SAN FRANCISCO — July 1, 2015— Genesys Works – Bay Area (GWBA), the San Francisco-based office of national non-profit Genesys Works, announced today the addition of Maria Martinez, Salesforce’s President of Sales and Customer Success, to its Board of Directors. Genesys Works helps end the cycle of poverty for low-income students through extensive training followed by placement into paid, professional internships before they graduate from high school, and using those experiences as a stepping stone to academic, and later, professional success.

Martinez heads the teams that are actively engaged with Salesforce’s customers, focused on the company’s critically important value of customer success. Her teams are responsible for on-boarding, product usage, best practices, training, customer support, professional services, partner certification and developing long-term relationships with Salesforce customers.

Martinez has more than 30 years of experience in business and technology leadership roles. Prior to joining Salesforce, Martinez managed Microsoft’s global services business, including professional services and customer support for all products. In her six-year tenure, Martinez led the business to outperform revenue targets and to significantly increase Microsoft’s customer satisfaction rating. Prior to Microsoft, Martinez was president and CEO of Embrace Networks. She has also held senior leadership roles at Motorola and AT&T.

The Salesforce Foundation has been a supporter of the Genesys Works program nationally since 2013, providing internships for students, mentors, and volunteers.

“I am excited to join the Board of Genesys Works,” says Martinez. “I am personally very passionate about workforce development and youth education initiatives. I look forward to helping the organization get more deserving young people out of poverty and into our tech economy.”

“We are thrilled to have Maria’s leadership, energy and smarts on our Board,” said Peter Katz, executive director for Genesys Works – Bay Area. “We look forward to her perspective on how we can continue to end the cycle of poverty for low-income students through training and professional internships.”

Ms. Martinez lives in San Francisco and has a Master’s degree in computer engineering from Ohio State University and a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico.

Genesys Works – Bay Area Board of Directors

The local office of Genesys Works began operation in early 2013 and has recently kicked off its third year program. Martinez joins board members Rafael Alvarez, Founder and CEO, Genesys Works; Marc Blakeman, Regional Vice President, AT&T California; Ray Elias, Chief Marketing Officer, NatureBox; Adrian Fenty, former Mayor of Washington, D.C.; Erin Glenn, CEO, Quire; Casey Johnson, Executive Director, GreenLight Fund Bay Area; Dave Kanter, Managing Director, Accenture; Peter Katz, Executive Director, Genesys Works – Bay Area; Scott Kupor, Managing Partner, Andreessen Horowitz; Taylor McKinley, Operating Partner, Mainsail Partners; Laura Moran, Chief of Staff, San Francisco Unified School District; and Jesus Soto, Jr., Senior Vice President, PG&E.

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ABOUT GENESYS WORKS

Genesys Works, established in Houston in 2002, and now with locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that serves low-income high school students. The program, which includes practical skills training, a yearlong meaningful internship with a major corporation, and college and career preparation, enables underserved youth to change their life trajectory and realize that they can succeed as professionals in the corporate world.