Poppy MacDonald sits at the epicenter of where the evolving news business works to meet targeted customer needs and interests at Politico. As President and COO of Politico US, she’s well-suited for this role having run the National Journal’s subscriber  business as its president and publisher from 2014-2016, and as chief revenue officer before that. But it was Poppy’s experience in sales and her early training in journalism that have given her important experience to really understand the needs of the Politico customer, and to understand the varied demands of her current role.

And, while the experiences reflected on Poppy’s impressive resume no doubt serve her well, it’s actually her fierce drive and determination that set her apart. To understand where that comes from, Poppy shares how she was forced to be independent at a very young age. As she embraced that independence, she proved to herself that she could accomplish things which helped to boost her confidence. Like many of our guests, Poppy used fear a motivator, and it fueled her risk taking.

As you might expect, Poppy is thoughtful, intelligent, and accomplished, but she’s also incredibly nice. Her compassion for others and interest in them is what helps her accomplish even the toughest assignments, and that is her advice for others — use “nice” as a differentiator and approach others with “a spirit of generosity.”