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Succeeding and leading in the digital era means having a degree of technology awareness, but just as importantly, a willingness to change and grow beyond one’s original career path. Here at Forbes and other leading publications, we urge aspiring professionals and executives to get comfortable with technology. The reverse is true as well — technology professionals need to consider more business-focused career paths as well. Susan Somersille Johnson, chief marketing officer for Prudential Financial, is an example of a technology professional who is thriving in a business leadership role, and shares her career experiences, describing what it takes to succeed in the digital 2020s.

What kind of training or education do you see as necessary to advance up the corporate ladder, or to even lead one’s own venture? 

Johnson: Don’t sleep on the chance to do something wildly different, even if those opportunities are unexpected. I started my career as an engineer at Apple. If you asked me if I’d ever be a marketer, it didn’t cross my mind.

One day my leader suggested I take the leap. Being open-minded to new developments changed the course of my career. From my background as an engineer, I have strong analytical skills that I use to approach marketing from a very different point of view. I leaned into an opportunity that was outside my comfort zone at first, and that’s been the greatest journey – and it’s far from over. Being successful doesn’t have to be dictated by the number of degrees or the type of training you have, but rather a constant willingness to rise to the next challenge.