Diane Boettcher

Authentic Leadership & Diversity Innovator

Leading and inspiring your team to be more authentic, more engaged, more resilient!

Member Profile

Diane is an expert in military operations, information technology, change management and leadership. Her current role at Microsoft is a Service Practice Leader with responsibility for over 200 service professionals, who provide proactive support, consulting services and project management to Federal Security and Civilian agencies.

She is known for constantly raising the bar of performance and consistently adapting her organization to meet current and future needs. Diane has led various large network operations programs for Special Operations, the Joint Staff, in Africa and in Germany. She has supported the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Navy in Knowledge Management and online collaborative decision-support software.

As a leader in the Navy Reserve, Diane has commanded five times, and mobilized in 2006, including a short tour in Kabul, Afghanistan. She currently commands the Naval Reserve Oceanography and Meteorological Activity. While on active duty, Diane served at the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in Washington, DC, at the Naval Station in Rota, Spain, at the Pacific Command in Hawaii and as a Naval Flight Officer with Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron One in Guam.

Specialties & Expertise

Microsoft Executive, leading team of over 200 engineers and consultants
Certifications: GSLC (IT Security), PMP, ITIL and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Education: Cumma sum laude from Marquette University; Masters from Norwich University
Captain, US Navy, five command tours
One of the first women winged as a Naval Flight Officer (May 1990)
Deployed to Afghanistan (2007)
Girl Scout troop leader

Speaking Programs

LEADING WITH KINDNESS Keynote

Great leaders express great empathy with their people. Studies show that when people connect with, trust and know that their leaders they become more engaged, leading to greater productivity and creativity. Kindness is a critical element for successful leaders. Diane breaks down how to express kindness and empathy while remaining focused on hard results for your organization.

For: Audiences with a leadership focus

EVERYONE LEADS Keynote

We all can step up and lead. Your organization, your committee and your family will benefit from your leadership. In this presentation, Diane will cover the distinction between leadership and management, dispel leadership myths, including the popular notion that true leaders are born, not made. Building upon her decades of leadership experience, she will show how everyone leads and everyone can become a better leader.

For: Corporate, Professional Groups, Teams, Military, Colleges & Universities

BECAUSE WE ARE WOMEN – BEING AN AUTHENTIC LEADER Combined Keynote & Workshop

The principles of authentic leadership show us how to be true to ourselves and be successful because we are women, rather than in spite of being women. Women are often divulged with advice on how to lead that asks us to model male leadership styles. This presentation draws on experiences of the past and recent years to show how true diversity strengthens all of us.

For: Audiences that are predominately women

DIVERSITY IN TWO UNIFORMS Keynote or Workshop

Diverse, inclusive workplaces are more productive, efficient and happier. As both an executive in the IT industry and as a senior officer in the US Navy, Diane has experienced a variety of diversity and inclusion efforts over the years. She will lead a discussion covering the why, how and what of diversity and inclusion in both industry and government organizations. She brings energy, humor and insight into this often-difficult conversation.

For: Corporate and military audiences

TAMING YOUR EMAIL Keynote or Workshop

Too many of us are drowning in our in-boxes, spending our work days doing email, with little energy, time or attention left over to devote to the difficult, cognitive work that must be done. Diane walks through a variety of organizational strategies, processing tactics and technical hacks that will free your time and your energy. Learn an adaptive method to search, sort, and respond to your email, making the communication system work for you, rather than you working for your email.

For: Best for organizations that rely heavily on email communication

WOMEN IN STEM Keynote or Workshop

The lack of women in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math is well-documented. In this presentation, Diane covers the sometimes-surprising history of women in computing. Starting with Ada Lovelace, who first imagined the possibilities of Burbage’s hardware, through women computers during World War II, to the women who coded our trip to the stars and into the present of the Navy’s IT leadership — currently four women who lead the Navy’s cyber fight. She concludes with practical actions that everyone can take to build our nation’s STEM capacity.

For: Corporate, military and academic audiences

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CHANGE Keynote or Workshop

Change is often thrust upon us, rather than sought out. Most change management advice assumes that we are choosing the change that faces our organization. We must manage through change in any case. Change champions are of little use when no one — not even the leadership — want to make the change. In this presentation, Diane draws upon her personal experience as well as historical examples of how to lead your organization through dark times and into the new reality.

For: Organizations & Teams facing unwanted changes