Anna Wiesenthal-Birch

Observer
DISC Type : ci

VP, People Operations at Skydio

San Francisco, California, United States

Overview

Anna Wiesenthal-Birch is the VP of People Operations at Skydio, with a background leading teams at Cisco and OpenDNS. Described as a phenomenal, empathetic, and driven leader, she focuses on talent management, organizational development, and aligning people strategy with business goals. She holds a degree from California State University, Chico.

Outside of her executive role, Anna is a parent who enjoys spending her time on adventures with her two young children. She is passionate about creating inclusive and supportive environments, both professionally and personally.

Under Annas leadership, every new employee at Skydio receives their own drone to encourage hands-on learning and passion for the companys mission.

Personality Overview

Curious

Value Driven

Assertive

They are generally good communicators and can be hard to convince.  They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing. They are likely to ask many questions and look heavily for supporting information.

Topics They Care About

Employee Development
Leads initiatives at Skydio like the "Drone on Loan" program and supports employees in obtaining FAA Part 107 drone pilot certifications.
Diversity & Inclusion
Actively builds diverse talent pipelines and supports employee resource groups, including communities for women and veterans within Skydio.
Building Company Culture
Fosters team cohesion through unique events like "First Friday Fly Day" and previously held the title "Minister of People & Culture" at OpenDNS.

Media Appearances

Anna has no verified media appearances

Work History

7-2021
VP, People Operations at Skydio
9-2015 - 6-2021
Chief of Staff, Cisco Security at Cisco
1-2014 - 9-2015
VP of People Operations at OpenDNS
2-2009 - 1-2014
Minister of People & Culture at OpenDNS
5-2009 - 12-2009
Operations Manager at Minor Ventures

Education

2004 - 2009
Bachelor of Science from California State University, Chico

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 12 Location : San Francisco, California, United States Job Level : Senior Designation : VP, People Operations at Skydio
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Insights For Selling To Anna

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘clear proof that’, ‘data shows’ etc.
  • Persuade objectively how your product will help them achieve their goals
  • Share testimonials from known people and give multiple examples of product value

DONT's

  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first
  • Avoid making offhand commitments
  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Anna is

  • Proven value, strong testimonials are important to them, relationships will have some weightage.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Anna

  • They are practical and friendly, don't expect a clear-cut response often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Anna move?

  • They like to be detailed and take their time to arrive at decisions.
  • Can Anna take some risk or not?

  • They evaluate their decisions systematically and are less likely to take risks.

You And Anna

Personality Compatibility


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