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Paula Hansen

B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1993

Induction year: 2026

Paula Hansen was drawn to Virginia Tech for its highly regarded engineering program, but the smiles on the students' faces and the beautiful Hokie Stone buildings made her feel right at home. "I was so intrigued by Virginia Tech's engineering program, that I was the first member of my family to leave Pennsylvania for college,” she said. “This speaks to the valuable experience I was attracted to and ended up having at Virginia Tech." Her engineering classes fostered a curiosity in her for how things worked, how they were designed, and what outcomes they made possible. As Hansen pursued a profession in the technology sector, she was drawn to help people and organizations solve business problems with technology.

Since graduation, Hansen has built more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning high-growth market expansion, partner ecosystems, marketing, professional services, and customer success. Hansen is currently the president and chief revenue of Docusign, where she leads sales, presales and customer success organizations. She is passionate about helping organizations unlock business value through the use of technology. “My career has been incredibly rewarding and I am grateful for the opportunity to shape corporate strategy and lead teams that work with customers to turn technology into outcomes.”

Professional roles:

  • President and Chief Revenue Officer, Docusign, 2024-Present
  • President and Chief Revenue Officer, Alteryx, 2021-2024
  • Chief Revenue Officer, SAP Customer Experience, 2019-2021
  • Vice President, Sales — Global Enterprise Segment, Cisco, 2016-2019
  • Vice President, Sales — U.S. Enterprise West, Cisco, 2015-2016
  • Senior Director, Sales — California Enterprise, Cisco, 2000-2015
  • Sales Engineer, EXIS, Inc., 1997-2000
  • Sales Representative, Texas Instruments, 1993-1997

Boards and committees:

  • Non-Executive Director, Board of Directors, Darktrace, 2024-Present
  • Member, Board of Directors, Qualtrics, 2020-2021

Awards and honors:

  • Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS, 2024
  • Gold Stevie Award, Female Executive of the Year, 2023

Why did you decide to come to Virginia Tech?

Growing up I loved math and science in school. As I prepared to apply to college, my mom encouraged me to consider engineering as a great mix of these two passions. Virginia Tech was highly regarded for their engineering program and that prompted me to explore it and visit the campus. The high-energy vibe on campus, smiles on the students' faces, and beautiful Hokie Stone buildings made me feel right at home. The requirement to have a PC your freshman year was progressive at that time, which served as inspiration for me to be on the cutting edge. That I was the first member of my family to leave Pennsylvania for college speaks to how intriguing and attractive I found Virginia Tech.

How did you decide what to major in at Virginia Tech?

Freshman year provided fantastic exposure to various engineering disciplines including chemical, industrial, electrical, civil, and many more. I was drawn to electrical engineering because of some of the great professors. Additionally, I pursued and received a minor in psychology. I was curious about human behavior, motivation and relationships. The combination of a technical major in electrical engineering with a minor in psychology provided me with the perfect foundation for my career in technology and sales leadership.

What led you to your chosen profession?

I have always loved technology and Virginia Tech fostered a curiosity in me of how things worked, how they were designed, and what outcomes are possible. As I pursued a profession in the technology sector, I was drawn to help people and organizations solve business problems with technology. Having worked in the semiconductor, networking IT, and now software industries, the impact that technology has on every aspect of our work and lives is unlimited. It has been rewarding to lead the teams and people that work with customers to turn technology into outcomes.

How have you utilized your Virginia Tech degree in your career?

From my engineering classes I learned critical thinking, design thinking, problem solving, and electrical engineering principles, all of which help me in my career today. From my psychology classes I learned communication methods, empathy, and the complexity of human relationships, which have also served me well, especially as I lead large organizations with thousands of people.

What was the moment in your career that you felt like you made it?

Serving on the executive teams of SAP, Alteryx and now Docusign have been incredibly rewarding. I am grateful for the opportunity to shape corporate strategy and lead teams of talented people on a common and ambitious mission.

Please note: Inductee spotlight is as of the year of their induction.