Tag Archive for: female CEO

Kendra Lee: Chairman and CEO, Merichem

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Kendra Lee“If you are looking for career growth, whether that’s moving up the chain of command, or whether it’s broadening your skill set, you must trust in yourself and take on things you’ve never done before,” says Kendra Lee.

Lee shares how her willingness to take risks, embrace new opportunities, and have the confidence of her convictions not only shaped her career trajectory, but continues to guide her as a leader.

From Lab Tech to CEO

Upon graduating from Texas A&M with a marine sciences degree, Lee never anticipated a career in the chemicals industry. Typically, her field required pursuing a graduate degree, but she was eager to start working and wanted a break from school. Merichem, a family company founded by her grandfather in 1945, offered her an unexpected opportunity – a lab technician role.

However, she quickly realized that lab work was not her passion, and when an internal sales position opened, she seized the chance to explore a different path that better aligned with her interests. Concurrently, she decided to earn an MBA to build a stronger business foundation. As she was completing her MBA, her grandfather passed away, and Merichem’s leadership transitioned to her cousin. Lee credits her cousin with recognizing her strengths and guiding her from sales to finance, hinting at her potential for future leadership.

“I recognized later that by encouraging me to get experience in corporate finance, he was preparing me with the skills and knowledge needed to one day assume leadership of the company.”

Lee’s readiness to embrace new challenges and build her skill set eventually led to her becoming Chairman and CEO in 2013. In leading Merichem, Lee is thrilled to continue the legacy of sustainability that is at the core of what the company does.

“From as early as 1945 Merichem has been focused on taking products that would otherwise be classified as hazardous waste and cleaning them up or reusing them to make them better for the overall environment, fitting a need for the industry.”

Leading Change for Business Growth

Lee’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through as she fearlessly leads change at the company, knowing it’s essential for business growth and adapting to industry needs.

“It’s about having the right leadership team to drive change, addressing operational issues for greater efficiency, and implementing necessary adjustments despite initial resistance. Ultimately, people realize these changes are beneficial. I see myself as a change agent who enjoys looking for ways to improve and then executing those processes.”

Lee recognizes that change can come with uncertainty, but she is energized by navigating the unknown to get to an outcome that is better for the business. For example, Lee recently led the divestiture of a part of the business that removed sulfur compounds from liquids to help provide cleaner fuel sources in the petrochemical industry.

She explains, “part of the reason we divested was because we recognized the business’ growth potential and importance, but Merichem was not the right owner. It needed new ownership to be able to grow and take advantage of its place as one of the leaders in removing sulfur within the oil and gas space.”

Taking Risks and Trusting in Yourself

Lee’s willingness to take risks and embrace new opportunities served her well in progressing from lab tech to CEO and clearly continues to drive her as a leader.

She advocates, “you have to take that risk. Be willing to trust in yourself and know that you can figure it out. Because otherwise you become paralyzed, and you won’t take that next step.”

Taking the leap to try something new also creates momentum in building the skills to get to the next level.

“You’re never going to get more experience or broaden your skill set if you don’t say, ‘I’ve got to do this. I’ve proven to myself I can learn things, so let’s try it.’ It’s trusting in yourself.”

Lee notes that trusting in herself also builds confidence, an important element of leadership development.

“I have a strong self-confidence that comes across, even though I’m not inclined to self-promotion. My confidence helps in addressing difficult subjects head-on with clarity, admitting when I don’t know something, which adds value and credibility.”

As a woman leader in the male-dominated industry of oil and gas, Lee shares that it took time and experience for her to build that confidence when walking into spaces where she was one of the only women. She adds, “as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to acknowledge my strengths and talents, and can say, ‘it doesn’t matter that I’m a woman, I have just as much to contribute to the conversation as a man does’.”

Being a Leader who Listens

Lee is a collaborative leader who listens to her team and makes a point of cultivating an environment where they feel safe to give honest feedback. She finds that it is essential to have that space for dialogue to get the best ideas out there to make an informed decision.

“One thing I learned very early on is that I’m not the smartest person in the room. And while the decision may be mine to take, there is a lot of other valuable input that I need to hear and consider before I decide. In the end it will help me make a better decision.”

Creating a culture that allows for constructive feedback and even disagreement is important to Lee. Beyond being an active listener, Lee takes the perspective that “opinions are never wrong as it’s all shaped by how we see the world and where we were raised…it’s acknowledging that there is validity to what people are saying, even if it may not be the right answer at the right time.”

Lee also looks for a diversity of opinion and is intentional in creating a team that reflects many viewpoints.

“The more diversity you can get in that thought group, whether it’s gender, race, or ethnicity. the better your decisions because everybody comes at it a little bit differently.”

Passionate about Community and Family

Outside of work, Lee is deeply committed to her community. She serves on the board of Kids Meals, a non-profit organization that provides daily free lunches to children under five who experience food insecurity, as they are not yet part of the school system.

“Currently, they’re serving about 8,000 children a day. It’s remarkable the impact they can have on the community, helping to set these kids up for success when they do get to school,” she notes.

In addition to her community involvement, Lee manages a busy schedule with her active teenagers. She is grateful for the support of nearby family members who assist in getting her children to their activities when she or her husband are in meetings or traveling. Despite her demanding role as a company executive, she reflects, “It’s the same amount of stress as any working parent faces. Having a C-suite title does not make it any more difficult.”

To unwind, Lee enjoys vacationing with her family, cooking, and gardening.

By Jessica Robaire

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Voice of Experience: Shellye Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream

shellye_archambeau_ceo_metricstream_pc_photo_courtesy_of_metricstream1by Heather Cassell (San Francisco)

Shellye Archambeau, chief executive officer of MetricStream, a market leader in quality governance, risk, and compliance process and management solutions for diverse multi-national corporations, always knew she wanted to run a company.

More than 20 years experience in the technology industry, Archambeau is one of the few African American women leading the way in government compliance software, but it’s no mistake she’s where she is today.

“I’m a big believer in planning,” says Archambeau, 46, pointing out that many people believe that by working hard they will achieve their goals, but “unfortunately it just doesn’t always work that way. For some people it happens, but if you just look at the odds the odds are actually against you.”

“So, therefore you have to do things that increase your odds and for me that was planning,” Archambeau continues.

With her focus on running a company and her interest in technology in the early 1980s, Archambeau set off after the commencement of her tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business to run IBM.

“At 22 years old you are naive enough to be so big and bold,” says Archambeau laughing. “So, that’s what I did.”

Like many of the technology behemoth’s CEOs that she studied, she started her 15 year career on IBM’s sales floor, but she immediately differentiated herself from her collogues broadening her experience by utilizing her marketing degree. Keeping her focus she identified and achieved goals, such as obtaining a profit and loss position and eventually an overseas assignment, in spite of obstacles by making the “right decisions” to stay on her timeline.

“It wasn’t anything that was written down or part of a development plan,” says Archambeau about her path to becoming an IBM executive and ultimately the first African American woman sent on an international assignment to Tokyo, Japan to run a $1.6 billion dollar business for the computing giant.

Achambeau’s path to success was having a vision and filling in the details with careful research, planning, prioritizing, and evaluation, but she didn’t get there alone.

A variety of mentors helped her achieve success in her career goals as well as having a strong “personal cheerleader” in her corner—her stay-at-home husband of 25 years, Scottie, who she met while they both worked at IBM.

“I’m a big believer in mentors,” says Archambeau, but not just as a career resource or opportunity mine. She discovered mid-career that mentors help people “do their current job very well” and that an outside perspective is important.

“It didn’t occur to me to actually build advisors or mentors outside of the company,” says Archambeau when a colleague asked her about professional guidance separate from the company. Since then she’s developed an out-of-company team of advisors.

“Whatever job you have somebody has done it before,” says Archambeau about leveraging other people’s experience to assist you with doing a better job in the current position you hold. ”You won’t get the next one until you do the one that you’ve got exceptionally well.”

Planning and mentors have been key elements in her success, but the foundation has been her “phenomenal partnership” with her husband, she says.

“I owe a great deal of my success directly to him,” says Archambeau of Scottie about not only managing their busy family life with two, now college-age kids, and many moves around the world, but also in believing in her.

“Everybody, especially every woman, needs a personal cheerleader,” says Archambeau, stating that cheerleaders don’t need to be a “stay-at-home husband,” but people who counterbalance the negative messages by telling you no matter what happens, “‘Hey you are good. You are capable. You can do this.’”

“There are a lot of messages out there telling you just the opposite,” Archambeau tells The Glass Hammer. That support strengthens the plan both at home and career.

“You have to think through, “How are you going to do it and what has to be true to make it work?” she says about how she makes it all work saying that it’s a “constant self-check” asking yourself what is important and why it’s important as “elements of your life” and priorities shift.

The plan and examining the “elements” especially came into play when she decided it was time to transition from being an executive of a large company to becoming a CEO of a smaller company.

The market wasn’t a friendly environment in 2002 for a technology executive without experience at the very top tier to make the transition to CEO—it was flooded with more experienced CEOs vying for the very few open positions. Rather than going ahead with the original plan, Archambeau took advantage of the time to research the experiences of other executives who had left large companies to run smaller companies.

Finding that a great percentage of CEO’s failed at their first few attempts, she decided to increase her odds of success by accepting executive officer level positions at a few small companies in order to gain an understanding of the dynamics of running the business, she says. Her plan paid off. Three companies later, Archambeau turned around formerly challenged MetricStream to being the leader in compliance management technology as its CEO.

Archambeau starts her days off with an early workout at the gym, before heading off to lead MetricStream into its future and ending the day at a board meeting for Arbitron, Inc., Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives, IT Senior Management Forum or Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

Just as much as she enjoys her professional life, Archambeau loves socializing with her family and friends. She runs a gourmet dinner club as well as going out to the theater, enjoying music, and dancing with her husband and friends, she says.

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Woman to Woman: Xerox names new female CEO

ursula_burns.jpgby Liz O’Donnell (Boston)

On Thursday, May 21st, Xerox Corporation announced Ursula Burns, the current president of the company, will take over as CEO effective July 1 replacing current chief Anne Mulcahy. Mulcahy, who is retiring, will remain as chairman of the board. While Burns’ appointment may be business as usual inside Xerox, it is much bigger news outside of the technology company. This marks the first woman-to-woman CEO transition and Burns will be the first black woman CEO in the Fortune 500.

Inside Xerox, employees recognize Burns as a key member of the company’s leadership team. She has been with the organization for just under thirty years, starting as a mechanical engineering summer intern. During her tenure she has worked in a variety of roles from product development to planning. She led several business teams including the office color and fax business and office network printing business. In 2000, she was named senior vice president, Corporate Strategic Services, and in April 2007, she was named president. Her areas of concern include IT, corporate strategy, human resources, corporate marketing and global accounts.

Xerox employees might also be un-phased by the company passing the CEO torch from one woman to another woman. After all, Xerox is often recognized for its diversity. This year the Human Rights Campaign recognized the document management company as one of its 2009 Best Places to Work, based on “fair-minded and equal” workplace policies. Xerox was also ranked number 35 on The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list and number one on The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity. And, Xerox employees a full-time, executive diversity officer in Philip Harlow.

But outside of Xerox, Burns’ appointment is hardly status quo. It is historic. Currently, there are only four black CEOs at Fortune 500 companies. Burns will become number five, but again, she will be the first woman in that group. As far as women CEOS, currently, there are just 14 female CEOs in the Fortune 500. With the loss of Mulcahy and her replacement by Burns, that small percentage will remain the same. While the number of women at the helm is still very small, successions like the one from Mulcahy to Burns, two women who worked well together and supported each other, and firsts like Carol Bartz moving from one CEO position (Autodesk) to another (Yahoo) mark the progress women in business are making. Read more

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