Get to know May: Sheryl Seitz, VP of marketing & communications

WHAT WERE YOUR ROLES PRIOR TO MAY?

I’ve always been fascinated with emerging technologies and how they shape the world we live in. I worked for several market leaders including Apple and Samsung before leaving the corporate world for startups. The beauty of working in startups is that you can see your imprint on the business every day, which is enormously gratifying.

The common theme throughout my career is taking complex technologies, new concepts and ideas, and making them understandable on a global stage to the target audience. Helping customers understand the transformational value that technology can have excites me daily. I’ve led campaigns targeting a variety of stakeholder audiences from media and analysts to customers, investors, partners and shareholders.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO MAY?

I’m attracted to startups that are on a mission to make a real impact on the world and the customers they serve. May Mobility is solving the growing issue of transportation inequity and changing the way people move around cities. May’s vision for cities with reduced congestion, more green spaces and better land use instead of traffic jams and concrete parking blocks resonates with me, and that’s why I’m excited about the road ahead. I’ve worked in the geospatial and robotics industries serving transportation, logistics and automotive customers, and bring that experience to May.

Having worked at another Y Combinator startup, I was happy to learn that May Mobility has its origins in Paul Graham’s bootcamp for startups. His process for founding companies is second to none. The company is on a strong trajectory, and I’m excited to build brand awareness and a bold market position for the service that we bring to cities and riders.

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING AS VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS?

I’ll create and implement a go-to-market strategy to grow our brand globally and develop our growth strategy. Building a strong foundation in any market where we expand is key to May’s continued success. We work in tandem with our partners continually to bring the best riding experience wherever you see a May AV—which includes future sites in the U.S. and Japan.

My team covers GTM, brand, growth, community, PR, social, content and events. There’s a talented, smart team in place that I’m expanding with new roles. I will be hiring – spread the word!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR MAY’S FUTURE?

I’m excited about helping governments, business and communities understand May Mobility’s offerings and the benefits that the service brings to the cities and communities it serves. We need to educate and inform the market more broadly so that cities and towns automatically think of May first. Bringing better mobility to cities while also solving problems of traffic, congestion and emissions is a huge opportunity. Smart cities means greener environments and that is meaningful for the planet. Sustainability is a key to building cities of the future, and this is important to me personally. I look forward to the deep dive!

WHICH CORE VALUE RESONATES THE MOST WITH YOU?

Sweat the details—Take the time to do it right, with safety being of paramount importance and a point of pride.

This resonates because it touches many aspects of May Mobility’s business. AVs must establish trust with customers and riders as vehicle safety and rider safety is of paramount importance and is the foundation for success. Demonstrating this through real-world deployments will bring a greater understanding of the paradigm shift happening in the automotive industry.

Value personal relationships—Start by listening with empathy. Get to know your colleagues and our customers’ needs.

I like this one too, because marketing is a team sport, and the marketing team must build strong relationships cross-functionally as well as with customers, partners and media. This is key to success. You get there by listening with empathy to understand a variety of opinions and perspectives. Good ideas can come from anywhere.