Episode 3: Fiona McIndoe
From New Zealand to NYC: How Fiona McIndoe Built a Bold Sales Career.
Episode Recap: The Corporate Baddie Podcast
In this episode of The Corporate Baddie, Host Jen Werner sits down with sales powerhouse Fiona McIndoe—whose journey has taken her from a tiny town in New Zealand to the big city of media and ad tech - New York City.
With a career that spans Hewlett Packard, Viant, startups, and Teads, Fiona shares unfiltered insights on navigating a male dominated industry, pivoting careers with confidence, and finding success by betting on yourself—even when it feels risky.
The Global Leap: From HP to the Heart of Ad Tech
Fiona started in marketing at HP Australia before pivoting into consulting and sales, a move she now sees as unlocking her true calling. Despite being one of only two women on her team, she pushed forward, eventually moving across the globe to New York City to follow both career ambition and love.
“You have to back yourself—even if it feels uncomfortable. That's where growth starts.”
Entering the US Market with Grit
Arriving in NYC with no job, no network, and zero connections, Fiona hustled her way into her first role at Viant. From there, she dove into ad tech and programmatic media, soaking up every ounce of innovation not yet available in Australia at the time.
She reflects on this bold pivot:
“It was terrifying. But I knew I was already uncomfortable, so why not bet on myself again?”
From Startup Chaos to Corporate Strategy
At a pivotal moment, Fiona joined a creative ad tech startup, bringing a performance mindset and people-first approach to a chaotic but energizing environment. It was a time of "making it while selling it", where scrappy execution was key and no job title was sacred.
Her advice for anyone considering startup life?
Do your homework (investors, vision, leadership)
Know your motivation
Be ready to wear every hat in the building
Re-entering a More Mature Org—on Her Terms
Fiona eventually made the leap to Teads, drawn in by the opportunity to apply her startup learnings to a scaling global company. Over the course of 7 years, she built vertical expertise, drove brand partnerships, and wore many hats through both hyper-growth and pandemic pivots.
But even more important than titles or tenure?
“Your people. Your wolf pack.”
Fiona credits much of her success to the friendships and connections she’s made, relationships that led to jobs, support, and career-changing advice.
Where Media Is Headed (and How to Stay Ready)
Fiona shares her thoughtful take on AI’s impact on marketing and sales, and why staying relevant doesn’t mean you have to become an engineer, it means staying curious, informed, and human.
Her go-to sources:
Books: The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian, The Nine Types of Leadership, The Power of Deep Heat
Podcasts & Community: Real conversations with smart people (shoutout to the wolf pack)
Career Advice for the Next Gen Corporate Baddie
Track your wins: Start a quarterly journal of your impact—don’t wait for review season.
Pivot boldly: Your first path isn’t your only one.
Don’t assume rejection: Reach out, follow up, and show up as your full self.
Your network is everything: Keep your relationships close. They’ll take you farther than any resume ever could.
Her Corporate Baddie Moment?
Blind emailing the CEO of Walmart (a fellow Kiwi) and getting a warm reply the same night.
“If you think you can fly, you will fly.”
