Cloud Girls is honored to have amazingly accomplished, professional women in tech as our members. We take every opportunity to showcase their expertise and accomplishments – promotions, speaking engagements, publications and more. Now, we are excited to shine a spotlight on one of our members each month.
June’s Cloud Expert of the Month is Margie Sims
Margie Sims is a goal-driven, compassionate and community-focused executive with more than 20 years’ experience in technology sales and management. She is a seasoned workforce strategist and a data center, colocation and cloud solutions veteran. Her most measurable strengths include direct and indirect sales team development, strategy and revenue growth along with customer satisfaction.
As a tech-solutions leader, Sims currently leads as the vice president of sales operations for Evoque Data Center Solutions, a colocation services company that owns and operates 31 data centers across four continents and 11 countries. Evoque Data Center Solutions™ offers clients a secure space in a highly available and redundant environment. The company supports a diversified base of colocation customers across multiple segments including utilities, transport, energy, communications, healthcare, and technologies.
Prior to Evoque, Sims spent 16 years in various sales and sales management positions at ViaWest. While there, she worked as vice president of sales, central division, where she was responsible for the overall sales strategy, revenue growth and customer satisfaction. As a professional, Margie celebrates the importance of building and maintaining relationships and she takes great care in providing tailored, sustainable solutions for companies.
As a leader in the technology community, she is co-chair of SIM WOMEN, an organization focused on cultivating a community of passionate women who support each other’s pursuit of excellence. She is also a member of Cloud Girls, a nonprofit community of female technology advocates dedicated to educating themselves and their stakeholders about the vast and dynamic cloud ecosystem. In both 2017 and 2018, Margie was the recipient of the CRN “Woman of the Channel” award, which honors her leadership skills and innovation as an “extraordinary executive” in the channel partner community.
Previously, she co-chaired the Colorado Technology Association’s C-Level @ A Mile High event (5 years) and served on the Board of Directors for KidsTek (3 years), which focuses on improving technology literacy for students at Colorado’s highest-needs schools. Sims holds a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University.
When did you join Cloud Girls and why?
I joined Cloud Girls about four years ago because I was impressed with the natural drive and passion of everyone in the organization but also the focus on professional and personal growth.
What do you value about being a Cloud Girl?
It’s pretty simple – the relationships I have built with some truly fantastic women!
What advice would you give to your younger self at the start of your career?
Don’t be afraid to try something new in your career. Some of the best lessons and growth opportunities I have experienced have come from stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something different.
What is the best professional/business book you’ve read and why?
The most powerful book I have read recently is “Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback”. I appreciated the book because it really focuses on different triggers, roadblocks or blind spots people face in life and how those experiences lead them to either accept or ignore feedback provided. It arms you with real-life tactics and strategies to help overcome those obstacles and ultimately grow.
What one piece of advice would you share with young women to encourage them to take a seat at the table?
If you want a seat at the table, speak up and drive to that goal. Make sure you align yourself with positive mentors and colleagues who support you in achieving your goals. Never underestimate yourself.