CECELIA FLOMBAUM
Contributor to You’re On Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech SectorÂ
About Cecelia
Cecilia Flombaum’s career as a technology leader has been shaped by two life-long passions: engaging with cultures worldwide and building transformative partnerships. Growing up in Argentina, she once considered becoming a diplomat but realized she could have a greater impact through business. She was right.
During her twenty-plus years at Microsoft, Cecilia helped organizations in more than 100 countries use technology to maximize potential and tackle complex challenges. As Global Ecosystems Lead for Microsoft Business Applications, she accelerated revenue growth through partner ecosystem development, managed strategic projects, and guided some of the most significant change initiatives in Business Applications.
Her leadership philosophy centers on clarity of purpose, innovation, and results, anchored by empathy and collaboration. Today, Cecilia continues to apply everything she has learned about partnerships and technology to nurture healthier societies and improve lives.
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CONNECT WITHÂ CECELIA
Cecelia's Chapter:
The Pause That Saved Me: From Burnout to Balance in Tech
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In her chapter, Cecilia shares the deeply personal story of how burnout forced her to pause — and ultimately saved her career and well-being. From her beginnings in Buenos Aires, through decades of global leadership at Microsoft, she recounts how ambition, long hours, and the pressure to prove herself took a toll. The pandemic blurred the boundaries of home and work, until one morning she woke up in tears, unable to keep going.
Her decision to step back and take a leave of absence was transformative. It gave her space to heal, redefine success, and reconnect with her purpose. When she returned, Cecilia led with renewed clarity — building healthier partnerships, prioritizing empathy, and openly sharing her story to help others facing burnout.
Her chapter is both a candid reflection on the cost of overwork and a hopeful guide to finding balance in an industry that rarely pauses. She urges others to speak up, care for themselves, and lead with authenticity, proving that strength is found not in doing it all, but in doing what matters.
“For years, I muted parts of myself to fit in. But the turning points came when I unmuted — when I spoke up, stepped back, and showed up as my full self.”
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— Cecilia Flombaum, You’re On Mute
About the Book:
You’re On Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech Sector
You’re On Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech Sector is a bold anthology by women in tech, sharing unapologetic stories of resilience, exclusion, and transformation. From global leaders to grassroots innovators, these chapters are lessons and rallying cries that challenge the systems holding us back and imagine a more inclusive future. In a moment where AI is reshaping everything, this book reminds us that real change won’t come from technology alone, but from community, care, and collective action.