I have worked at PGC for nearly 8 years and am currently the Director of Sales & Marketing.  My role supports growth and development of PGC through planning, directing, and coordinating the distribution or development of a product and/or service to a customer by communicating with people inside and outside the organization. I represent PGC with customers, suppliers and vendors while building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation for all stakeholders. My focus areas revolve around revenue and growth, supporting the relationship vitality of both internal and external customers, the PGC brand, and all marketing functions.

When thinking about leadership, the first thing that comes to mind is my team.  I strive to make sure my team feels supported, listened to, respected, and most of all, empowered.  I do my best to provide them a pathway for growth, development, and success; whatever that may look like for them. Each person on your team is different and their needs, their work styles, and what they are looking for in a leader is different. As a leader, in any industry, you need to be able to pivot, yet not be afraid to have tough conversations and hold people accountable.

When thinking of the advice I would give another woman wanting to get into a leadership role in manufacturing, I would tell her to remember the following things:

• Be confident in your abilities
• It isn’t personal, it’s business
• You are not responsible for how someone reacts to information you give if you have done all you can to provide the information in a clear way.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, instead learn from them
• Be comfortable with the uncomfortable
• Attitude is a choice…choose wisely!

I would also recommend that you find someone within your professional setting who challenges you.  Someone who can look at a situation differently and provide different a perspective, yet respectfully push back on decisions you make or ideas you have. It is important to get a good look at a situation from all sides, not just the one you can see. This person could be your direct manager, a peer, or someone from a completely different department, but being challenged is important for personal and professional growth.