Tag: 3BL

EMBRACING TRANSFORMATION TO POWER A RESILIENT FUTURE

For decades, we’ve seen the electrical industry mature, expand and evolve. Yet, never have we been so energized by the current industry landscape and the path ahead. The shift toward renewables and electrification is transforming the way we deliver power, and Southwire’s technologies are playing a leading role.

Now is the time for our company to build momentum and accelerate the pace of sustainable change. We’re well prepared to do so; over the past six years, we’ve focused on a strategic plan designed to position our company for future growth. The plan allows us to become a diversified electrical business built on our wire and cable foundation. Reflecting on our performance in 2022, it’s clear our efforts are paying off.

“ Now is the time for our company to build momentum and accelerate the pace of sustainable change.”

Throughout the year, we generated $9 billion in revenue, including more than $600 million from solutions with sustainable attributes. Sustainability-focused projects represented more than half of our annual investment in Research & Development (R&D). We also launched new technologies for areas such as grid adaptation and electric transportation — products that support a reduced-carbon economy and community resilience over the long term.

We believe in leading by example, so we’ve deepened our commitment to environmental stewardship and reducing our company’s carbon footprint. In several regions, we continued projects to modernize our facilities, and we were proud to open our new Copper Rod Plant in Carrollton, Ga. The facility will utilize 100% renewable electricity, bringing us closer to achieving Carbon Zero by 2025. We also laid the groundwork to target our supply chain emissions by launching Southwire’s first Scope 3 emissions reduction goal.

Driving these initiatives was our dedicated team, which we expanded by nearly 18%. This highlighted the importance of strengthening our ONE Southwire culture so we can continue to attract, engage and advance diverse talent to support our rapid growth. To set a high bar for our company and industry, we’ve increased visibility around our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. You can learn more about our efforts on our new DEI website, and in our inaugural DEI report. At this critical stage in our evolution, we remain anchored by our vision and core tenets: We Deliver Power…Responsibly® by Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back, Doing Right and Building Worth. The actions we take today will shape the reality of future generations. That’s why we’re committed to living up to our company’s values and aligning our efforts with the universal principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).

“At this critical stage in our evolution, we remain anchored by our vision and core tenets: We Deliver Power… Responsibly® by Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back, Doing Right and Building Worth.”

This is a unique moment for Southwire to stand tall as an industry leader. We will use this momentum to continue powering transformation — with an aim to make Southwire generationally sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond.

Rich Stinson, President and CEO

Burt M. Fealing, EVP, General Counsel and Chief Sustainability Officer

View the full 2022 Sustainability Report.

Aramark Employees Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer impacts one in eight women in the United States and 2.3 million women worldwide every year. In an effort to create meaningful engagement for employees during Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Aramark Community Relations and Aramark’s EMPOWER employee resource group, which works to drive leadership and development opportunities through the connection and engagement of women, collaborated to create volunteer activities that emphasize the company’s commitment to driving positive outcomes.

Throughout October, Aramark employees raised awareness and support by participating in various virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities. These included designing virtual encouragement cards, supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF) to assemble HOPE Kits, and more, including:

In Philadelphia and Chicago, employees assembled 80 HOPE Kits filled with thoughtful items that patients have said are comforting and encouraging while undergoing breast cancer treatment. The group hosted a discussion about their personal “why,” and wore stickers with the name of the person they were participating in this activity in honor of. The group also watched a video that shared first person stories from HOPE Kit recipients and what receiving the kit meant to them during their cancer journey.

“The NBCF’s HOPE Kits are a tangible expression of hope, providing comfort and encouragement to women undergoing breast cancer treatment. Thanks to these volunteer efforts, we were able to provide kits to 80 women from all over the US, offering additional support during their treatment,” said Kirsten Markovich, Manager, Aramark Community Relations.

EMPOWER’s Marketplace Chair, Emily Mellon, shared, “My “why” for supporting breast cancer awareness is my mom and grandmom – both are breast cancer survivors. After seeing the effects of breast cancer on my loved ones firsthand, I will do whatever I can to ease the experience for anyone else going through this!”

Tech Day of Pink was held virtually by Avendra Global Supply Chain and Aramark’s Group Purchasing Organization’s IT group. Employees participated in a virtual encouragement card activity supporting NBCF and used a Tech Day of Pink virtual background as a sign of their support and awareness. Multiple locations hosted activities with resources and educational materials on early detection.Every Wednesday in October, card writing events were held at Aramark’s Global Business Services location in Nashville. More than 50 volunteers wrote encouragement cards to inspire hope to those affected by breast cancer.Aramark Community Relations also shared resources via email about early detection, connecting with others via virtual community groups hosted by breastcancer.org, other ways to provide support to those in treatment, and links to access the Aramark Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for more support.

Cooking for Healthier Futures for Women

In addition to the volunteer activities sponsored by EMPOWER and Aramark Community Relations in October, Aramark’s team at Lafayette General Medical Center (Lafayette, LA) participated in the Ochsner Lafayette General Foundation’s annual Gumbo Cook-Off, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The team donned seventies-inspired pink costumes as Teyerance Alfred, Chef Manager at Lafayette General Medical Center, and Greg Gilberti, Food Service Manager, cooked up chicken & sausage gumbo and seafood gumbo, respectively, for the competition. They even shared their tips with the local NBC affiliate.

Watch them in action here: https://www.kadn.com/video/6-the-aramark-team-knows-food-and-they-know-gumbo/video_0d8722ef-9967-5e3e-ac36-9cdaa7ae51f1.html The proceeds from the Cook-Off benefit breast health for women in Acadiana, LA, who otherwise may not have access to screenings.

EMPOWERing Equality and Leadership

EMPOWER is Aramark’s largest and oldest ERG with more than 2,000 members globally.

Since its formation in 2011, EMPOWER ERG has worked throughout the years to accelerate the advancement of women leaders through an annual symposium, development workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities, and community outreach, while also advocating action for women in the workplace and beyond.

Originally published by Walgreens Boots Alliance

By Elyse Russo

When Maria Lensing was 14 years old, she moved to the U.S. from Peru to support her youngest brother who was fighting for his life.

Juan Diego was 8 years old and battling leukemia when doctors in Peru gave him the wrong treatment.

“They told my parents he was going to die,” she says.

On the recommendation of a family friend, Lensing’s parents called St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Lensing says the hospital didn’t take patients who have already been treated, but Juan Diego was an exception because of his unique circumstances: He had cancer and a brain injury, which was the result of the faulty treatment he received.

Lensing’s parents took Juan Diego to the U.S, first, and then she and her other brother followed six months later. As a result of the faulty treatment, Juan Diego is partially paralyzed.

Lensing says her brother who centers her and is the inspiration and motivation for her work as a change agent—a role she’s embracing at Walgreens Boots Alliance as the Strategy and Transformation Officer of Technology. Her mission is personal: to help transform WBA into a healthcare company that fixes what traditional healthcare gets wrong.

“I take care of a brother who cannot talk, cannot walk, cannot take care of himself,” she says. “So, if I’m going to walk, I better walk with purpose. If I’m going to talk, then I better speak truth. When you have that daily reminder of how lucky you are, it’s hard not to have a passion for change, a passion for disrupting the status quo.”

To fulfill her purpose, Lensing has relied on wisdom she’s gleaned over many years from family, mentors and others. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, she’s sharing some of that advice and how it has shaped her personally and professionally.

‘Competency is the greatest equalizer’

When Lensing speaks, confidence pours out of her and fills the room. She attributes this confidence to knowledge, and she says she learned to prioritize education at an early age: her father had two PhDs and her mother had an MBA. Her mother wanted to be a lawyer, but her family didn’t allow women to pursue law degrees.

“My parents both went through a lot of adversity and always told me, ‘Invest in your brain,'” she says.

After spending so much time in hospital settings with Juan Diego, Lensing initially wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Her unease around blood, however, led to an eventual pivot to electrical engineering.

“Engineering teaches you to think logically, to solve problems methodically, and that’s one of the greatest skills you can develop,” she says. “It also gave me the ability to understand that competence is the greatest equalizer in any situation. No matter the adversities I faced, having an accent or being the only woman in my class, my competency allowed me to rise above any obstacle and gained me the respect of my peers.”

‘Being who you are to the world will inspire somebody else’

Before Lensing says something truly important, she takes a brief pause, collects herself and speaks slowly.

“An admission I’m not proud of is that for many years, I thought in order to be successful, I needed to distance myself from my Latino identity, and I own that,” she says.

Lensing says the shift in her thinking came when she saw other Latino business executives leading the way. She named two role models she met during her tenure at AT&T: F. Thaddeus Arroyo and Ralph de la Vega. She credits them with getting her involved in the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC). She’s now been on the board of directors for five years.

“It was my first time seeing so many executives, from so many different levels—even successful CEOs—who were Hispanic,” Lensing says.

Since that time, Lensing says she has been very intentional about being a different kind of leader, one who embraces her heritage and continues her work through HITEC to expose Latinos to careers in technology and raise the next generation of technology leaders at every level.

Lensing says she appreciates the openness of fellow Latino executives in leadership roles at WBA, like Walgreens Chief Pharmacy Officer Rick Gates. Gates has spoken about how the values instilled in him by his Latina mother, like working hard and investing in education, have helped him get where he is today.

“It’s inspiring to see the executive team being open and vulnerable about their paths to success, and the stories of all that they have overcome, because it aligns so closely with the spirit and vision of Walgreens,” Lensing says.

Another reason why sharing your story is important, according to Lensing, is that “being who you are to the world will inspire somebody else.”

‘Know your crystal balls and relentlessly prioritize them’

Lensing speaks with passion about so many issues and topics. In addition to the value of education and her Hispanic heritage, she is proud of her deep Catholic faith, her community involvement and helping foster interest in STEM in children. But of all these things, family is priority No. 1.

Her parents have passed away, but Lensing remains close to both of her brothers, and she currently resides with a family of her own in Dallas, Texas. Her husband retired early from his career as a nuclear engineer so that he could take care of their two sons, ages 14 and 10, while Lensing pursued her professional goals.

When she talks about balance, she refers to advice given to her by Cynt Marshall, who is now the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks.

“She said to me, ‘Balance is about knowing your rubber balls and your crystal balls,” Lensing says. “If you drop one of your rubber balls, it’s going to bounce back up. If you drop one of your crystal balls, you’ll never get it back. So, you need to know your crystal balls and relentlessly prioritize them.”

Lensing’s chief crystal ball in her personal life is her family, but she’s spent her first five months on the job at WBA zeroing in on some crystal balls for the company and its team members.

“As Walgreens looks to transform itself, our goal is to create an environment where you can be all that you want to be, personally and professionally,” Lensing says. “We’re evolving at a pace that’s reacting to a marketplace that’s moving faster than ever before, and in times like these, our passion, desire to grow, discipline and resiliency will make all the difference.”

As an agent of change, Lensing knows that change is constant. And with change comes adversity.

“We will turn our adversities into opportunities, and that will determine how Walgreens transforms into the healthcare company we know it will be,” she says.

Celebrating Italian-American Heritage Month with @ACME in Jersey and South Philadelphia was a true delight! They hosted in-store celebrations with some memorable moments like cooking demonstrations from Chef Massimo Gaffo, hot and fresh samples and meal solutions throughout, free caricature portraits, prizes and raffles, and live music from none other than the South Philly String Band who had shoppers dancing in the aisles. What a win for these surrounding communities! 

See original post on Instagram and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

Listen to the Podcast, here! Transcription provided, below.

Janelle (Host): Hello, and welcome to the Own Your Career Podcast. My name is Janelle Jordan, and I’m a Program Manager on our Talent, Performance, and Engagement team, and I am so excited to be here with you. Throughout this series, you will hear inspiring interviews with employees who have achieved career growth at GoDaddy through internal promotions and movement. In addition, you will hear tips, best practices, and advice to support your career journey. Career management is necessary for a successful journey, and we hope you’ll walk away ready to Own Your Career. Thank you for spending time with us today. Now let’s jump into the Career Spotlight Podcast with our guest. I’m here today with Christine Perkins, who is a Senior Director of Program Management and Care and Services at GoDaddy. Hi, Christine. Welcome to the podcast.

Christine (guest): Hello. Thank you!

Janelle: Let’s get to know you quickly. Can you share with us a little about who you are and what brings you joy outside the office?

Christine: Absolutely. So like you said, Janelle, I’m Christine Perkins. I’m located here in the great state of Iowa, and what brings me joy outside the office is pretty easily my family. I’m married to David, who’s a wonderful husband, and we have five year old twins, Jane and Ryan, who are kind of the center of our world. We’ve also recently added a kitten to our family, Bruce Perkins, and he’s a cuddly little fluff ball that we are all obsessed with. But, yeah, outside the office, a lot of family, and we love to be outside playing tennis, trying to play golf, and being active in our community.

Janelle: I love that. Congratulations on your kitten. I love pets that have full names. Do you call him by his full name?

Christine: We call him Brucey. Or Brucey baby. He rarely goes by his full name.

Janelle: So I have to imagine that the twins also keep you busy. Five years old must be, what, kindergarten, first grade?

Christine: Yes, they’re in kindergarten.

Janelle: Wonderful. I’m a twin mommy, too, so I love that age. Mine are just ahead of you in second grade.

Christine: Awesome. Twin moms unite.

Janelle: All right, well, super excited to dig into this podcast with you. Can you start with sharing with our listeners an overview of your career journey here at GoDaddy and what that movement and experience has been like for you?

Christine: Yeah, absolutely. So I was hired straight out of college from a college career fair, where GoDaddy had a booth, into the Care Center, where I was a Sales and Support Representative. And that was a great experience for learning about our system, learning how to interact with our customers, and just learning about the business in general. And then a few months after that, I moved to a specialized product team called Domains by Proxy, which it was a privacy service for Domains. So basically, we handled advanced support issues as well as third party complaints. So that was a great opportunity to learn about the world of trademarks, copyright, making sure that customers had a superb experience even though sometimes we were contacting them about difficult things. And then just eventually on that mark on my career, I became a people leader on that Domains by Proxy team, as well. And then next kind of winding the path on my career journey, I entered the world of Program Management. So honestly, back when I was in Domains by Proxy, I had no idea that Program Management or Project Management was a career path. But I had a manager who told me that it might be something that I would be good at and I kind of started looking into it and I made introductions to other Program Managers on the company and that’s kind of what created that opportunity for me. So I was on the Domains team and I handled the TLDs program where we onboarded new TLDs, made changes to existing TLDs and just in general kind of helped make sure that the product was up to date and within compliance for our policies. That was a great opportunity to learn about all sorts of other functions because Project Management is often the glue between other teams as we handle these different initiatives. So, I was learning about business analysts, to legal, to accounting, to pricing, and policy — all these different teams that just kind of helped me understand more and more about Program Management and ultimately the business. And then after that, thanks to Program Management, I think I kind of took a slight dip out of that career field for a couple of years and I was a Partner Manager on the Domains team where I managed the relationship with our registry partners. So that meant negotiation of contracts, co-marketing agreements, just general operational matters and bringing new TLDs to market with these partners. So that was another great experience. But at that point, I was about eight years into my career here at GoDaddy and the large majority of that time was spent on the Domains team and I was kind of starting to get that itch to learn something new. And just about that time there was an opportunity that came up to move to the Marketing team to lead the Customer Marketing Program Management office. So, I jumped on that and it was a great opportunity to learn about another area of the business, just our central marketing function while still having that Program Management base where I could continue growing and sharpening those skills. I really jumped back into people leadership. So, I hired a few people and was able to build that team, which was something I really enjoyed and I still enjoy. That stint was a little bit shorter, it was about a year and a half and I, again, was starting to have that itch of wanting to apply something else or starting to learn something else in my career. So, I let my network know that I was interested in looking for some new opportunities and there was an opportunity to join Care and Service, where I am today to lead their Program Management office. I accepted that role about three years ago and it’s been super fun. I’ve learned tons. I now lead a team of eleven amazing Project and Program Managers and we ultimately help deliver initiatives within Care and Services that impact our Customers, our Guides, and that are directly impactful to GoDaddy’s strategy. I think when I look back at my LinkedIn profile, I’ve got over ten different job events here at GoDaddy, but it’s been an amazing journey and I just love that I’ve had these opportunities at GoDaddy to join. I haven’t really had the need to look outside of GoDaddy because there’s always been something that I’ve been able to jump to.

Janelle: And what I hear is that you listened to yourself and you knew when you were ready to make a change or when you were ready to take a risk and to jump into something different. I also hear that there’s lots of opportunities, it sounds like, to do different things. I mean, at one point you were in Domains for quite a few years, but you were doing different roles and holding different responsibilities within the Domains area. And that was because your interest changed or you wanted to learn and grow in a different way, do a different job, and then just this big jump to leave Care and Services and to go to Marketing, right?

Christine: Well, I left Domains, I went to Marketing. Yeah, that was the big jump.

Janelle: That was the big jump. And that’s a risk, right? And, and then doing that job and learning as much as you can and then again talking to yourself and reflecting and asking yourself where do you want to be, what do you want to do and where do you want to bring value? Right? And where do you want to take all of your knowledge and your expertise and where do you want to drive that within the organization to help them accomplish their goals? And it led you back to Care and Services and I love it. And you found a home here. And not only that, you’ve helped grow a part of this that is clearly making a lot of impact with eleven Program Managers delivering against the objectives for Care and Services is pretty awesome.

Christine: Yes, absolutely.

Janelle: Quite a journey. Okay, there is so much there, but let’s keep going. I think we’re going to jump into some of the juicier things in a second. So can you tell us what do you feel are the secrets behind getting you to where you are today?

Christine: Yeah, absolutely. So I mean, I’ll just start by saying I’m not sure if these are real big top secret, but just some little nuggets that I think have really been things that have helped me along the way and continue to grow in the career. So, the first is I feel like I’m generally curious. I’ve had an open mind and I’m really willing to do the work. I think this is a mindset that I’ve had to internalize, is that I have to do the work. I have to have a track record if I want to be able to do the next thing. If you’re going to be interviewing for a job, you should have examples to show how you’ve made an impact. And before you’re in those job interviews, you have to be willing to do that work. So I think it’s just learning, building relationships, and applying what you learned and just rinse and repeating. And then when those opportunities arise where it’s kind of like a step forward in your career, then you’re going to be ready to do that because you’ve been able to do that work. So, the second thing I think is consistency. We have done strength finders on our team and one of my top five strengths is consistency. I’m kind of more self aware that this is one of the things that I’m really good at. I’ve built a lot of just like, structures. So, I feel like one of the secrets is take a lot of the effort and calories spent on creating new things all the time and look at what you’ve done in the past and how you can build on that. So, just like that consistency of knowing how you do your best work, how you can apply that in the future, just continually growing is another trait of continuing to grow that career.

Janelle: It’s going back to the foundations of knowing your strengths and weaknesses. And we talk about this all the time, but I think people really glance over it, right? So I think it just comes up so much, your self reflections and your annual reviews and things like that. But along your journey, what you’re saying is you have known your strengths, you have known your opportunities, you’ve known your skills, behaviors, the things that you’re good at. You’ve been able to excel and grow those, whether they’re making them even stronger, or finding out maybe where you need to learn a little bit more and dig in a little bit deeper. And it kind of brings me back to something you had said earlier. A manager had said, “hey, I think that you might be good at Program Management,” and you didn’t know what that was. You weren’t necessarily looking at the Program Manager leveling guy trying to figure out how to get into this field of work, but somebody noticed that in you, and then you took that, you said, “okay,” and maybe you said, “well, what specifically are those skills that you’re seeing in me?” And then what you said was, you researched it. Somebody just noticed something in you and then you researched it. And then I’m sure you probably were like, “oh yeah, actually I would be really great at this.”

Christine: Yeah, absolutely. And there’s tons of information out there in our world or the Internet about Project and Program Management. But I did take courses, and I did do some self learning. But the other thing I did was I found other Program Managers here at GoDaddy. I learned from them, and I took examples of how they worked and was able to kind of tweak it or make it my own or apply it to the situation. I guess a piece of advice I’d have is if you’re interested in a career field, don’t be afraid to go and talk to someone who has that career and have just an informational interview so you can understand some of the skills and traits that they have that you can apply to your current role. So that when you’re ready to interview for that position, you’ve got some really concrete examples to say. Well, I put my work into a project plan and I was able to track it to Milestones, and I was able to keep all of these different teams on track. Those are great examples of some traits with Program Management that could show that you’ve got more of a track record.

Janelle: That’s wonderful advice. And what a lot of people don’t realize is that without having the title of Program Management or Project Manager, there are folks across the organization who are doing these responsibilities and these tasks, believe it or not, without the Project Management framework behind it, you’re doing these things. And so there is a way for you to demonstrate that you’ve successfully run a project from beginning to end. Just tracking that and finding your own way to tell that story, to show that you have concrete evidence that you have experience here and it doesn’t have to be with that title, right. Or on that team. There’s a wealth of folks here at GoDaddy. In fact, almost everybody I know was willing to talk to somebody in a mentorship capacity or just in a “hey, yeah, I’ll share.” I just I can’t think of anybody who would turn that away. It’s great advice and don’t be afraid to do that. Is there anything else? So we’ve talked about having the right mindset of knowing that you need to do the work, being consistent, knowing your skills. Is there anything else you feel has really led to you getting to where you are?

Christine: Yeah, maybe I’ll just double click on when you don’t feel like you are a subject matter expert on something or you feel like you are not understanding a piece of the business. I would just say if you really feel like that’s something you need to know then go learn about it. Like you’re not just going to receive that information someday. I would encourage spend some time just really understanding it. Like an example is remember when I was on the Domains team, I was a brand new Program Manager and I was expected to manage the TLD program. But the domain system, it was so complex and I had to ask all sorts of people different things and I remember just having that epiphany of like, “wow, I really need to go learn about this.” I would meet with all sorts of engineers or leaders and these people were willing to teach me and I was eventually able to just understand a lot of things and ask for access to tools that I probably wouldn’t have just received as a Program Manager so that I could do some of the work myself. And I became really effective because I was able to know this area so well. So I think that’s just another secret is just having that drive to really go learn about your craft or your subject area so that you can be more effective.

Janelle: Yeah, a growth mindset to always be learning and to always be curious. So how important is it as a Program Manager or Project Manager to know a little bit about what everybody else does and how they do it?

Christine: You know, that’s a great question, Janelle, because now most Project and Program Managers are hired for those specific skill sets. But if there is an area where they’re expected to be a Program Manager for a specific product line, they’re going to have to learn all about that product so that they can understand what they’re dealing with, what they’re managing, and that can be on the job training. My point is that’s what is going to make you exceptional is if you really learn the ins and outs so that when it does come to your tried and true skill set of being a Project or Program manager, that you can know the nuances and know who does what and just kind of know what skeletons are in the closet so that you can be a step ahead of the game. I often tell my team that as Project and Program Managers, we just need to be like three or four steps ahead. We can’t kind of be going at the same pace as the rest of the team because we have to anticipate the blockers or anticipate any problems that might come up so that we can mitigate them before they delay the project or cause an issue.

Janelle: 100%. And that’s the difference between good and great. You can be a subject matter expert (SME) and maybe you don’t necessarily have to be a SME, but you should dig in, you should learn, you should grow, you should understand. And I think that’s the difference between being good and being great. Thank you for sharing. That really excellent advice for anyone that is kind of curious about what it’s like to be a Program Manager here at GoDaddy. Onto our third question. Can you share with us what has been your biggest challenge as well as your biggest joy as a people leader and a manager?

Christine: Absolutely. So I’ll start with joy because more than anything, being a people leader brings me way more joy than anything else. If I had to paint the picture of what makes me the most joyful about being a People Manager, it’s when my team is confident, happy, enjoying their work, being efficient, being effective and just really kind of being on top of it. And I just love to see them be and feel successful. A lot of times in Program Management there’s things that go wrong because we’re a software company and things are going to go wrong. And it doesn’t mean that we are bad at our jobs, but it’s how we handle those things that happen that don’t make it a terrible day when we go off schedule or a bug pops up, that we’re able to handle it with grace and we’re able to remain confident that we can still deliver. So it’s just really fulfilling for me to help enable their success. The other thing I really love that makes me feel so joyful is when I see my direct team just thriving and learning from each other. One of the cool things I’ve been able to do is bring Program Managers from throughout Care and Services onto one team so we can continue to refine the craft, refine the motion of Project and Program Management in Care and Services. And they have learned so much from each other and they Slack each other if they know that one person is particularly good at something or will share a learning in a team meeting. That really helps someone else on their other project. And I love that we don’t have a spirit of competition in our team other than, like, we want to be great together, that we are willing to help each other. So I’m super proud my team thinks about our team that way. That brings me incredible joy.

Janelle: That really speaks to the culture that you have helped create within your team. Because to have that ability to knowledge share in that way means that they have an incredible amount of trust with each other and you can’t ask for anything better. To be a high performing team, there has to be a foundation of trust, and that’s an excellent and amazing culture to have on a team, especially one that that is working at the capacity, with the pressure that they have and the priorities, the responsibilities and as fast moving as the work is means that you probably do have a really efficient and effective and high performing team. And that’s wonderful. What makes it hard? What keeps you up at night.

Christine: Right. It probably goes without saying, but people management is hard. Like, as much joy as it brings me and the good days definitely outweigh the hard days. I mean, there are hard things that we have to do as people leaders. And I’d say the most challenging area is when you have someone on the team that you can see it’s just not working for them, whatever it is, the project, the role, and they’re not aware of it, yet. And sometimes it’s hard to hear feedback that you get from your leader, so I try to be conscious of that. But at the end of the day, it can just be really hard. It’s a hard situation if they’re not performing and the role is difficult. But it is the job of a people manager to provide the support, get the expectations in place so that they can perform at the level that they’re supposed to. But ultimately, at the end of the day, there are going to be those situations where they’re just not the best fit. So those are probably the hardest days that I have as a people leader.

Janelle: Delivering feedback and knowing it’s a sensitive conversation, but also having their best interests in mind throughout that. Right? So if they don’t know, helping them to know, and then coaching, and then if coaching isn’t enough, the harder conversation of like, hey, what can we do to get you where you will thrive? What does that look like?

Janelle: Yes, absolutely. And any good leader just wants their team to be happy and thriving. So when that’s not happening, it’s difficult for sure. And when your team is struggling with anything, a person, a colleague, a peer, a project, a task, a tool, you’re a little bit struggling too. But like you said, the good days outweighed, the bad days. Last question. Can you share with us what is a common myth about your job, your department or even your field of expertise?

Christine: I think go with Program or Project management and the common myth around that. It’s kind of a fun question because twelve years in at GoDaddy, I’ve been on the Program Management side of things for so long that I have noticed that there’s people that have different expectations about Project and Program Managers. I think the most incorrect thing that it is, is that we’re just like glorified notetakers for meetings or meeting schedulers or something like that. And I’m just like that couldn’t be more far from the truth. I mean, great Program Management is really just being the glue behind the initiative and helping to set the direction of what we’re going to deliver. And Program Management brings such value in times when there’s a lot of different people involved. It’s something that we haven’t done before and there’s stakes on the line or there’s high stakes for being delivered on time and on budget. I’d say kind of the other side of that is yes, we do take meeting notes. Absolutely. But beyond that, we are observing all the details. We are observing our team and understanding how they work best together. We have to know the business goals. We have to know the different nuances between how different teams operate, common risks on a certain program that we know could get in our way to delivering success. So I think just all those things help us bring the plan together, help keep things on track. And yeah, we are excellent notetakers as well.

Janelle: Yes. As a fellow Program Manager and People Operations, we are great listeners, great notetakers, super organized. You are all correct in all of those capacities. But we also dig in to ask really strategic questions. We are critical thinkers. We are problem solvers. We are communicating effectively the way that our business partners and cross functional partners will receive our information in a way that allows them to prioritize what we’re asking them to do so we can achieve a common goal. That is not easy. You’re right. It takes a lot of skills. Yes. Almost all of them.

Christine: Yeah. And it’s a great field for someone who you said is organized and really wants to keep moving, keep achieving, not doing the same thing every day. It’s an exciting career field because the definition of a project is something that has a start and an end. You’re going to be delivering something and then you’re moving on. So we’re not doing the same thing for any long period of time. We’re continually delivering milestones that bring value, which is the goal.

Janelle: I think, for folks that are listening to this call and are really interested in project management and program management, one thing to know is that in every area of the organization, these roles exist. They’re in Finance, they’re in Analytics, they’re in Care and Services, they’re in People Operations, they’re in HR, and there’s Technical Program Managers and there’s so many opportunities there. And to really just kind of dig into your skills, what type of work you love to do, what tools you love working with, what do you love most about what you do today and see if there’s something there. Christine, thank you so much for spending time with us. And if somebody wanted to chat with you a little bit more about this role and your team and just kind of this profession and all of your expertise, how could they get in touch with you?

Christine: Yeah, absolutely. They could find me on Slack, find me on email. I’ve also got a great team and they love to talk about Program Management. So, if you would like to get in contact with anyone on my team, I’d be happy to connect you. Yeah, my door is open.

Janelle: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Christine. This has been so much fun and appreciate you sharing your career story and your journey with our listeners and all about your team’s success here. And thank you to everyone for listening to the Own Your Career Podcast. We aim to inspire, motivate, and empower our employees to meet and achieve their professional goals. If you are interested in being a guest on a future episode of the podcast, please visit the MyCareer Portal Career Spotlight page and complete the interest form. While you’re there, please check out the many resources and articles available and reach out to us with feedback, questions and ideas. We would always love to hear from you. Thanks again, Christine and everyone. Make it a great day.

Christine: Thanks, Janelle. Thanks for having me.

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The annual Textile Exchange Conference took place in London this year, and a substantial group of SAC team members from our membership engagement, stakeholder engagement and business development teams were in attendance.

Each year, the conference brings together leaders and experts from across the apparel value chain in an effort to explore opportunities to collaborate and align on climate solutions.

A close collaborator with the SAC, Textile Exchange publishes the open-source Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix to assess the performance of different sustainability standards within material categories. The nonprofit also provides industry benchmarking data around fibers, including a recent report alongside consultancies Boston Consulting Group and Quantis.

At the SAC Lunch and Learn kindly hosted by Textile Exchange as part of the conference programme for approximately 60 registered attendees, Dani Baker, SAC’s senior membership engagement manager, EMEA, delivered a timely and relevant overview of the Higg Product Module. In addition, Hamza Hasan, candidate and membership engagement manager at the SAC, hosted a Fireside Chat to discuss the launch of the Higg FEM 4.0. “[Higg FEM is] the ticket to the game,” said panelist Jonathan Salmon, head of sustainability at Li & Fung Limited. “It’s not perfect, but there is no perfect tool.” Dipankar Bose, global environmental manager at Varner, concluded that “Higg FEM 4.0 is a future-proof masterpiece!” The SAC team also hosted a drinks reception where attendees had the opportunity to participate in an “Ask Me Anything” session with staff from the SAC, Worldly, and the SAC’s Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP).

The SAC enjoys a deep and collaborative relationship with Textile Exchange. With Apparel Impact Institute and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), we co-founded the apparel alliance to coordinate and align tools, programs and resources that reduce redundancies and drive performance improvements and collective actions to achieve a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. With the Global Fashion Agenda and the Federation of European Sporting Goods (FESI), we co-founded the Policy Hub to collaborate on technical expertise and propose ambitious sustainability policies for the apparel and footwear industry in Europe.

We were thrilled to participate this year and to contribute to the success of the 2023 Textile Exchange Conference!

Pepco | The Source

Pepco has joined forces with D.C. United to create a partnership that is leaving a lasting impact on students in the District’s Wards 7 and 8. This collaboration, in conjunction with DC SCORES, goes beyond standard after school programming, offering a host of opportunities and experiences to enrich the lives of these young learners.

DC SCORES focuses on soccer and in-class arts in under-resourced communities. DC SCORES organizes public soccer leagues for elementary and middle school students, fostering a vision where every child, regardless of family income, enjoys a well-rounded childhood and can achieve academic and personal success.

This fall, we participated in a special event hosted by Raymond Elementary School’s Poet Athletes, which included safety and electricity presentations from Pepco lineman Chris Baker, a truck demonstration where the students got an up-close view of what our lineworkers do as well as some hands-on lessons. The poet athletes even tried on some of the gear lineworkers wear every day. Did you know the full line gear can weigh up to 50 pounds?

After a live line demonstration, the group got to do some experiments of their own with a fun Halloween-themed approach, led by The NEED Project, which collaborates with Pepco and DC SCORES to enhance energy educational opportunities, bringing creativity, STEM education, and community engagement to Raymond Elementary students.

The fun didn’t stop there, however, as students were attended one of D.C. United’s games along with a visit to the D.C. Suite, where they watched their favorite team in style. It’s not just about watching the game; it’s about creating unforgettable memories and offering a sense of belonging and pride in their community.

Energized by Edison

By Casey Wian ENERGIZED by Edison Writer

Becoming a Southern California Edison lineworker takes intelligence, skill, determination, strength and bravery. It also takes all kinds, as demonstrated by three of Edison International’s 2023 Lineworker Scholarship winners.

Angela Brulée has enough can-do spirit to light up a room. The 44-year-old mother of five says she was certain about her career path the moment she saw a video on YouTube featuring an all-female lineworker rodeo team.

“Watching them go up and down the pole, their strength and their agility, it was just so inspiring for me,” Brulée said. “I thought, I can definitely do this!”

Video also played a significant role in Lazarus ‘Fuentes’ decision to pursue linework. While still in high school, he watched a documentary featuring lineworkers dangling from ropes attached to helicopters.

“I thought, That looks awesome.” I knew it was going to be the kind of job I would pursue at some point,” Fuentes said.

For Freddy McCutcheon, a former defensive lineman at San Jose State University, a close friend who worked as an SCE journeyman lineman was his inspiration.

“The lineworkers I know love what they do and the life it provides them and their families,” McCutcheon said. “I understand that the electric industry and the need for lineworkers are growing. Having a trade and something I can pass along to my kids is very important to me.”

Edison International’s Lineworker Scholarship Program is designed to provide opportunities for a diverse range of people to become SCE lineworkers, a much sought-after career that is critical to keeping power flowing throughout the company’s 50,000-square-mile service area. It awards scholarships of up to $25,000 per recipient, providing tuition, tools and support to complete training at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.

That’s where Brulée first learned about the program.

Raised in Van Nuys by her mother and stepfather, she visited her father in Compton on the weekends and learned how to use hand tools from him. Brulée dropped out of school at 16 to escape family difficulties. She eventually settled in Nevada and became a homemaker, but also worked as a hair stylist to help make ends meet.

During the pandemic, she moved back to her father’s house with her children, including one with special needs, to help her aging parents. Job prospects were bleak, and her family struggled financially.

Now, Brulée has passed the prerequisite courses and the physical agility test required for this fall’s Powerline Mechanic certificate course at LA Trade-Tech. She is on track to complete the program early.

McCutcheon, now 38, thought he might be headed to the NFL one day. But a knee injury during his senior year of college derailed those plans.

He worked as a graduate assistant for the San Jose State coaching staff but said, “It was a little hard going from being one of the top guys to being the guy getting coffee and donuts and printing things out.”

Married with three children at the time, “I didn’t really know how to use my degree to make any money,” McCutcheon said.

He found a job as a welding helper for an oil refinery contractor, which led to a career working for a company that refines jet fuel. But he wanted something different outside the fossil fuel industry and discussed linework with his journeyman friend.

Even he was skeptical about a former defensive lineman’s ability to perform a job that requires climbing 40-foot-high utility poles.

“I enjoy a challenge. The more people who say that I can’t do something, the more I’m motivated to do it,” McCutcheon said. “I understand about being part of a team and being prepared for the job you need to do.”

Fuentes enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17, partly because both of his parents had served in the military.

“For me, the military was the family business. I wanted to find the hardest thing I could do to challenge myself,” he said. Freshly out of the Marine Corps in January and about to become a father at age 23 himself, Fuentes said he was so excited he was shaking when he got the call that he was an Edison Lineworker Scholarship winner.

“This is a dream job. I have served my country, and now I am going to have the chance to serve my community as a lineworker.”

PHOTO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZ

Northern Trust has held its second Charity Trading Day, with employees across the world participating to benefit four global charities, aligned with the company’s philanthropic strategy.

As part of Achieving Greater Together, Northern Trust’s signature month of service, a total of $700,000 will be donated to the charities: Global Red Cross and Red Crescent Network, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), War Child and World Central Kitchen.

In the coming year, Northern Trust employees and clients will also donate thousands of volunteering hours in support of a number of the charities’ projects across the globe. The global effort, led by Northern Trust Asset Servicing, aligns with the company’s long-term community investment strategy to support those who have been marginalized with more opportunities to achieve long-term financial success.

“Our first Charity Trading Day in 2022 benefited global housing non-profit Habitat for Humanity International, with our employees donating many volunteering hours as well,” said Pete Cherecwich, president of Northern Trust Asset Servicing. “This year, we are delighted to make an even broader impact in our communities by supporting charities that collectively align with all four pillars of Northern Trust’s philanthropic focus: accessible healthcare, affordable housing, educational excellence and food security.”

Charity Trading Day is a cornerstone of the Asset Servicing business unit’s support for Northern Trust’s philanthropic strategy. The day involved hundreds of Asset Servicing employees, from trading and operations, through to client servicing and compliance and followed the sun across Capital Markets trading desks starting in Sydney and on to Singapore, London and Chicago.

“The exceptional support of our clients and trading partners has been invaluable in helping us spread awareness for these deserving causes,” said Guy Gibson, global head of Northern Trust Capital Markets, Banking & Treasury Services. “We are also grateful to our employees who volunteered during the month of Achieving Greater Together in further support of their missions.”

Following the October month of service, employees will also have the opportunity to come together with clients and volunteer for the charities through 2024 in line with Northern Trust’s commitment to give back to the communities in which we live and work.

Northern Trust Capital Markets* provides brokerage, foreign exchange, securities finance and transition management services. It is a division of Northern Trust Asset Servicing, which provides asset servicing, fund administration and middle office solutions to institutional asset managers and asset owners around the globe.

* About Northern Trust Capital Markets

Northern Trust Capital Markets is comprised of a number of Northern Trust entities that provide trading and execution services on behalf of institutional clients, including foreign exchange, institutional brokerage, securities finance and transition management services. Institutional Brokerage services including ITS are provided by Northern Trust Global Services SE (NTGS SE) in the European Economic Area (EEA), Northern Trust Securities LLP (NTS LLP) in the rest of EMEA, Northern Trust Securities Australia Pty Ltd (NTSA) in APAC and Northern Trust Securities, Inc. (NTSI) in the United States, member FINRA, SIPC and a subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation.

About Global Red Cross and Red Crescent Network

Through the Global Red Cross and Red Crescent Network, American Red Cross International Services helps prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by delivering aid and support programs around the world. Learn More

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® 

Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Through a global network of more than 260 Chapters in 62 countries and regions, RMHC enables, facilitates and supports family-centered care through three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House®, the Ronald McDonald Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®. RMHC programs help families with ill or injured children stay together and near leading hospitals and health care services worldwide, ensuring they have access to the medical care their child needs while fully supported and actively involved in their child’s care. Learn More

About War Child

At War Child we are driven by a single goal – ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war. We work in the hardest to reach places to support those who are hardest hit, to protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children, when they need us most. We will never give up on children affected by conflict. Learn More

About World Central Kitchen

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises. Applying our model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real time, WCK has served more than 300 million nourishing meals around the world. When disaster strikes, WCK’s Relief Team mobilizes with the urgency of now to start cooking and serving meals to people in need. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks, or emergency kitchens, WCK serves comforting meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. To support regional economies, WCK prioritizes purchasing local ingredients to cook with or distribute directly to families in need. We know that good food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis. Learn more at wck.org.

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust Corporation (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a leading provider of wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking to corporations, institutions, affluent families and individuals. Founded in Chicago in 1889, Northern Trust has a global presence with offices in 25 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., and across 22 locations in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. As of September 30, 2023, Northern Trust had assets under custody/administration of US$14.2 trillion, and assets under management of US$1.3 trillion. For more than 130 years, Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader for exceptional service, financial expertise, integrity and innovation. Visit us on northerntrust.com. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @NorthernTrust or Northern Trust Corporation on LinkedIn.

Northern Trust Corporation, Head Office: 50 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603 U.S.A., incorporated with limited liability in the U.S. Global legal and regulatory information can be found at https://www.northerntrust.com/terms-and-conditions.

NEW YORK, October 27, 2023 /3BL/ – Verizon announced that new grant funding opportunities for small businesses, totaling $500,000, are available via Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. In partnership with Next Street and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready online resource is designed to give under-resourced small businesses the tools they need to help grow their business and thrive in today’s digital economy. Small business owners who register on the platform receive free, personalized access to over 40 online courses, mentorship opportunities with industry experts, peer networking events, 1:1 expert coaching and incentives such as the opportunity to apply for grant funding. Based on a survey conducted of small business owners registered on the platform, 99% of respondents agree that Small Business Digital Ready courses helped their business.*

“Since Verizon Small Business Digital Ready launched in 2021, we have been able to support over 200,000 small business owners nationwide,” said Rose Stuckey Kirk, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Verizon. “We are proud to tap into our tools and resources – as well as our network of experts – to help small businesses succeed and, ultimately, help benefit their local communities.”

In an effort to provide a more personalized experience to users, Verizon Small Business Digital Ready was recently updated with new content, such as short-form videos, articles and audio clips, and revamped with a fresh look to provide small business owners with a clear path to the resources and tools that are right for them.

Starting today, October 12, until December 20, 2023, small businesses can unlock the application for this round of grant funding by first registering on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal and completing at least two of the following, in any combination: courses, coaching or community events. Small businesses that complete the application will be eligible for consideration to receive a $10,000 grant.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready includes courses designed to provide essential knowledge and tools, including topics such as developing a marketing strategy, improving employee experience, cybersecurity, best practices for leveraging social media channels for growth, and many others. The free portal also includes access to expert mentorship, providing small business owners with the opportunity to obtain ongoing advice and support from experienced professionals who can help them overcome business challenges. Spanish language course offerings, 1:1 coaching from experts and community events are also available.

“To harness and take advantage of the growth of the digital economy, small business owners must have access to the latest information and best practices around marketing themselves to their customers and running their businesses effectively online,” said Sharon Lee Thony, Founder & CEO of SLT Consulting and Verizon Small Business Digital Ready instructor. “Registering for free online courses like those on Verizon’s Small Business Digital Ready platform is a great way to not only tap into critical skills in areas like marketing or branding but also for engaging with mentors and networking with other entrepreneurs.”

This initiative is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1M small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy as part of its responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts.

*Based on a survey conducted of more than 4500+ users registered on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform