For many in-house leaders, a seat at the business table is a career dream. For Nokia chief legal officer Maria Varsellona, that dream has become a reality.

Last month, Varsellona was appointed president of Nokia Technologies, Finland-based Nokia’s tech and licensing business, on top of her existing CLO role. It’s not an accidental achievement: Varsellona, an Italian national, worked consciously throughout her career to develop business skills and make her voice heard in strategic meetings, acting as a business leader long before actually taking the president’s seat.