Job title: Director
Department: Corporate Communication
At Henkel since: 1996

How did you get started with Henkel?
I came to Henkel as part of the acquisition of The Dial Corporation. I am a native to Arizona and I was very familiar with Dial growing up, as it has always been a household name locally and of course, nationally. In 1996 I was approached by Dial to work as a Training Manager, designing and developing training programs for the Sales department. Once I started, I was immediately greeted by an organization that has a high regard for their employees and the work they do.

What job experiences have you had at Henkel?
I have been presented with tremendous opportunities to broaden my skill set and have held various positions within the organization. I’ve always worked in Scottsdale, AZ but have traveled to several of our facilities across the country as well as traveled to Dusseldorf, Germany to visit Henkel’s headquarters.

Initially working as a Training Manger, I traveled to sales offices across the nation training Dial’s Field Sales Force on new technologies. In 1998, I transitioned to Information Technology where I held varied positions within IT. Managing, developing and maintaining technologies for Sales, R&D and Data Warehouse and Decision Support were all rewarding experiences. In 2003, an opening became available in Corporate Communications. With my technology and training background, I found the role to be a great fit as well as an exciting and interesting career opportunity. All of the roles that I have held have contributed to a greater appreciation for the company as well as an understanding of what drives the business.

What further professional training programs have you taken part in while with Henkel?
Henkel offers a wide range of training opportunities internally and externally such as Cranfield University and BASICS Academy. Most recently, Henkel announced a partnership with the acclaimed Thunderbird School of Business, the Garvin School of International Management. Throughout the years, I’ve taken part in several internal and external trainings offered by the company. I’ve also benefited from the great educational support that the company offers and earned a Master’s Degree in 2000.

What about the term "learning on the job"?
Just like every day is a new one, new opportunities are also presented. On a personal and professional level, learning and developing are key factors in carrying out the work that I perform. I value learning and the fact that there is an immense opportunity within the organization to develop new skill sets and cultivate existing ones, means a great deal. Transitioning from IT to Corporate Communications meant transitioning to a new department and into a new role. While it was within the same company, it was a huge plus bringing all of my prior experience and business acumen with me.

I have a strong passion for the work that I do and am committed to doing the best I can each day to continue building the Henkel business.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
Each day always presents itself with something new. My role involves working with the media, internal employee communications and external communications, employee events, corporate and community involvement and electronic media management, which include the Internet/Intranet and any new media related technology.

Did you have a mentor?
I am fortunate to work with experienced and talented colleagues who I consider informal mentors. I also participated in a formal organizational mentoring program that allowed me to interact with senior leaders of the organization and receive career coaching.

Our organization has a natural tendency to engage employees in informal and formal discussions that are open and honest. Henkel has 10 core values that are an expression of our corporate culture and one of our core values is, "We are successful because of our people;" that core value truly speaks to the culture and the overall environment of the organization.