Her career began almost 30 years ago at a small online bookseller called Amazon, and she has been charting the evolution and revolution of technology ever since. Having worked for Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Splunk, and Zscaler before joining SentinelOne, Blanca Galletero, Vice President of EMEA Channel, has been recognized as one of Channel Futures’ Top 20 EMEA Leaders in 2022 and featured in Spain’s Ministry of Innovation’s 50+50 list of top executives twice in the last four years.
But it’s more than experience that Blanca brings to the table. She’s a dedicated mentor, a champion of sustainability and innovation, and a highly accomplished Hispanic woman in tech—a heritage she wears with pride. She’s also a devoted mother of two, an avid beekeeper, and a passionate cook who finds joy in making and sharing good food.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting stories that inspire us. We recently sat down with Blanca to talk about her journey into tech, what it means to lead as a woman in the industry today, and how her heritage has shaped both her path and perspective
What first drew you to tech?
My first job was in 1998, when I joined Amazon, which at the time sold books online—and the rest is history, right? Amazon challenged traditional business models and showed how technology could revolutionize commerce. That early experience opened my eyes to new ways of working and managing technology. It sparked an appetite that’s stayed with me ever since.
I began in technical roles, then transitioned to sales, and also moved back to my home country of Spain from the UK. I spent the next 15 years in various sales and management roles, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have witnessed some major shifts—like the rise of cloud services with Microsoft.
I was also the fifth Salesforce employee in South EMEA, saw the database revolution with Oracle, and later entered the AI and cybersecurity space. That’s when I began focusing on building ecosystems.
What does your role at SentinelOne involve?
I lead our channel ecosystem across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. But more than that, I see myself as a representative of the broader ecosystem in the region.
We work with value-added resellers and distributors, but also with MSSPs (Managed Security Service Providers), cloud service providers, incident response partners, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partners, and others. No one partner is more important than another. That’s the beauty of SentinelOne—we build ecosystems where one plus one is always more than two.
I have a fantastic team, and I’m honored to represent them every day. We recently launched a new partner program, and we’re already seeing strong momentum in the region. Our partners are embracing our platform vision, and that makes me incredibly proud.
Interestingly, that idea of nurturing an ecosystem extends beyond work for me. About ten years ago, my husband and I started beekeeping. What began as a single hive has grown into more than sixty now. He likes to joke I’m an ecosystem builder both professionally and at home—and he’s absolutely right. It’s a funny comparison, but one I’ve come to love.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry?
Bias, especially early in my career. Things have improved significantly—today the environment is more transparent and balanced—but the biases were definitely there. That said, I’ve also been very fortunate. Throughout my career, I’ve had strong allies. My managers believed in me and gave me the same opportunities as my male colleagues, and that made all the difference.
The biggest challenge, though, was managing my career alongside motherhood. Being a mother was always going to be part of my journey. I was raised by my grandparents, which made the idea of becoming a mother deeply instinctive for me. I knew I would make it happen one way or another, and I was determined to manage both my children and my career.
My daughters are only 17 months apart. People used to ask why I had them so close together, and my answer was simple: it minimized my career break and allowed me to return to work on my own terms. I was also lucky to have a fantastic husband. That made everything more manageable.
Still, it wasn’t easy. I had to juggle responsibilities at home and at work, often more so than my male peers. And like many women, I struggled with imposter syndrome. We’re remarkably good at that. What helped me push through was the strong support I had, both at home and at work.
Today, I see a more balanced approach to parenting, and that’s something worth celebrating. We often say work is hard, but raising children is easily the most complex project we’ll ever take on.
How has your Hispanic heritage shaped your identity and leadership?
I come from a Spanish family with deep roots in both Spain and Latin America. Family and cultural traditions are central to who I am. But beyond that, I come from a background where values, resilience, and the fight for opportunity were part of everyday life.
Until 1975, Spain was under a dictatorship. My parents were political refugees—they fled the country to survive—and that’s why I was raised by my grandparents. My parents, along with many others, worked tirelessly for democracy, and then the change really happened. That shaped my worldview. It taught me the value of showing up, of working hard, of standing for something.
Food and storytelling are essential parts of our culture, too. In Spain, we have a tradition called sobremesa—the time after a meal when everyone stays at the table and talks. That’s when the real conversations happen. It’s when good news is shared, and bad news too. It’s a circle of trust.
Sometimes I think of our senior leadership calls in the same way, as a safe space where we can reflect, share, and grow.
I love using stories to connect. Whether I’m speaking with partners or colleagues, I always try to understand their perspective and find the real value in the exchange. That approach is deeply cultural, and it’s something I carry with me every day.
What are some common misconceptions you’d like to challenge?
One I’ve encountered more than once is the belief that women in tech have to adopt “masculine” traits to succeed. I don’t believe that’s true. The only way to make a real impact is by being authentic.
The same is true for cultural identity. I think Hispanics are great at engaging and networking—we’re naturally sociable—and that’s a real strength. Pair that with a commitment to learning and pride in your uniqueness, and you have something powerful. Being different isn’t a weakness; it can be your superpower.
I’m a Hispanic woman. My voice and my perspective matter. I don’t need to fit in. I chose to see my difference as a strength. Of course it took me years to get here, but I’ve learned that when you’re surrounded by principled people, they value the difference.
There’s no shortage of data that shows diverse companies perform better. The numbers are there. And yet we still hold on to outdated role models and biases. It’s time to let that go and embrace who we truly are. This isn’t only about gender or background. It’s about being human. About choosing to be fully yourself and showing others they can do the same.
That’s the future I want to see. A future where we build a kind of digital humanism. Where we make space for individuality, and where people influence their world through honesty and authenticity.
Humility matters, too. When you make a mistake, you should acknowledge it and learn from it. That’s how growth happens. That’s why I always tell my team: we either win, or we learn. We never lose. If we don’t win and we don’t learn, we’ve wasted our most precious resource. Time. And time is the one thing we can never get back. So even if we lose the deal or the project, if we’ve learned something from it, it wasn’t a loss at all.
What makes SentinelOne’s culture of authenticity stand out?
I think we’re incredibly fortunate to work in an environment where authenticity isn’t just accepted, it’s encouraged. In many companies, you may need to play a certain role to succeed. At SentinelOne, each person is valued for who they truly are, and that’s something I find remarkable.
Learning from others is essential, but it doesn’t mean copying them. We get to understand ourselves better when working with others, we uncover our own strengths, and grow alongside our teams. SentinelOne gives us that space. It allows us to be who we are and to learn from each other without judgment or expectation.
It’s something we need to protect as we grow. This culture of digital humanism, where every individual can thrive without following a script, is rare. And it’s worth holding onto.
If you could go back to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give yourself?
Believe in yourself—and be yourself. Keep your eyes and ears open. We have two ears and one mouth for a reason: listen at least twice more than you speak, especially early in your career. When we’re young, we’re eager to prove ourselves, so we often talk too much. But listening is where the real growth begins.
And second: learn to say no earlier. I wish someone had told me that back then. For years, I tried to accommodate everyone and everything. It took me a long time to feel comfortable saying no. But once I did, I realized how much more impactful I could be.
Not everything is critical. Not everything is strategic. Focus your energy where it matters most.