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Heather Dooley leads the Business Operations, Learning, and Tools team for Google Data Centers, which focuses on program management for internal tools and systems, learning and development, and executive communications. Her Global Program Director role means she also coordinates near-term strategic objectives and annual planning for the organization. Prior to Google, Heather was responsible for private cloud product management, data center commercial portfolio management, and business development for companies such as Microsoft and Earthlink. Heather earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA with honors from Gonzaga University.
The Formation of Women in Mission Critical Operations Committee (WiMCO©)
Heather was instrumental in the formation of the 7×24 Exchange International Women in Mission Critical Operations Committee (WiMCO®) and has been active in 7×24 Exchange International for many years.
She is passionately involved in developing opportunities for women and underrepresented talent in technology through volunteering, mentoring, and driving corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“My goal is to see gender parity in this industry.”
7×24: Agent of Change
A 20-year veteran and leader in the data center industry (see Data Economy’s World’s 50 Most Powerful Women in the Data Economy and Colocation America’s Top 5 Women in the Data Center Industry), Heather is acutely aware of how quickly the space is changing. As emerging technologies take hold, the road ahead presents an opportunity for disruption for those who can adapt.
She is notoriously vocal about the hidden threat to the data center industry: the shortage of qualified candidates in the talent pipeline to fill all the roles that will open in the next decade.
“We’re in the fourth industrial revolution. It’s a real game changer. Everyone has an opportunity to bring new talent into our data center industry.”
Heather cautions that the lack of qualified workers to operate data centers could slow the industry’s robust market growth to a crawl. She sees raising awareness about these industry opportunities as everyone’s responsibility, and calls on data center decision-makers to proactively and deliberately expand their recruitment pool and include diverse talent.
She also sees the need for greater advocacy within the data center industry to recruit and recognize the importance of diversity in creating the workforce of the future. For those already established in the field, Heather advocates for developing the talent that already exists through mentorship and sponsorship opportunities. “We have a mission to not only bring in new diverse talent into the data center industry – but we also need to be open and actively advocating inside of it to promote and foster the talent we already have. These will be the future leaders of the data center world. They should be confident that, as an industry, we are giving them a career path and investing in their futures.”
-Heather Dooley
