What accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am most proud of assisting in the professional development in people I work alongside each day. It has been incredibly rewarding to contribute to the professional developments of others, both within and outside of Kryton’s workforce.
Acting as a catalyst for growth; providing a brain to pick; or a push in the right direction; all has resulted in an award-winning corporate culture that has been named “Best Company to Work For” for the last four consecutive years.
I’m also proud of changing the way people approach concrete waterproofing by using innovative technology on a global scale so that they can build environmentally-friendly structures that will last the test of time. The conservatism of the sector makes this a notable milestone for the industry as a whole.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced?
There’s too many to list just one, but, it would probably be a tossup between dealing with an international joint venture gone bad and getting the adoption of the use of Crystalline Waterproofing admixtures, specifically our Krystol®, Technology, in a traditionally conservative engineering environment on a global basis.
What career decisions would you make differently were you starting out today?
I would have become a golf pro instead. Seriously though, I don’t think I would have made too many different decisions as I have really enjoyed every aspect of my career so far. However in hindsight, I would have liked to have seen faster adoption of crystalline admixtures by the industry. While I do realize that it takes time for these fundamental shifts, I really thought that I could have impacted that change much faster.
What’s one business lesson you’d like to pass on to others?
Spend time with other people in business at every opportunity. In helping others with their challenges as well as taking advice from others, it has had the most impact on my self-awareness and growth. There is always more to learn and implement and there are amazing women and men out there that are willing to share their experiences.
I’ve had the great fortune of belonging to a number of peer mentoring groups over the last 20 years and it has resulted in the most learning and development for me personally and in turn, the organizations that I have had the privilege to be involved with.
Is it still relevant to focus on the success and role of women in business?
Yes. From my experience, I find that teams at all levels of business are better when there is a mix of women and men. Women can bring different strengths to business challenges and leadership opportunities. I think the business world is much better with women in it and there are still too many areas and levels of business that do not have enough representation and participation by women; and the vehicle for change is dialogue.
By Jennifer Harrison
jharrison@biv.com
Excerpted From www.biv.com
