• ForbesWoman, Tuesday, June 1, 2010 10:38 AM

Dell CMO Erin Nelson chats with Moira Forbes about where the company is headed, how she balances her family with her work and what her future holds. She says that the company has spent the last year listening to its customers and learned that the brand has a lot of built-up equity, but that it only goes so far.

"I don't really want this to be about [Dell]," the loyalists say. "I want it to be about what I am trying to achieve in my life. And so what I am looking for are partners that really understand what I need to go do." Nelson says it was a good reminder to the company that the purpose of its technology is to help customers realize their dreams.

Nelson, who started at Dell running sales after stints at Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo, says she now views her role as a leader and mentor to women and young people, and is also parlaying her experience in the nonprofit sector.

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