the CEO at NetApp where she is a key advisor to and member of NetApp’s executive team. She has experience in the high technology industry in both systems and software businesses. Laura joined NetApp in 1996 and has been a catalyst for growth and expansion. Early in her tenure, she developed a strategic relationship with Oracle, which, at the time, doubled NetApp’s total available market and enabled NetApp to successfully penetrate the database market. That success has led NetApp to be one of the top choices for enterprise storage today.
Laura also created NetApp’s Strategic Account Program, which has allowed NetApp to focus on its top enterprise customers. Greater customer satisfaction, increased revenue, greater product penetration, and extremely strong relationships are a few of the resulting benefits from this program. She also created NetApp’s field marketing organization as well as the market development group.
Laura is currently on the board of directors of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs, the largest and fastest growing nonprofit association in Northern California dedicated exclusively to helping early stage entrepreneurs across all technology sectors build successful companies. She is also on the advisory board of Innovation Quest, a nonprofit corporation founded by successful Cal Poly graduates and business leaders interested in giving back and enhancing innovation at the same time.
Prior to joining NetApp, Laura held key sales, development, and marketing positions at Oracle, Data General, and NetManage.
Laura has a BS in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.