Suezette Yasmin Robotham on Jamaican Roots and Florida Upbringing, Pivoting from Pre-Med to Education Reform, Leading Global Talent at Google, Meta, and Salesforce, and Authoring Beyond the Titles

How do you go from being weeded out of pre-med to leading global talent strategies for the world's biggest tech giants? In this episode of No Boxes, Just Verses, I sit down with my dear friend Suezette Yasmin Robotham, a best-selling author and global talent executive. Suezette takes us on her incredible circuitous journey—from a first-generation immigrant kid in Florida to the C-Suites of Google, Meta, and Salesforce.We discuss how she successfully pivoted from education reform into big tech by focusing on skills over titles, and she drops a major gem on how to use AI to make your LinkedIn profile undeniable. Plus, we talk about her new book, Beyond the Titles, and why finding your identity outside of your career is the ultimate leadership hack.Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a best-selling author, global talent and culture executive, and keynote speaker with two decades of experience shaping how organizations design leadership, talent, and culture in an AI-accelerated world. She has led enterprise talent and leadership strategy at Google, Meta, Gartner, and Salesforce across the United States and EMEA, designing systems that support clarity, judgment, and performance at scale. A TEDx speaker and featured voice in the award-winning SeeHer Multiplicity docuseries, Suezette helps organizations build environments where leaders and teams can thrive without relying on individual heroics. Her best-selling debut book, Beyond Titles: Fearlessly Leading as Your Authentic Self, offers a practical roadmap for integrated leadership in modern organizations.Key Takeaways:The "Florida Girl" Roots: Suezette opens up about her upbringing as a first-generation Jamaican-American in Tampa, growing up with a DJ father who revered Bob Marley, and why she is unapologetically a "Florida Girl" at heart.The Power of the Pivot: After realizing pre-med wasn't for her, Suezette built a career in education reform with Teach For America and The New Teacher Project before making the leap to tech.Translating Skills to Tech: How she landed her first role at Google by being "skills forward" on LinkedIn—and why she believes using AI to optimize your profile is essential for job seekers today.Leading Globally: Suezette shares her experience as an expat in London, navigating policy and governance for 19 countries, and the unique challenges of leading global DEI strategies.Beyond the Titles: We dive into her book and the "I Do, You Do, We Do" framework she uses to help leaders detach their worth from their work and find satisfaction in their souls.Suezette’s story is a masterclass in reinvention. Whether you are looking to pivot industries, move abroad, or just find more joy in your current role, this episode will inspire you to lead authentically.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast! CONNECT WITH SUEZETTE YASMIN ROBOTHAM:WebsiteInstagramLinkedInPlaylistCONNECT WITH SHANNON:FacebookInstagramLinkedIn Shannon | LinkedIn NBJVTheme Song: No Boxes Just Verses by Thane Kreiner (Suno)