DIANA DIACO CERVANTES
"I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." Stephen Covey
ABOUT
My Background
After a more profound introspection into my life, resilience and determination are probably the best ways to describe myself. As the only daughter of an immigrant family coming from a former communist country, I constantly remind myself of what great accomplishments one can achieve every day with the right frame of mind and openness to take on new opportunities.
In my very early years as a non-English speaking teen, all I wanted was to understand the new world around me and totally immerse myself into it. As a young adult, I wanted to make my parents proud and graduate a prestigious university here, in the United States of America. Now, as a working and proud mother of twin toddlers, all I want to achieve is to lead by example and be a role model, showing them that hard work, resilience, and determination are indeed the backbone of the American Dream that so many of us, former immigrants dream of.
Every step I took to accomplish my dreams has required meticulous planning, execution, hard work, and sometimes heartache and tears, which I would gladly experience again and again if faced with similar tough decisions. Working my way through and overcoming these obstacles, I have become the product of my environment and the people that have made it possible for me to thrive.
And for that, I am, and always will be eternally grateful.
My passion for maximizing the positive outcomes has continuously driven me to expand my knowledge, experiences, and the relationships, both personal and professional. My background and diversified skill-set I have acquired through curiosity, hard work, as well as the generosity of my peers, friends and family, has given me the full confidence that my next endeavor will be even more rewarding and exciting!
Keep exploring my site to learn more information about me, and reach out directly with any questions.
MY EXPERIENCE
Background & Experience
SOLUTION CONSULTANT promoted to SERVICE ENGAGEMENT MANAGER , TACTON SYSTEMS
October 2021 - February 2025
Tacton is the leading Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) SaaS partner for industrial manufacturers' design-to-sales automation. Our trusted configuration engine provides the backbone for your customers’ fast and flawless digital experience.
I held two roles at Tacton, I started as a Solution Consultant, collaborating with clients to better understand their business and the products they made and sold, to support their digital transformation process, exceed competitive advantage, and, above all, make them successful in their business. I later chose to move to the sales side of the company and supported incoming clients as one of the Service Engagement Managers. I was in this role for a little over a year and successfully closed three deals with over $750,000 value in implementation and training. Two deals were reported to go live on time and budget.
SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST - CUSTOMER SUCCESS, CONFIGURE ONE/REVELIZE
October 2020 - September 2021
Configure One's enterprise CPQ product enables customers to increase sales while reducing costs by automating much of the sales, order entry, and engineering processes.
In my role on the Customer Success team, I worked with a team of experts who, together, felt like we could solve any problem. From onboarding new clients with training and support until a successful go-live to helping established clients bring their configurator to the next level, the root of their success is for us to understand their business and help match the best functionality so they can shine to their clients.
THE MTM ODDESSY ~~~ Knowledge Advisors (2007) ~~~ Explorance (2020)
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, EXPLORANCE
February 2019-March 2020
As a Community Engagement Manager, my primary objective was to enhance customer interaction with our products, services, and community. This role provided invaluable insights into the intricacies of client engagement, including the technical nuances of managing a community website, the meticulous planning required for successful event execution, and the fulfillment that comes from witnessing the culmination of hard work into a thriving event. Notably, I developed expertise in leveraging data-driven strategies to boost engagement and foster meaningful community relationships.
We regularly collected and analyzed data from our user interactions, segmented and personalized communication for our outreach, and set clear goals and KPIs to define success.
SOLUTION ENGINEER, GARTNER
December 2015 - February 2019
As the Solution Engineer for a team of sales professionals, I have provided subject matter expertise (SME) support for the MTM product when completing RFP/RFI requests, delivered product value demos to prospective clients, represented our product at industry events, and provided sales enablement to my team. Working remotely has taught me many valuable lessons about teamwork, relationships, and self-discipline. I can now comfortably say that I can thrive in a mosaic work environment and feel comfortable with the modern virtual office trend sweeping the HR world.
PRODUCT MANAGER, PROMOTED FROM PRODUCT SPECIALIST, KNOWLEDGEADVISORS/CEB
May 2007 - March 2015
My professional career journey began as a Product Specialist, with the mandate of improving the quality of the products released, streamlining and modernizing the way the company supported our prospective clients once they became clients through Online Help and Support. Over time, as the company matured, my career goals focused more and more on product management. After being given the opportunity to be mentored, I developed the necessary skills to be promoted to Product Manager. In my new role, I have applied my product knowledge, attention to detail, and project management skills to highly customized functionality for our clients.
EDUCATION
What I’ve Learned
2003 - 2007
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
With a clear mind and my eyes set on my future, I have embarked on my education at DePaul University, and successfully earned my Bachelor of Arts in Computer Information Systems. Throughout my journey, I had the opportunity to experience a few valuable and humbling life lessons, to care for someone with debilitating mental health issues, and mend family relationships. The very day I walked across the podium was one of my most proud moments in my life, right up there with being sworn in as an American Citizen alongside my mother and father.
August 2000 - May 2003
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
After watching many high school friends graduate and go through the traditional path to college, and later returning disoriented, with mixed career feelings or with a foggy sense of direction, I have decided to focus my attention on finding the right career for me. Maintaining a pulse on the love of technology, I spent a few years exploring business, law, health sciences, and literary arts while attending Elgin Community College close to home, and then Harold Washington College in Chicago. After some time, it became crystal clear to me that technology is in my blood, and I felt most excited to focus on pursuing the technology career path.
1995 - 1998
ST. CHARLES HIGH SCHOOL
I moved to the United States just before starting 6th grade, and without being able to utter a full sentence in English. However, that did not last too long, and by the time I enrolled in high school, I was participating in classes with no “English as a Second Language” (ESL) assistance and yet thriving. In high school, by junior year, I have completed all the credits and required curriculum to graduate early, in just 3 short years. During my experience at St. Charles High School, I was a proud member of the debate team, I have contributed to the Chrysler Auto Design Project, and became a proud founding member of the Student Technology Association, focused on exploring and introducing new technologies to my fellow students, as they became more and more mainstream, such as robotics, automation, lasers applications, and computers, just to name a few.
EVENT
MANAGEMENT
PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION
Communication Skills Customer Service Adaptability
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Technical Expertese
B2B | SaaS | Agile
Prioritization Skills
EVENT
MANAGEMENT
Event Planning | Vendor Management
Contract Negotiations
Event Execution
My "inside voice" always whispers:
"Giving up is not an option"