Sue Dorward understands the challenges facing today's high-tech managers, because she has sucessfully managed and led technical organizations herself. She has worked in e-pharma, software development, online media, research, and academia. She understands the language, the cultures, and the people. As a coach, Sue leverages this solid foundation to quickly form productive relationships with her clients, revealing useful insights while avoiding pitfalls that a non-technical coach may not anticipate.

A coach with high-tech experience is better positioned to help managers navigate a high-tech landscape. Technologists are "notoriously difficult to manage and lead," explains Paul Glen, because the nature of their work and what motivates them is fundamentally different from other employees. They are highly trained, independent, and internationally diverse. Not understanding this context causes many managers to fail. "Much of what works with others may be ineffective or even counterproductive"¹ when applied to high-tech.

A coach who has successfully managed her own and others' transitions into high-tech management roles is better able to coach new managers through similar transitions. Transitioning to management is difficult for many technologists. As Santana and Donovan put it, "You will no longer be the top technician, but rather an entry-level manager. Your new job will require new skills as well as a new mindset."²