What was your route to the top? I spent 11 years in big law, first as an associate, then as a partner at Cooley, working with high growth technology companies from formation through IPO. After taking a couple of years off when my second child was born, I returned to work part-time as GC for a small software company, then had my own firm for a few years before joining my client Zynga in 2009 as its second lawyer. Zynga grew from 425 to 3000 employees in the three years I was there, and I had the opportunity to help build a legal department and take on numerous new challenges. That experience was a pivotal point in my career, and it prepared me for the GC role at Twilio, where I've built the legal team from one person when I joined four years ago to 28 people today, while guiding the company through an IPO, several acquisitions and global expansion. I also oversee the Security team and served as interim Chief People Officer for over a year.

What keeps you up at night? (i.e. What are your biggest business-related concerns?) Data privacy, security and a complex, ever-shifting global regulatory environment.

What is the best leadership advice you provided, or received, and why do you think it was effective? Be authentic. People respond to authenticity. If you are comfortable with yourself, people sense that, they want to be around it and they want to follow you. Don't try to be anyone but yourself.

Looking back, what do you wish you had known when you started out in the legal profession? In the early days, I didn't fully understand how important relationship building was. I thought it was enough to just be excellent. I wish I'd spent more time cultivating some of those early relationships with colleagues, clients and those who managed me.

What is the most valuable career advice anyone has ever given you? Be scared; then do it anyway.