WITI Women Laurie McCartney Founder, President and CEO babystyle Laurie McCartney has spent the bulk of her career in the retail, consumer products, publishing and investment banking fields. McCartney worked in The Walt Disney Company's Strategic Planning department for four years, where she was responsible for evaluating and selecting new business initiatives and expanding and repositioning existing assets. While at Disney, McCartney worked on the expansion of the Disney Store, oversaw the U.S. and European Consumer Products businesses, launched and expanded book and magazine publishing initiatives, formulated Disney's education strategy, participated in the integration of Capital Cities/ABC and helped reposition and market Disneyland Paris. McCartney also led the department's training program for MBAs and BAs and recruited new hires. In addition to her experience at Disney, McCartney was previously vice president of corporate strategy at Simon and Schuster, a segment producer at Good Morning America, a reporter and business development executive at Worth Magazine, and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions department of Morgan Stanley. The launch of Worth magazine and several family ventures have given McCartney several years of experience with new businesses. McCartney holds an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Business School and a BA with Honors, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 1. What was your first job in technology? I worked with the Walt Disney company overseeing the retail consumer products and technology-related assets. 2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why? My old boss at Disney because he taught me how to strive for perfection and never be satisfied until you have the best possible consumer experience. 3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles? On a personal level, my greatest challenge was getting funding for a business while I was 8 months pregnant. The biggest obstacle was being pregnant and getting funding from an investment community that was predominantly male. In my case, I was launching a business that was geared towards meeting the needs of women, and in particular, expectant and new moms. Therefore, I had credibility because I was part of and understood the target market. 4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why? My father. He has always been an entrepreneur and involved in his own business initiatives. He instilled in me the ability to have faith in myself, be true to my vision, and remain flexible while persevering in the context of a changing environment.BR> 5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology? I think the biggest lesson is to be true to yourself and don't try to play by the rules that are determined by men. Develop your own rules and your own playing field. If you work hard, surround yourself with good, capable people and remain open to input, you will prevail. 6. What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life? I try to balance my work and family priorities. My 13 month-old son visits me in the office. I also schedule time in the day to spend time with him. Although I am very busy at work, I cherish the time with my family, so when I am at home, I try to devote myself 100% to them. 7. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact? I think the Internet is completely revolutionary and will permeate every aspect of our lives. Ultimately, it will enable us to do things quickly, to shop from the comfort of our home, and to hopefully spend more time with those that matter. The downside is that, as in all technology, there is a danger to sacrificing the face-to-face interaction that makes society tick. On a lighter note: 1. If you could have dinner with any 2 people (living or not), who would they be? Bill Gates and Eleanor Roosevelt 2. Define success in 10 words or less. Being happy and making a positive difference for others. 3. If you could only subscribe to 3 magazines, what would they be? The Economist, InStyle, and The New Yorker 4. What was the last book you read? The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells For more 'WITI Women' articles, go to: http://www.witi.com/wire/witiwomen/ For all the latest news and information on women in technology, visit http://www.witi.com