Workday’s Sophie Sharp Talks Carrying Innovation Across Industries

One of my favorite people to spend time with is Sophie Sharp , Senior Vice President of Global Industries and Value Management at Workday . This summer, we got to experience the Olympic Games Paris 2024 together, where we took in some amazing sights and talked about the awesome work our teams are up to together.

Just last week, our 德勤 team joined Workday Rising, where we announced four accelerators with Workday (https://deloi.tt/4gv4udr) in banking, health care, higher education, and technology and media.

I was thrilled to catch up with Sophie for my latest edition of “Sparking Progress.” We talked about our shared passion for industry-specific solutions, staying on top of the tech news landscape, and making memories. ??

Dounia: Sophie, thank you so much for joining me. You're a trailblazer, a powerhouse leader at Workday, an incredible mom, and I always enjoy our conversation. So, I'm super pumped to get your perspective.

Sophie: Thrilled to be here. Thank you for having me. I’ve been looking forward to this all week.

Dounia: If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?

Sophie: I go back and forth: I would love to meet my great-grandmother and understand the moment she was in; I'd also love to sit down and pick Madeleine Albright's brain.

Dounia: What’s your favorite way to make memories with your team at work or with your family?

Sophie: I think the same rule applies to both. You have to be doing something a little bit hard that means something and you have to make sure you have fun.

With family, maybe that's an aggressive hike or an outing out of our comfort zone – and there's an ice cream cone at the end for all of us.

With the team it's similar: Let's dig in, throw everything on the table, and then let's leave it all in the conference room and go have a great dinner, and perhaps a glass of wine.

Dounia: I love “leave it all in the conference room” and I'm a big proponent of fun, because I think happy people produce good work.

Dounia: It’s hard to stay up to date on everything happening in the marketplace and the evolution of technology. What is your routine?

Sophie: Staying up to date on AI in particular could not be more important for all of us as business leaders. But rather than trying to drink from the full lake of knowledge on AI, I've found a couple of thought leaders who really resonate with me.

I read pretty much every post by Ethan Mollick on his blog called "One Useful Thing". I let that be my navigation tool through the world of AI. I also have the opportunity to work with a lot of brilliant people who can give me context and perspective.

I do a 10 or 15-minute dash through the news in the morning, and then I let it go, because reading the news could be a full-time job!

Dounia: I listened to a speaker who said that the news that you need to know will come to you organically. You'll find it out in a conversation with others or with your team. If you need to know it, it'll get to you! I thought that was super interesting.

Dounia: Can you share about your passion for industries? I love what you've been doing at Workday.

Sophie: I started my career in financial services, and because of the nature of banking, it's never occurred to me to think of anything but industry first. Everything was shaped by the requirements, the industry dynamics, the business model, and the regulatory landscape. It's the language you have to speak. When I came to Workday, I brought that mindset with me.

Workday has had an incredible maturity journey, and when I look across industries, I see shared themes and dynamics where we can carry innovation from industry to industry.

Dounia: The heart-of-the-business issues and the sector and sub-sector depth really matter. I was also in financial services, and what you learn is really important to the client experience.

Sophie: I was with one of our major health care customers, and every margin decision is about reinvesting in patient care quality. It's a totally different frame and orientation. Our nonprofit customers are mission-driven. These dynamics come into play in the ethos, the language, and how you connect with the customers, too. It's a rich place to focus.

Dounia: During Workday Rising, we launched four industry-focused solutions for banking, higher ed, health insurance, and technology and media. What are you most excited about?

Sophie: I’m not going to pick favorites, but I think the health care PayorAcceleration is a really fascinating space. Deloitte and Workday both have incredible strongholds in the broader insurance industry and in health care, and this is an amazing confluence. I'm really excited to share the customer stories that come out of this.

Education is a really exciting part of our business right now that is growing well. To take what's been built and package it to help the next generation of education and student customers is thrilling.

Dounia: Last question: How do you end your “workday”?

Sophie: Both of my children tend to be asleep by 7:30 p.m., and then my husband and I have a magical two hours to process the day, connect, and be together. It's really a nice time, and I try to protect it.

Dounia: I love it. Thank you, Sophie. I'm so grateful for our alliance and for our new connection. I get so energized every time we connect.

Sophie: I feel the same way. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

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