Deb Ashton Of Certinia: Why We Need More Women Founders & Here Is What We Are Doing To Make That Happen
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Find a strong mentor: This is a person who can both meet you where you’re at and also help get you where you want to go. This often comes in the form of advice, a solid brainstorm session, or sometimes just a listening ear.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Deb Ashton.
Deb Ashton is Senior Vice President of Strategic Customer Experience and a Founder of Certinia. Deb has been instrumental in the growth and ongoing success of the Certinia business. In her current role, Deb’s mission is to work with our customers to understand their journey, ensure they maximize the value they derive from our solutions, and enhance the overall customer experience.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My journey into tech started back in 1997 after I finished studying Applied Biology at university I went to work in a laboratory for a year running a research project. It was during this time when I decided laboratory work was not for me and I discovered a career in tech. Because of my science background I was drawn to product management and engineering, which offered a great blend of customer interaction and business strategy. During my career I was always very customer focused and had a real passion for transforming customer experiences and streamlining business operations, which led me to co-found Certinia. Initially, I was running the engineering and support teams, as well as starting the Customer Success discipline to make sure that customer centricity was a core part of our new company’s DNA. Now, nearly two decades later, I’m helping our product resonate with our customers as the SVP of Customer Experience and am so proud that Certinia has become a core engine of the services economy. We help over 1,450 customers connect all aspects of their operations, from financial planning to customer success resource planning. It’s surreal to think back on myself as a small business founder who now helps businesses succeed in more than 30 countries.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
In the early days of Certinia, I wore multiple hats, running Product Management, Engineering, Support, HR, and Finance. At one point I held the title of Chief Product Officer, but I had a vision for creating a system that truly puts our customers at the center of everything we do in a very systematic way. Achieving this required transferring from my role as Chief Product Officer, where I led product strategy and engineering, to starting a new customer experience discipline at Certinia. It was both challenging and exciting because it’s rare in your career to get the chance to build a team and a new discipline up from the ground. I saw it as an opportunity to reshape how we engage with our customers, not just from a product standpoint but by truly understanding and delivering value at every touchpoint of their journey.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I’m naturally competitive and always give 110% in everything I do, constantly seeking ways to help our clients achieve enterprise-level scalability, efficiency, and success. Today, this is a superpower, as it drives me to truly understand and bring value to companies globally. However, in the early days at Certinia, I found it hard not to micromanage, especially when I was juggling so many roles. I think back on a time when I tried to oversee too many details in a project, which slowed us down instead of helping. The lesson I learned was that trusting your team and empowering them to make decisions is key to growth — both for the business and the people in it.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
A pivotal moment in my career came early on, when my mentor, who was also the CEO, brought me into high-stakes corporate transactions. It wasn’t just about observing. I was actively participating in critical business decisions. That experience gave me exposure to how technology intersects with business strategy and helped shape my leadership approach, generally and at Certinia. It also taught me to dive into new opportunities headfirst and embrace them, regardless of gender.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
‘’The Goal contains a serious message for all managers in industry and explains the ideas which underline the Theory of Constraints developed by the author. This was super inspiring for me especially when I was running the product organisation where efficiency and speed are king. A second book that has been influential is Stephen R. Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” which continues to be a bestseller for the simple reason that it ignores trends and pop psychology and focuses on timeless principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
“There are always multiple sides to a story.” Everyone has their own perspective on a conversation, a decision, a disagreement. As a leader it is your job to understand and help people see the alternative point of view so balanced and informed decisions can be made.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
As a female founder, I’ve always been passionate about using my success to empower other women in technology and leadership. At Certinia, we’ve built an inclusive culture with multiple employee resource groups like EmpowerHer, which encourages women to take on leadership roles, and their contributions are recognised and valued. I’ve focused on mentoring women, both within and outside the company, to help them navigate the unique challenges of being in tech and entrepreneurship.
This year, we are specifically looking to launch and support education initiatives in conjunction with our employee resource groups, as well as focus on a better understanding of our hiring efforts, both internally and externally, to continue to build an inclusive, diverse workplace.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
While we’ve made progress, there are still significant barriers preventing more women from founding companies. As you mentioned, one of the biggest challenges is access to capital. The venture capital space is still predominantly male, and women often find it harder to secure funding. There’s also a pipeline issue — fewer women are entering the tech field from the start. I believe that engaging girls in STEM education earlier and showing them the potential of a career in tech is essential to building a future where more women step into leadership and founder roles. This is something I’m passionate about, and we need to address this at the educational level to truly see change.
Can you share with our readers what you are doing to help empower women to become founders?
I lead by example, which is why I focus on mentoring women both within and outside the company. I work with them to navigate the unique challenges of tech and entrepreneurship, helping them build resilience and confidence to take that next step — whether it’s starting their own company or taking on a leadership role. I’m also a co-executive sponsor for our DE&I programs at Certinia, helping operationalise our vision.
I’m also passionate about helping women leverage technology, like AI and automation, to simplify business operations and allow them to focus on strategic growth. By equipping women with the right tools and resources, I aim to reduce the barriers that often hold women back from starting their own companies and turning their ideas into thriving businesses.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
More women should become founders because they bring fresh perspectives and diverse approaches to leadership, which drive innovation and creative problem-solving. Women tend to lead with empathy, which helps in fostering strong team dynamics and better customer relationships, building cultures that are collaborative and trust-driven. When women take on founder roles, they inspire the next generation, showing that leadership in any industry is attainable. This is particularly important in tech, where representation is still low.
Can you please share 5 things that can be done or should be done to help empower more women to become founders?
1. Find a strong mentor: This is a person who can both meet you where you’re at and also help get you where you want to go. This often comes in the form of advice, a solid brainstorm session, or sometimes just a listening ear.
2. Set goals and personal KPIs: Find out where your glass ceiling is, and then make plans to break it. By making a roadmap to personal success, you’re much more likely to reach the desired destination. And don’t be afraid to ask for directions along the way!
3. Champion your value: Women bring a valuable perspective and skillset. It’s okay, and encouraged, to be your own cheerleader. It may sound cheesy, but don’t expect others to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself!
4. Embrace new technology: There are so many ways for AI to bring more inclusivity. It has already broken down so many barriers but is still predominantly a male driven industry. It’s critical that women take charge in shaping the AI narrative.
5. Bring others with you: Lastly, be a mentor to others, particularly young women in your industry. A ship is much more likely to rise with collaboration and a joint-goal.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
One day, I’d look to create a global network that uniquely combines mentorship, AI, and professional services to empower women to lead and innovate in these critical industries. While there are programs supporting women in technology and entrepreneurship, there’s a gap when it comes to a dedicated movement that focuses specifically on helping women, particularly those with less access to resources, learn about the technology aspect of the professional services sector.
This movement would not only provide access to the tools and technologies needed to scale a business, but also create a community and network.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Crikey that’s difficult! One would be Stella McCartney, as she is the founder of her own fashion label as well as the daughter of Paul McCartney. She is also a fierce activist for animal rights and spearheaded a move to plant based options for clothing — such as mushroom leather and Biopuff made from Rushes as an alternative to features.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I’m always active on LinkedIn, looking to connect with like-minded people to exchange ideas. Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn here, or connect with Certinia directly!
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Deb Ashton Of Certinia: Why We Need More Women Founders & Here Is What We Are Doing To Make That… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.