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Women's History Month
In Conversation with
EMMA MARCOTTE
A Techronicler interview with Emma Marcotte, SVP of Clients, Moburst
Welcome to our Women’s History Month edition of Techronicler. Today, our guest is Emma Marcotte, SVP of Clients at Moburst.
Emma has built her career by acting as the ultimate translator—bridging the gap between what a client envisions, what technical delivery requires, and what a business can sustainably support. Rather than subscribing to the outdated tech mantra of “move fast and break things,” Emma champions a philosophy of moving fast on learning and deliberately on commitments.
In this interview, she discusses how to operationalize AI without it becoming just another shiny object, why she had to unlearn the habit of “reflexive accommodation,” and how she is actively dismantling the “broken rung” by equipping junior women with both undeniable track records and the language of confidence.
Techronicler: Thank you for joining us, Emma! Well, a lot of careers look like straight lines on LinkedIn. How was yours different? Was there a pivotal moment or ‘happy accident’ that actually steered you toward your current role or niche?
Emma Marcotte:
I took a data analytics and technology course in college and realized pretty quickly I had a real knack for data. More importantly, I learned I’m strongest at the intersection of strategy, communication, and execution.
At the time, I thought I’d end up in a high-powered PR track, but I realized I didn’t shine in work that was mostly narrative. I was far more energized by problems you can measure and improve. So I started in a data analytics role right out of school, and then moved into data/technology consulting – helping clients build their tech stacks and making best-in-class recommendations on overall data architecture.
As I progressed, the pivotal moment was recognizing how much value comes from being the translator between worlds: what the client means, what delivery needs, and what the business can sustainably support. That’s what ultimately pulled me into account leadership at a data- and technology-focused company – where the job isn’t just managing relationships, it’s driving outcomes and helping organizations elevate both their tech stack and their broader marketing strategy.
Techronicler: What is the one problem or project that is taking up 80% of your brain space this month?
Emma Marcotte:
This month, 80% of my brain space is going to helping teams adopt AI in a way that’s actually operational – use cases, governance, and measurement – without turning it into a shiny-object project. The hard part isn’t the tools; it’s alignment. I’m focused on picking the few workflows where AI creates real leverage, defining success metrics, and making sure the change management is as strong as the tech.
Techronicler: Many women still find themselves as the ‘Only’ (only woman, only WOC) in the room. When that happens now, how do you use that visibility to your advantage rather than letting it be a weight?
Emma Marcotte:
While tech broadly continues to be a male-dominated industry, I am fortunate to have worked closely with many amazing female leaders and helped to harness my voice and confidence, showing me the power of female leaders. When I’m the ‘Only’ in the room, I treat it as a leadership moment, not a burden. I don’t shrink or over-explain. I anchor the conversation in outcomes – what decision we’re making, what tradeoffs we’re accepting, and what happens next. I use my visibility to set the tone: clear, direct, and forward-moving
Techronicler: Are women in leadership still penalized for being too direct or ‘sharp-elbowed’? Have you ever had to consciously unlearn the habit of being ‘too nice’ or ‘accommodating’ to get a project across the line?
Emma Marcotte:
Yes, women can still get penalized for the exact communication style that gets praised as ‘decisive’ in others. I’ve had to unlearn the reflexive accommodation, especially the urge to soften clarity or feedback so it feels more “palatable”. What I’ve learned is clarity is essential no matter who it is coming from. Providing clarity is not aggressive, even if it is not what people want to hear. With years of unlearning, I am not direct and constructive. I aim to state issues, propose alternative solutions and document decisions. It’s not sharp-elbowed, it’s about understanding the work that needs to be done, and the quality of work that is expected.
Techronicler: What is a piece of ‘common wisdom’ in the tech industry that you completely disagree with?
Emma Marcotte:
I disagree with ‘move fast and break things’ as a default mantra. Speed without alignment doesn’t create progress – it creates rework. The better version is: move fast on learning, move deliberately on commitments. Fail fast and move forward to something better.
Techronicler: The ‘broken rung’ (the first step up to manager) is a bigger obstacle than the glass ceiling. How are you personally helping junior women make that specific leap from individual contributor to lead?
Emma Marcotte:
The ‘broken rung’ is real because the first leadership step is a catch-22: you’re expected to show management experience to get the role, but you can’t get the experience without the role.
One dynamic I see a lot is that women tend to argue from résumé evidence – they try to prove they’re ready only through past experience – while men are often more comfortable communicating readiness and learning velocity even without the perfect checklist. So I try to help junior women build both: a real track record and the language of confidence.
I give them ownership lanes – owning a workstream, running client-facing updates, handling stakeholder alignment – and we capture outcomes so it’s undeniable. Then we work on the narrative: ‘I can do this because I’ve done X’ and ‘I can do this because I know how to learn, lead, and deliver.’ That’s what breaks the catch-22.
“Speed without alignment doesn’t create progress—it creates rework.”
This profound insight from Emma Marcotte flips the traditional tech narrative on its head, reminding us that true acceleration requires a foundation of strategic clarity. Her approach to leadership is a masterclass in operational rigor and human-centered problem solving.
As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, Emma’s dedication to giving junior women the space to own workstreams and articulate their value is a practical blueprint we can all learn from.
As SVP of Clients at Moburst, Emma Marcotte leads client strategy and success across a diverse portfolio of brands. Her expertise sits at the intersection of digital-first marketing, ad-tech and mar-tech consulting, and brand marketing maturity – helping organizations build the capabilities and systems needed to grow sustainably. Emma has extensive experience building and scaling high-performing teams and foundational processes, with a focus on client outcomes, strategic problem-solving, and operational rigor. She is particularly passionate about scaling small to mid-size teams within fast-growing organizations.