Brickster Voices: Meet Elizabeth Dobbs, AVP, Marketing Technology, Data & Growth

Brickster Voices is a series that spotlights the people who make our work possible. Through personal career journeys, behind-the-scenes looks at impactful projects, and a glimpse into how we work together, these stories offer a window into life at Databricks. Whether you’re exploring new opportunities, curious about our work in Data + AI, or simply inspired by stories of growth and collaboration, Brickster Voices invites you to get to know the individuals driving our mission forward.

As part of our Brickster Voices series, Andrea Fernández sat down with Elizabeth Dobbs, AVP, Marketing Technology, Data & Growth, for a candid conversation about her career journey, leadership philosophy, and the fast-paced world of data-driven marketing at Databricks. From her early start tackling data quality as an intern, and lessons learned as a Division I athlete, to leading high-impact initiatives that make Databricks its own “customer zero,” Elizabeth shares how curiosity, collaboration, and a passion for problem-solving continue to shape her career and the teams she leads.

A: To start, can you share what first drew you to marketing technology and how you found yourself working in this data-driven growth space at Databricks?

E:  I actually got my start through an internship in college that turned into my first full-time role which funnily enough, the biggest challenge we were tackling then was the same one we’re still wrestling with today: data quality. My earliest projects involved mapping where marketing data came from and how it was being used. At the time, that literally meant scanning business cards from trade shows into our CRM line by line!

When that internship became a permanent role, marketing technology was just starting to take off. Tools like Marketo were emerging in the B2B world, and I had leaders who saw the potential. They basically said, “You’re the closest person to this in the room and you understand technology — want to take this on?” That mix of timing, curiosity, and trust set the course for my career.

There weren’t playbooks or college courses for marketing tech back then, so I learned by doing the right and often wrong way of connecting systems, tracing processes, and constantly asking why. That curiosity, plus a few great mentors who gave me room to experiment, is what ultimately led me to this data-driven, growth-focused space I’m in today.

A: Beyond that early start, was there a turning point in your career that shaped your path toward leadership and eventually your current role?

E:  Athletics were a huge influence on my leadership journey. I grew up active in sports and played Division I Field Hockey at Northwestern, and so much of what I learned there still shapes how I lead today. In sports, success is never individual, from strategy and resilience to navigating different personalities and working styles each is foundational to working as a unit. You win, lose, and grow as a team. That mindset, showing up for each other, learning together, and striving collectively, has been the foundation of my leadership philosophy. I owe a lot of that to my teammates and coaches… Go ’Cats! Here’s hoping they go all the way this year!

A: Let’s talk about your role today. Is there such a thing as a “typical day” for you?

E: Definitely not, and that’s one of the things I love most about Databricks. There’s never a dull moment. It’s the fastest-moving company I’ve ever worked for, and the pace of growth means the problems you solve one quarter often evolve into entirely new challenges the next. Not because the original solution didn’t work, but because the company has already scaled beyond it.

When we were at $500 million in revenue, the questions we were answering looked completely different from those we answer now at $4 billion. There’s no playbook for this kind of growth. We’re constantly rethinking, recalibrating, and adapting, and even more so now with the potential of AI, sometimes solving in one year what might take other companies five. It’s a culture of reinvention and curiosity, and that’s what keeps every day fresh, fast-paced, and incredibly energizing.

A: Can you share an example of a project your team has worked on that’s had a big impact for customers and our go-to-market teams?

E: One of our ongoing imperatives in marketing is how we become more effective and efficient in our GTM programs. In B2B marketing, lead scoring is about prioritizing which names in your database the sales team should prioritize connecting with. Databricks gets tens of thousands of new names a week. Realistically, manually qualifying them all would not be feasible, nor do all our customers want to hear from us, and prefer a self-paced learning journey. Lead scoring helps us determine which fall into which bucket, helping our sales teams spend the right time in the right places. 

We’d been using a traditional model that combines some marketing data, 3P data, and a bevy of business rules, which is pretty standard for B2B companies. But we challenged ourselves: Could we use our own product to make this smarter? Partnering with marketing, sales development, and sales teams, we built a model that is built on top of our Marketing Lakehouse. After months of cross-functional work, reviewing inputs and tweaking the ML Model, the new approach is over four times more predictive than what we had before, driving more pipeline and higher quality leads. 

This project also highlights one of the biggest advantages of working at Databricks, our ability to truly be “customer zero.” We use our own product to solve real challenges inside the business, which gives us firsthand insight into its impact. In this case, it not only made our marketing smarter and our sales teams more efficient, but also demonstrated how Databricks can transform everyday go-to-market operations in a measurable, scalable way.

A: That’s powerful. It also highlights the balance between strategy and execution. How does your team navigate that balance?

E: It’s definitely a constant balancing act. Given the pace we move at, I probably spend more time on execution than pure strategy, but the two are deeply connected here. What’s unique about Databricks is how adaptable the product is. Our strategy often is execution: we use our own technology to solve real marketing problems, learn from that experience, and then feed those insights back into our awesome product team and to our customers.

Our north star is to make our marketing team the best Databricks customer in the world. We’re not there yet, but that aspiration keeps us innovating. It pushes us to stay flexible, experiment constantly, and lead by example, showing what’s possible when you bring data, AI, and marketing together.

A: Collaboration clearly plays a big role in what you do. What’s your philosophy when it comes to building and leading high-performing, collaborative teams?

E:  First, set a high bar and bring in people who take the work seriously, but not themselves. The best teams I’ve been part of blend excellence with humility and humor. Work should be ambitious and rewarding, but also energizing and fun, that environment is critical for teams breaking new ground together.

The real magic happens when strategy and execution connect seamlessly across functions - marketing, sales, product, and data teams all working from a shared foundation. That’s when collaboration turns into acceleration, and we start solving problems in ways that truly demonstrate what’s possible with Databricks.

A: What advice would you give to someone looking to start or build a career in this space?

E: Be AI-native. Most colleges discourage students from using tools like ChatGPT because they want them to learn the fundamentals, which I get. But when you enter the workforce, being fluent in AI is a huge advantage. Companies are seeking individuals who can bring fresh perspectives, understand where technology is headed, and help shape what’s next.

So I’d say: meet people, read blogs, take nontraditional courses, and immerse yourself in AI. Come in with that perspective, because it’s the skill set companies are most hungry for right now.

A: What motivates you most about the work you do today?

E: The people — hands down. I get to work with some of the smartest, most forward-thinking individuals I’ve ever met, across marketing, sales, product, engineering, and beyond. My own team embodies that perfect mix of taking the work seriously while still finding joy in it. That combination makes even the toughest challenges worthwhile. And honestly, at Databricks, you’re never the smartest person in the room, and that’s the best part. There’s always someone pushing the thinking, challenging assumptions, or teaching you something new. That constant learning and growth is what keeps me inspired every day.

A: Outside of work, how do you recharge?

E: I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy books; it’s a way to escape to a completely different universe. I also founded the “Trash TV” Slack channel here at Databricks, which is another form of escape! And of course, I have a very full family life. Since joining Databricks, I’ve had two kids, now four-and-a-half and two. They definitely keep my husband and me busy.

A: Love that. Last question, what’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?

E: One fun fact is that I try to buy almost everything secondhand. I’m a big Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace person; it’s like a treasure hunt. There’s something satisfying about finding great pieces with a story behind them, and it’s a little more sustainable too :)