Colleen Bashar, Guidewire Software

Always take the time to invest in yourself for the sake of those around you.
Colleen Bashar

Colleen Bashar, SVP Enterprise Operations/Chief of Staff to CEO at Guidewire Software, shared the story behind her title with us on April 26, 2023.

Colleen has built a reputation for scaling organizations to establish customer experience excellence, drive profitable growth in competitive markets, and create sustainable shareholder value. She brings years of experience in enterprise software, technology, and organizational development coupled with a passion for driving long-term business growth.

Colleen creates value for all stakeholders including employees, customers, and shareholders by:

Transforming Go-to-Market Models to Elevate the Customer Journey – With a unique balance of strategy, storytelling, and leadership, Colleen differentiates businesses with compelling value propositions that captivate customers, driving market leadership in highly competitive environments.
Creating and Scaling Consultative Selling Organizations – Colleen instituted a consultative approach to grow Guidewire’s Global Solution Sales group by 10x
Building Accountable, Inclusive Organizations – Colleen’s unique leadership style drives teams to achieve peak levels of performance, while fostering authenticity, vulnerability, and curiosity. She nurtures cultures that embrace diversity, allowing each individual to safely bring their true self to work.

Over the course of her 16-year career with Guidewire Software, Colleen has steadily progressed with the company through eight impactful roles. Currently as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Business Operations and Chief of Staff to the CEO, she leads two separate global teams in Field Enablement and Strategic Business Operations. Colleen’s leadership is critical to the execution of Guidewire’s corporate strategy as she leads strategy sessions with the Top 30 and the Top 100 leaders in the company.

Colleen holds an MBA from Duke University and a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University. She earned Duke University certificates in Health Sector Management, Communication for Leaders, and most recently Duke Leadership.

Featured in the Building Better Cultures podcast due to her passion for Raw Leadership™, Colleen also sits on the Board of Trustees for The Raleigh School and is an active member of Chief.

An active golfer, downhill skier, and mother of two boys, she enjoys being outdoors in any capacity as a participant or a fan of her sons’ golf, hockey, and baseball teams.

SUE SAYS

Colleen grew up and was raised primarily by her mom after her parents divorced when she was three. Not having her father in her life left a mark that stayed with her well into adulthood. She found herself wanting to prove to him she was worthy. Once she uncovered what was holding her back, she was able to lean in fully to her professional role, and to teach others as well the importance of being vulnerable and authentic.