For the last nearly four decades, as President of Bondtech Corporation, Elsa Brown has transformed the company to become the leader in the design and manufacturing of autoclaves for Medical Waste Treatment, as well as a leading manufacturer of autoclaves for rubber vulcanizing, aerospace composites and glass lamination. Elsa has the capacity to inspire her team to be the best that they can be. Her vision is to encourage and motivate them to achieve their full potential by using positive reinforcement and providing an enjoyable work environment—the success of the company and her recognition of the value of her employees.

Elsa also established International Marketing Specialists for marketing a variety of products. It has been open since 1983 and has started a plastic container manufacturing company in Guatemala. Elsa holds numerous roles, including Vice President of Gator Made Trailers in Somerset, KY, President, owner, and founder of IMS Fabrication in Salisbury, N.C., President of Innovacycle Guatemala, Vice President, Treasurer, and Missions Director of Outreach for Jesus, Somerset, KY, and founder and President of the Somerset Foundation.

Born in Guatemala, Elsa came to the United States to attend school at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois, where she received a Bachelor’s degree. An avid traveler, Elsa has lived in Australia for 2 1/2 years and traveled around Asia and Europe for 4 1/2 months. It is pertinent to mention that the steadfast leader has also traveled for mission work through Outreach for Jesus, and Somerset Foundation encouraging female business owners and the public, in general, to excel in their gifts and abilities.

Her way of leadership is allowing the employees to work independently, encouraging her team to learn how to complete tasks and relate to all work activities on their own. Elsa is always available to teach and train; however, they don’t need to be micro-managed once they know. “They learn to lead their own area of work without constantly having someone else hold their hands,” says Elsa. “Most people measure success by profitability, I measure success by independence and the ability to achieve personal goals. I feel I was successful immediately when I started my company. We started showing profits the first year, however, we worked very hard, and in the process, we learned more than we learned in the university.”

Elsa strongly believes that life is not about being a male or a female. Life is about opportunities, and everyone must follow their passion. “If you don’t have a passion, find a passion since without it you will not be able to complete your dreams. I have heard people say, if you love what you do, you would not have worked a day in your life. I love what I do,” elucidates Elsa.

Since the start of Bondtech Corporation, Elsa believed that industry and geographic diversification were necessary for the company’s growth. Bondtech’s autoclaves are well known in industries such as Medical Waste, APHIS waste, Rubber Vulcanizing, Aerospace composites, wood treatment, casting industries, and more. One of the most significant achievements for Bondtech has been the development of the most efficient commercial medical waste autoclave system worldwide. Bondtech medical waste autoclaves are used by the most prominent medical waste service companies worldwide. “The development of a system that is 100% environmentally friendly and that uses very little water is what I am extremely proud of! In today’s world a lot of organizations promise but we make it a point to deliver!” explains Elsa.

With a unique mindset, Elsa has been taking the company to new heights. Being a Christian philanthropist, in addition to Bondtech Corporation, Elsa is the Vice-President and Missions director of Outreach for Jesus alongisde being President and Founder of Somerset Foundation. Elsa’s goal has been to fight extreme poverty and social injustice worldwide and help those who, due to wars and disabilities, cannot help themselves. Her vision is to provide education and affordable housing for people with disabilities. For the days to come, Elsa’s vision for Bondtech is to continue diversifying and developing new products and modernizing our existing products. WL

Allie Kelly serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Employ and possesses an incredible ability to inspire a data-driven approach that guides organizational decision-making. Her modern approach to leading high-growth companies, particularly during periods of significant change, makes her a transformational leader in HR technology and services. She is also a highly communicative leader who values transparency and visibility of critical issues within the organization.

The pioneering leader has nearly two decades of experience and expertise in driving performance across sales, product, and marketing and is a powerful force with a profound understanding of micro- and macro-economic trends, leading to actionable insights to drive scalable and sustainable growth. She brings an empathetic, passionate approach to leadership, empowering her teams to create change and search for better ways to do things.

Overseeing the shared services marketing organization for the JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite, and NXTThing brands, Allie leads the brand transformation of the business that aligns marketing, product, and sales with delivering an exceptional customer experience, while driving record revenue and customer growth. As a customer-centric marketing leader with core strengths in transformational change and growth-stage leadership, Allie is committed to leading by example and demonstrating a resilient spirit that inspires those around her.

As a powerful female leader, Allie found success at an early age. Prior to her current role, she served as Chief Marketing Officer of JazzHR. She has also held key marketing leadership positions at high-growth companies, including Attivio, SnapApp, and Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. During her career, she has received recognition as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS from The Software Report. She also currently serves on the Fast Company Executive Board, an invitation-only professional organization of leaders who share a commitment to shaping the future of business.

Allie recognizes the importance of women supporting women, no matter what industry they are in. She is an advocate and counselor for businesswomen seeking to establish or grow their companies. One of her greatest passions is ensuring working parents have the structural support to make work- and home -life blend easier. She has singlehandedly advocated for flexible and hybrid work options, and in the companies she has led, Allie has collaborated with HR teams to establish policies and programs that extend caregiver and parental leave to working parents and other caregivers.

One of Allie’s most noticeable traits is her ability to teach. She formally and informally mentors those individuals who directly report to her and those team members looking for support. Not only does Allie provide her own time and expertise, but she also demonstrates what leadership looks like, asking her team members to challenge her regularly, push for answers, and let data drive the narrative. Her instincts for teaching and guiding others are one of her most incredible superpowers.

She inspires others around her to own their specific functional area, rallying the team and leading with compassion, humor, and intelligence. Her no-nonsense approach to leadership ensures that everyone has a voice and that team members are valued for their contributions and their individualism. Allie understands the importance of building a culture of gratitude and regularly thanks her teams for their drive, dedication, and accomplishments. Armed with this brilliant mindset, the pioneering leader has been taking the company to new heights. Employ is the most prominent modern provider of talent acquisition solutions, offering customers more choices, flexibility, and unmatched scalability through its four solutions: JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite, and NXTThing RPO. The company has more than 850 employees, working relentlessly for 18,000 customers, and supports:

• 6.5 Million Active Jobs

• 4.9 Million Hires in the past 12 months

• 500 Million Candidates

Each of these numbers represents the opportunity to make a difference for customers in the most challenging hiring environment in history. Whether companies need an easy-to-use, affordable technology powering SMB hiring with JazzHR, an end-to-end talent acquisition suite for growing companies with Lever, or unmatched capabilities and platform flexibility for large enterprises with Jobvite, Employ offers an entire portfolio of recruitment technology that delivers more predictable hiring and drives business results.

Coupled with outsourced hiring services from NXTThing RPO, Employ is unlike any provider that has ever existed in the market — or ever will.

The path to success includes many stops along the way. For Allie professionally, she is excited to help grow Employ, ultimately moving the organization to strategic exit. As a high-growth leader, she is laser-focused on ensuring the company grows organically and through acquisition to define a new category in talent acquisition. Moving from category leader to new category definition is career-defining for Allie as an executive. It is an unprecedented goal that she is already well on her way to achieving.

Allie is committed to seeing Employ to a successful exit. She also intends to continue being the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, and aunt, while supporting other women professionally and personally. The future is not fully defined, but it presents a wealth of opportunity for Allie as she determines where her journey will take her. One thing is for sure; wherever she puts her attention, she will thrive and excel.

They say, “it takes a village” – and, during Valerie Hall’s professional career, that is proven true over and over. The Sr. VP of Kirkpatrick Management Company is thankful for the great teams who have assisted her and supported her daily.

They are Valerie’s inspiration. “I maintain high expectations for my team members, and I believe in their ability and push them to achieve both personal and professional success. Effective communication is the quality that plays the most important part in this focus,” says Valerie. “I am sincere and meaningful in everything I do. For my team and clients, I am nothing if not a trustworthy source for the good, the bad, and everything in between.” Valerie is a steadfast leader who never accepts the status quo, and she states, “I strive to learn from my mistakes and know that there is always room for improvement. I want to be the very best in the industry.”

Kirkpatrick Management Company has been named a Top Workplace for four consecutive years. And Valerie sincerely acknowledges that the company’s culture makes what she can achieve possible. She is proud of the company’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and opportunity for women of all ages, races, and backgrounds.

Valerie is inspiring and empowering team members to become great leaders of tomorrow. With company growth and development, Valerie has developed a leadership team of three Regional Vice Presidents – across the Midwest portfolio. All three are females who have risen through the ranks through hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the company’s mission. “I inspire them through coaching, honest communication, and always having their backs!” Hence, Valerie has fast culminated in supporting the female entrepreneurs trying hard to establish themselves. “I work alongside my team members with a true commitment to embody actions that stand behind my words. I never lose sight of the fact that my female colleagues have a story and experiences that I can relate to and share,” explains Valerie. “We are mothers, wives, daughters and come behind our fellow female ambassadors who’ve paved the opportunities available to us today.”

The pioneering leader started her career with Kirkpatrick Management company over 25 years ago in an entry-level position. Valerie believes the individual defines success; to her, it was a constant desire and effort to learn continuously. “Knowledge is power. My best advice is to never stop learning. Especially where failures are involved – see every failure as an opportunity to get closer to success,” adds Valerie. “Oprah Winfrey nailed it when she said, “Think like a Queen. A Queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” Armed with this unique ethics, Valerie has been taking the company to new heights.

Kirkpatrick Management Company is a family-owned property management company that has proudly served communities throughout the Midwest since 1973. With cooperative clients throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio and over 150 employees representing the company’s front line, KMC is known as a leader in the cooperative property management field. Their property managers, regional property managers, and skilled and experienced staff work together to develop a custom plan for each neighborhood we serve. “As with many industries, we constantly evolve to stay in line with advanced technology. I’ve learned if we don’t, we’ll get left behind,” talks Valerie about how the company is constantly motivated to seek out the best available products and services to best offer clients the convenience that technology offers.

Being passionate about industry education and training – lacking in the cooperative housing sector- Valerie has had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Association of Housing Cooperatives (MAHC), one of the few organizations that offer industry training. “The pandemic caused financial setbacks to the organization, and my goal is to re-brand and reinvigorate this necessary organization for Cooperatives across the nation,” she elucidates.

Kirkpatrick Management Company celebrates 50 years of excellence in 2023 – a fascinating accomplishment. “As I continue to develop our cooperative leadership team, I strengthen our business foundation, which will undoubtedly lead to new cooperative clients across the Midwest,” says Valerie. “As for me, while I have many professional years left, the same commitment to this leadership development initiative will mean I’ve done all I can to ensure the continuation of our special business for the next 100 + years.” WL

Dana Karzan, Chief Marketing Officer of VyStar Credit Union, has a depth of branding experience, including designing and launching brands across global financial and technology products. This experience has led her to become a people’s leader. Dana has taken her team to new heights with her strategic insight while also remaining true to her passion for serving the community.

In her role at VyStar, Dana is responsible for driving growth, awareness, engagement, communications and public relations, and community engagement. At the same time, she lives out the credit union’s purpose – ‘Do Good.’ “We do good for employees, members (customers), and our community. For employees, we focus on competitive wages, outstanding benefits, training and development, and opportunities to volunteer in the community,” explains Dana. “For members, we focus on financial wellness supported by products with great rates and low or no fees. For the community, we focus on building resilient communities through giving through volunteerism, mentoring, board membership and financial giving. We grow because of the good we do, and as a not-for-profit, the more we grow, the more good we can do.”

In 2020 and 2021, Dana led the development, creation, and launch of VyStar’s new brand and tagline, Do Good. Bank Better.SM This message is much more than a tagline, these are the words that VyStar lives by each day, and this new tagline allows the credit union to elevate its promise.

The idea for the new brand started in 2020 and took over one year to develop and launch. The end product resulted in an integrated marketing campaign featuring several television and radio commercials, streaming videos, billboards, digital ads and organic social media content. The campaign included the people, places and organizations that are a vital part of the community, including one of VyStar’s local branches, nonprofit organizations and small businesses. This campaign’s success helps to define VyStar in its existing and growing communities. With a strong brand identity, VyStar can help to influence change and create positive, lasting impacts in every community it serves. Today, VyStar is the 13th largest credit union in the country, with over 850,000 members and over $13 billion in assets. VyStar’s growth is vital to the credit union because it allows VyStar to do more good and enables more people to bank better. The credit union can better provide for its members and communities and invest in its people because of its strategic growth plan, which focuses on serving member needs, scale and efficiency, diversification, and stability.

While supporting the growth of VyStar, Dana remains keenly focused on personal development planning for her entire team. “Each marketing team member develops an annual plan with their managers that they collectively work through during the year. We review the plan and discuss key opportunities both internally and externally that can help the team member gain skills and experience,” says Dana. “Additionally, I focus on team level development across key skills like communication, influencing, trust and conflict resolution.” Dana also continues to mentor upcoming leaders outside of the organization.

In addition to her role at VyStar, Dana serves on the Board of Directors for Groundwork Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Symphony, two of Northeast Florida’s integral institutions. Groundwork Jacksonville’s mission is to “bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well-being.”

VyStar actively supports Groundwork Jacksonville’s efforts on the Emerald Trail, which will connect urban core neighborhoods and create a healthy and sustainable community for everyone. Dana has taken a leading role in VyStar’s partnership, which supports the credit union’s desire to improve the places where its employees and members live, work and play. Similarly, the Jacksonville Symphony is a cultural landmark within the community. Dana helps drive VyStar’s support of the arts in all forms, inspiring residents and visitors of all ages to think and live creatively.

Before joining the VyStar team in August 2020, Dana held various positions at large companies such as Wells Fargo, Citi and Facebook. Dana has experience leading multiple teams in product marketing, brand strategy, customer segment growth and engagement, customer management, and more. This experience led her to VyStar, where she works hard to improve the world around her.

“My advice to everyone is to determine your strengths and passions. This may be a ‘trial and error’ process where you try new things and see what you are good at and enjoy,” she says. “In my experience, my biggest growth opportunities came where I leaned into change or challenging situations. Don’t be afraid to take these on. While difficult initially, you learn so much through the journey.” WL

The inert, thoughtful attention to detail and dovetailing function of the user allows tammy edmonds DESIGN (teD) to be as unique as it is today. Tammy Edmonds, founder, CEO & creative director of the firm, has created a more design-build artisan approach towards design and its execution. In 2017 teD expanded its in-house capabilities by branching off and creating Chester Install, Inc., which focuses on architectural millwork and cabinetry installations. Through this joint but separate venture, design meets with the technical expertise to produce a more well-rounded artisan solution for the client.

Empowering young entrepreneurs and up-and-coming designers encompasses teD’s methodology of paying it forward. According to Tammy, the industry can only be as strong as the next generation is prepared to grow it. “Our scholastic institutions can only take them so far, professionals have to provide guidance and sacrifice the necessary time to help mentor those who are not just the young but those who decided to make a career change and follow their passion,” she says. “teD prides itself in the work it has contributed to local universities and second career designer and tradesmen looking for apprenticeships to thrive.” The greatest gift Tammy gives back is to lead by example and to share as many of the lessons learned as she can.

Time accumulates a wealth of knowledge, and sharing those valuable lessons is a joy for Tammy. “Most recently, I have been a lecturer at the California State University Design Program in Long Beach, CA, teaching the third-year spring semester design studio,” elucidates Tammy. “Seeing the youth of our industry thrive as they do and playing a part in that is extremely rewarding. It also keeps me current with the thinking methodology of their generation.” This awareness highlights’ but one of the avenues in how Tammy succeeds in her projects. There is a difference between trendy and staying current—the latter leads to successful, timeless solutions. Staying diverse and embracing different forms of design allows for creativity to thrive. There’s no boundary that I see—from design in graphic form to environmental. The detail of fine craftsmanship holds as equal weight as the quiet beauty of putting paint on canvas and the seed of self-expression that blossoms with each stroke towards the ultimate success of a well-rounded completed project.

With a brilliant and creative mind, Tammy has led the firm toward new heights. teD has over 100+ projects, in various forms, under its belt in private aviation, and Tammy is very proud of that achievement. They were the first to curate a branding strategy for their client that embraces the vernacular of the city that they are located in which, for the aviation community was not necessarily a priority. However, utilizing teD’s branding strategy in their remodels advanced a relatively smaller network, expand as it went through multiple acquisitions to grow their network and become the second largest network chain—all with a standard design thread woven through them. “We lead the industry in pushing the design threshold into an elevated experience without sacrificing function. Was it revolutionary? Yes. Are we still? Yes,” explains Tammy. “teD is always striving to match the design with a company’s business and marketing goals. We take great pride in studying lifestyle trends and staying ahead of the technology component– which is needed in balancing design solutions.” Technology pushes teD—and spaces need to complement them to a degree, but not fully dictate either. Technology changes quickly, so you want to maintain flexibility. Hence, a decisive goal for teD is staying ahead of the curve and not forgetting the past, which helps pave the future.

According to Tammy, COVID changed many things in the industry and in general. “The supply chain issues we suffered through, and still do, is something that we are actively addressing for our clients. We have expanded our capabilities to allow us to control production, transportation, and design in-house through meaningful relationships with other vendors and suppliers so that we are not stuck in the crosshairs of these issues,” adds the pioneering leader. “Chester Install, Inc. has invested in a new CNC machine that allows us to fabricate and manufacture in real-time. It also allows us to partner with another vendor to assist them with fabrication needs if they come up.” For the days to come, Tammy’s goal is to continue to provide opportunities to curious minds wanting to experience the joy of contributing to the built environment. Our industry needs to do more for culturally inclusive community of artisans, designers, and installers to find one another. “We must highlight the joy of making things with our hands and the feeling of accomplishment that provides,” she asserts. WL

Sandra Fraga, Chief Sales & Marketing officer at SYSPRO, has extensive experience building successful global sales and marketing strategies and teams. Having spent most of her career in the IT industry, being tenacious and determined has enabled Sandra to implement transformational strategies and plans to ensure that SYSPRO continues to grow and thrive across the globe. “I am an appreciator of innovation, creativity and data-driven decision making and I approach and drive sales and marketing in a way that adds value to the unique business demands of each manufacturing and distribution customer,” says Sandra. “With a customer and partner first approach, together with my teams, I am focused on creating customer success by nurturing relationships and building communities.”

According to Sandra, women have an integral role in the workplace. Her passion lies in the upliftment of female leaders at SYSPRO and in being a mentor to aspiring young talent and entrepreneurs. “The reality is that we still face gender biases, but women have a strong role to play as critical thinkers, offering pragmatic solutions that are innovative and empathetic,” explains Sandra. “To empower women leaders within my team and organization I continue to motivate and encourage them in their career and self-development through coaching and mentoring – allowing each individual to take ownership and accountability of their development while being supported by the business.”

This passion has led Sandra to take on the role of program sponsor for the SYSPRO Women in Leadership Program. The initiative aims to attract and encourage women to take on leadership roles within the organization and includes workshops, networking sessions, online courses, and mentoring. Taking place over six months, the Women in Leadership Program looks to develop leadership skills, an understanding of the latest technology trends, resilience, and personal branding.

The SYSPRO Women in Leadership Program is one of the many ways that the company addresses the gender gap in the tech industry and encourages more women to occupy various positions at all levels of the organization. “As female leaders we have the ability to create human connections and demonstrate genuine empathy. We are pragmatic in our approach and resourceful. Studies have shown that female leaders encourage a culture of innovation, boost employee engagement, foster deep customer relationships all of which deliver better financial performance and profitability for a business,” elucidates Sandra. With this approach, Sandra has been taking the company to new heights.

“As a business we are relentlessly focused on market growth and penetration, serving the manufacturing and distribution sectors, offering deep industry specialization, building meaningful and trusted relationships with our customers, partners, and global teams,” says Sandra.

One of the company’s latest business achievements was the launch of the SYSPRO Cloud ERP deployment option for global manufacturers and distributors. Designed to make things possible in critical industries, SYSPRO Cloud ERP provides businesses with the agility to meet evolving market demands amidst ongoing supply chain challenges. SYSPRO Cloud ERP offers manufacturers multiple benefits, including the ability to collaborate in real-time, the ability to adopt best industry practices, the proficiency to customize requirements and reduce IT Infrastructure, resilience, and management costs, and the ability to future-proof operations.

“As we move into the future as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, my goal is to grow the business and focus on becoming a customer and partner centric business. Amplifying the SYSPRO brand and leveraging digital platforms and tools to reach our customers and prospects as their sales journey increasingly shifts digitally.” WL

The above quote is very close to Debbie Friedemann, CFO of RK Logistics Group’s heart. By being a persistent leader, she has been inspiring and empowering everyone close to her and also aspiring leaders or entrepreneurs to become great leaders of tomorrow. “I teach them by self-example. I achieved two goals that were important to me: acquiring my doctorate degree and getting published,” says Debbie. “I hope to inspire other leaders to also achieve their goals. Fear is a persistent guest and will always come knocking on your door. But whenever I felt afraid, I grabbed my fear by the hand, and walked it through the door, and went back to pursuing my dreams.”

Debbie has been at RK for fifteen years; previously, she has been a General Accounting Manager, Controller, CIO, CFO, Director of Accounting, Executive VP of Finance and Human Resources. She’s a software conversion specialist with a Doctorate of Organizational Leadership in Management & Information Systems, a Master of Business Administration/Technology Management, and a BS in Business Management. “I have been with The RK Logistics Group, Inc. since 2008. At that time, we were a small third-party logistics company generating $8 million in revenue. Today, we will end the year at just under $100 million in revenue,” explains Debbie. “Next year, we plan to double that figure. I am told that I have a charismatic personality and an ability to break down complex problems and financial concepts into steps that anyone can understand, making me a critical member of the leadership team at RK Logistics.”

The steadfast leader has also transformed into a support system for female business owners trying hard to establish themselves. “I am available to whoever has questions or concerns, and I am always willing to help someone find the right solution to the problem,” she says. “I currently lead an ethnically diverse and gender-inclusive finance team. As a holder of a Ph.D. in management and technology, I support our employees in their corporate endeavors and welcome ideas on how to improve business processes.”

For Debbie, it has taken a very long time to succeed, but she never gave up on her dreams and aspirations. “The best advice I can give anyone is to not give up. Be patient. Be willing to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. When you do not know the answer to something, be willing to ask the question, research the answer, and surround yourself with experts,” elucidates Debbie. “Do not be afraid to ask questions. By asking the right questions, I have found opportunities to save the company millions of dollars throughout the years. Mistakes will be made, but learning from them by embracing them and not being afraid of them has helped me succeed.” With a brilliant mindset, Debbie has been taking the company to new heights.

RK Logistics Group is a 3PL provider and an innovator in full-spectrum supply chain support services. Their ongoing efforts to exceed the client’s expectations have led to significant growth and expansion of services for almost 35 years. Today, RK Logistics’ mission is to redefine third-party logistics with their new trademark, 3PL+ service level, which sets a new benchmark in the supply chain industry. It demonstrates their commitment to the customers to go far beyond typical warehousing and transportation. According to Debbie, she is seeing more robotics and automation happening throughout the industry, and by keeping abreast with the latest trends, she assists the company in finding better solutions. “Finding better software solutions and ways of reducing costs without reducing services is always a challenge, but we like to think we are creative in how we find the right solutions to our customers’ challenges,” says Debbie. “One of our biggest achievements is following “SWOT” an acronym for “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.” By knowing our customers’ primary concerns, we can match our strengths to our customers’ weaknesses.”

For the days to come, Debbie and her team are currently expanding their warehouse footprint, so the biggest goal is to remain competitive, understand where their customers are located, and be able to be at the right place at the right time with little cost to both the company and customers. “We are growing. We have added 5 locations in 2022 and are planning on adding another 5 locations in 2023. We are no longer a Bay Area company, but a national company and we want to continue on this journey,” adds Debbie. WL

How does a young woman—starting alone and from scratch—launch and lead a successful trucking company that has attained nationwide distribution, large food chain customers, and solid revenue growth every year for over two decades?

Perhaps Carla Manni’s story can best explain how Trans-Link, LLC has forged enduring relationships of loyalty and trust with the customers, drivers, and carriers they work with. Trucking ran in her family. Carla’s paternal and maternal grandparents owned rival trucking companies in Boston, pursuing the same customers until they got wise and divvied up territories, so they didn’t have to compete with each other.

Her father also operated a trucking company and warehouse, so big rigs and diesel fuel are a part of Carla’s DNA. “But that didn’t mean I had an easy entry into the transport industry. I paid my dues for over ten years in sales at CBL Trucking, developing new business, carving out new territories, building strategic relationships within the industry,” says Carla. “I loved it. I found that working hard, living up to your commitments, strong customer service, and competitive pricing were the keys to ongoing success.” When CBL sold out, and Carla’s future was in doubt, she considered another direction. But family and friends enthusiastically encouraged her to start her own transportation business.

After much coaxing and not a little trepidation, Trans-Link, LLC was born.

Today, Trans-Link handles LTL (less than truckload), truckload, and rail transport of dry, refrigerated, and frozen goods, specializing in grocery distribution. They ship to all 48 contiguous states and move both inbound and outbound freight for our customers.

Because of their excellent reputation for reliability, Trans-Link is also the designated company on-call 24/7 to provide emergency delivery service during crises like the pandemic, significant storms, drivers’ strikes, and other events that leave people in urgent need. “My accomplishments have been recognized by being named VIP Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women,” elucidates Carla. “Call me old-school, but I’ve never wavered from my belief in treating customers and colleagues like family with honesty, commitment, and a caring culture.”

The pioneering leader affiliated with the CWE in Providence, RI (Center for Women Enterprise) WBENC Certified, part of the WPO- she has spoken at some of the local schools about her business and how she got started. Inspiring young ladies to consider following their dreams/passions and always letting them know that many organizations today sponsor and support woman-owned businesses. “It is important to me to educate and support my team members – This is a work in progress. I must ensure my team members are knowledgeable and passionate about my company. Customers can tell if they are talking to someone that understands transportation and what we do,” explains Carla. “I am always learning something new in this industry and I’m happy to share what I learn with my team members to make them better at what they do.”

Trans-Link started in 2000, and it was difficult for Carla to be a woman in this industry. Still, over the years, she has realized that by sharing experiences and knowledge in this industry, one eventually gains more confidence in themselves and what one does. “My advice is not to let anyone intimidate you, if you know your business and know it well you can be unstoppable. Earn the respect you deserve, stay true to your core values, learn to overcome the many obstacles you will face and some times problems can become opportunities,” explains Carla. “Trans-Link always needs to work on our customer base, Continue to build strong relationships with our customer, and the success will continue we are a true extension of our customer’s logistics team.”

The primary goal for Trans-Link is always to continue to grow, keep up with the market changes, and always work on added value to make sure we stand out from the rest. For the days to come, Carla will continue to make sure the company remains profitable and will ensure her staff has all the tools necessary to continue to grow with the company and plan for her brother Kyle to one day oversee the entire operation. WL

Katherine McCumber, VP of McCumber’s Glass, Inc. adopted her father, Lou McCumber’s work ethic and implemented it. Being a pioneering leader she ensures the team knows they are appreciated for their hard work and loyalty. “We became more of a family team than a work team. My dad wanted to leave a legacy behind for his great-grandchildren, and I will honor those wishes and ensure the company is around for his great-grandkids and my grandchildren,” says Katherine. “We are all about relationships with not just the customer but also the suppliers we deal with daily.”

Being a support system to those around her, from her team to those who seek advice, comes naturally to Katherine. “I let them know am here for them and continue to encourage everyone to not be shy about being who they are as they are special in their own way and have so much to offer the world. I want everyone to shine bright and not hide specifically women. I attend Women In Construction events and sponsor them as much as we can,” she says. “I am inspiring and empowering team members to become great leaders of tomorrow everyday by giving them encouragement and the tools to succeed. I ensure they know that we truly appreciate them and their hard work. I include everyone and empower them to be the best at their work.”

For Katherine, success is essential for her and the company. But, she feels we don’t find success; we create it by putting in the hard work. Showing up early, staying late, and going above and beyond for the customers are the traits of a successful person, be it a leader or team member. “I had a 2-year goal and accomplished it in 1 year, I had a 3-year goal and accomplished it in less than 2 and my 5-year goal I had accomplished it in less than 3 years by showing up and putting in the hard work,” explains Katherine. “By not stopping, by keeping my why I did it in the front of my thoughts. Advice I would share with everyone is do not quit, don’t stop. Rest if needed but remember the journey and why you started it. Keep your focus on your WHYS, why you started it, why you want it, why you are continuing and keep that in the front of all your thoughts.”

The steadfast leader has learned an important lesson to be true to oneself. “Be yourself, make it a practice to learn more to be active in the professional development. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Even though my job title was not handed to me other men in the industry talk down to me like I do not know what I am talking about. Do not let them make you doubt yourself because I know my job.” Armed with this mindset, Katherine has been taking the company to new heights.

McCumber’s Glass, Inc. offers premier craftsmanship in the field and supportive office staff. They have the ability to handle small and large-scale projects and the skill to service just about any need. The company has custom glass capabilities that provide full service for glass and entry door repairs, interior glazing, mirrors, decorative, and specialty glass. “We have grown 4 times bigger since I took over the leadership with the team I have. As well as for the last 4 years in a row we have won Best Subcontracting Glazer in Northern California, since I have been back in the position, I am in,” elucidates Katherine.

For the days to come, Katherine is working towards her 5-year goal to expand McCumber’s Glass, Inc. to 5 times the size they were in 2018. “McCumber’s Glass, Inc. has an amazing reputation of always going above and beyond on our projects, I would like to have that continue. We have General Contractors that come to us and want us to work with them. McCumber’s Glass, Inc. is known for thinking outside the box when issues arise, and we handle them in a professional manner,” she asserts. WL

Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah believes that behind every great company are its people. For TM Research & Development (TM R&D) to achieve this success, she made sure to take in employees with a purpose – a will to try new things, a will to learn new things, someone who comes to work with a sparkle in their eye, and spring to their every step.

Dr. Sharlene’s journey at TM R&D started in 1995, as a fresh graduate filled with a passion for research and development. For more than two decades, she has served in different roles in Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM). “Today, we are offering R&D as a service – which means ’problem-solving’ as a business. For TM R&D, our goal is to make life and business easier with smarter ecosystems to enrich humanity and bring progress to nations,” she says. “We strive to stay relevant with our new innovative solutions that the market cannot do without and take on projects that provide multifold benefits to businesses and the global market.”

She holds a PhD in Computer Systems Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Universiti Putra Malaysia, and a B.Eng in Electrical Engineering (1st Class Hons) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Her educational qualifications and career journey add to her immense experience, in which she guides and mentors her team members and those around her. She spearheaded numerous programmes that have helped younger employees reach greater heights. “I believe that my role is to create a conducive environment to spark creativity and innovation. Making TM R&D a place where people can dream big and see how their ideas can be turned into reality,” adds Dr. Sharlene. “Aside from that, I do enjoy throwing challenges to my team and working on solving them together. Building a culture of ‘individual contributors and no passengers is important’ as this would shape them into becoming a great leader someday.”

Armed with this brilliant mindset, Dr. Sharlene has been taking TM R&D to the next level. Since she took up the role as CEO in 2016, TM R&D has been credited with successfully transforming the culture and mindset of the organisation from a traditional research facility to an innovation powerhouse that focuses on creation and commercialisation. To date, the company has commercialised 18 products with a 29% CAGR revenue growth since 2019. Seven products have been deployed within TM’s operations, and four have been exported to at least six countries, the farthest being South Africa.

TM R&D started as a division in the early ’80s and was later incorporated as a company in 2000. They are a Malaysian government-approved R&D company; and an innovation hub for TM Group. Today, they are positioned as a critical enabler to drive TM’s digital aspiration with innovations that move beyond connectivity to create new value-added digital and smart services, covering customer experience, process optimisation, as well as new business opportunities.

TM R&D owns more than 2,800 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) with 100 percent adoption of all their products since 2018. They have also received many local and international awards, which include the Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards, World Communication Awards, TM Forum Excellence Awards, and WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards, among others, all thanks to the dedicated team under Dr. Sharlene’s leadership, who has been a significant influence on not only the company but also the employees. The last two awards received by the company were the technology equivalent of the Grammy Awards received in the music industry.

For the days to come, Dr. Sharlene aims to establish the next Unicorn for Malaysia. “We see a very bright future for TM R&D as every Fortune 500 company in the world has its roots in R&D, because if you do not innovate, you cannot stay ahead of the competition,” she says. “. One of our main aspirations is to create and deliver the next Unicorn for TM, and ultimately for Malaysia. I am very proud of my team – our work will help propel Malaysia to be a nation of producers, instead of consumers. The ability to produce will lead to greater sustainability of our beloved country.” WL