By: Ethan Rogers
Racing at 200 miles per hour may sound worlds apart from leading a career in enterprise sales, but look closely, and the mindset is almost the same. Split-second decisions, long-term strategy, and pressure that never lets up.
That is exactly what draws Wanda Knight to Formula 1. At the same time, she has spent more than 30 years working with Fortune 500 clients and leading high-performing teams in tech and enterprise sales; her sharpest leadership lessons often come not from boardrooms but from racetracks.
Her connection to Formula 1 runs deep. It started when she was fifteen, watching her first race in Mexico City with her father, who loved cars and the technical precision that went into them. That race left an imprint. Decades later, she returned to that same track, this time not as a teenager, but as a leader, mentor, and strategist. For her, it was more than nostalgia. It was a full-circle moment that tied personal history to present-day purpose.
Wanda is not just a casual fan. She tries to attend one or two races in person every year. This year, she is heading to Silverstone in England; last year, it was back to Mexico City. But what keeps her hooked is not the flash or the speed. It is the way Formula 1 rewards both instinct and planning. A driver cannot win solely on talent. Every move on the track is backed by strategy, team coordination, and the ability to take risks at the right time.
That same mindset is reflected in her approach to work. Whether she is leading a sales campaign or mentoring a young professional, she sees every opportunity as a balance between timing and trust. The race is not always about going fastest; it is about knowing when to go all in and when to wait for the right opening. That awareness is what sets great leaders apart from good ones.
Wanda did not start her career in tech by design. She studied finance, originally planning to work on Wall Street. But when the 1989 market crash hit, she had to pivot. An internship with IBM became her entry point into the technology field. What could have felt like a setback became her advantage. She entered a new space, learned quickly, and discovered she had a talent for building relationships and solving problems. Over time, that talent turned into a career.
She never chased titles, but when peers encouraged her to step into leadership, she did. What followed were years of guiding teams, leading strategy, and showing up not just to perform, but to empower others to do the same. She leads with clarity, listens more than she speaks, and gives people the space to take ownership, while knowing she is always there to support them.
Now, alongside her corporate work, she is leaning into other passions that have always been part of who she is: fashion, travel, and cultural storytelling. She has joined fashion communities, attended global events, and is using her platform to speak not only about business but also about identity, creativity, and influence. Just like in F1, she is not changing lanes; she is expanding the track.
For Wanda, Formula 1 is more than a sport. It reflects how she lives and leads. It is about staying sharp under pressure, trusting your preparation, and knowing that the best results come from smart moves, not just fast ones. Whether she is at a race or leading a team, the mindset is the same: stay focused, stay steady, and be bold enough to go when the moment is right.
