We asked our coworkers to tell us about the woman in business they most admire. A founder, owner, executive — anyone in the world, living or not. Some you may have heard of, others not, but they all had a profound impact on the coworkers who took the time to tell us about them, and the answers were better than we hoped for.
Dana Riley – Furniture, St. Louis: My mother, Marilyn. She’s now retired from Maritz. But over her career, she went from part-time typist to Executive Vice-President of Corporate Communications. She was the only woman executive with an office on the top floor! She’s always been great with people and a talented writer. I couldn’t admire her more!
Shawn Menke – Director of Sales, St. Louis: For me, it was my mother, Janet Lee Duncan. She grew up on a small farm in Kansas during one of the toughest times following the “dirty-Thirties”. She was taught the importance of working hard at an early age. Her strong will and work ethic led her to an early start as a bank teller in her late teens. Moving from Kansas she always continued her love for banking as she and my father made their way from Arizona to New Mexico and later settling back in Kansas. She stayed employed at various banks along the way, always developing her skills in new areas of banking. She taught me and my sister the importance of credit, finance, and proper banking, something I am grateful for today. Her “farm-hand” tough work ethic was recognized by her superiors as she made her way from a teller to loan officer and ultimately to Vice President. She always had great pride in helping out the “little guy,” giving them a chance before anyone else. She was always greeted by a friendly smile and a hello from someone she had helped as their banker. Her name is not on a bronze plaque or picture in any business journal but I know, this hard-working farmhand from KS touched the lives of many through her many years as a banker. This is my mom, my hero…the banker.
Amy Siebrandt – Pricing Analyst, Columbia, MO: I’ve been trying to think of someone and I have nothing. My honest answer? Every woman. Every working woman is contributing to the success of every company everywhere. I most admire the everywoman who is doing what needs to be done. An exec or an owner is a flashy job and you get a lot of admiration and publicity for success….but the everywoman in the trenches doing the daily grind jobs? It’s important work that doesn’t get highlighted, so it’s a bit of a non-answer, but that would be my answer.
Anne Farrow – Education Product Manager, St. Louis: I joined the Woman’s Network, a division of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce in Columbia, MO in 1992. I met Pat Hostetler soon after going to my first meeting. She was the VP of Customer Relations at MBS Textbook Exchange for 27 years. She taught me many lessons about public service, giving your time to the community, and how to advance in your career. She is a woman of character, honor, and service who always encourages women to achieve their full potential. My favorite quote from her – which I have framed on my desk is “Be yourself and force yourself out of your comfort zone to take on new challenges”.
Ayrin Hintz – Account Manager, Springfield, IL: Dr. Evelyn Brandt-Thomas. She is the co-founder of BRANDT and started the plant health company with her brother in 1953. She’s 97 years young and still works in the business. They built their business with innovative ideas, honesty, and first-class customer service for local farmers, many of whom were their neighbors in their hometown of Pleasant Plains, IL. As a Pleasant Plains alumni, I remember that Brandt was a well-known business in our community and was always a sponsor for sports and a strong member in the community. Evelyn drives a hot-rod racecar with full NASCAR decals to look exactly like Justin Allgaier’s Sprint Cup race car! Evelyn is a strong intelligent woman of business and life. She’s a true inspiration and a force to be reckoned with!
Andrew Corns – Account Manager, St. Louis: Renee Montgomery (part-owner of the Atlanta Dream) is the woman in an ownership position that I admire most currently. To be the first former WNBA player to have ownership in a franchise is a major step for women in sports. While she is the first, make no mistake that she will not be the last. This has opened the door for so many other female athletes to see a pathway to success in business after their playing career ends.
Hayley Batterson – Account Manager, Columbia, MO: Tonya Horn, owner of Rogards in Champagne, is an amazing human. She is quirky and fun, she is honest and fair, and she is truly transparent in an effort to allow the best decisions for the benefit of her company. Tonya is also an incredible mom and pretty fantastic wife and daughter AND she has some pretty stellar dance moves. She is who I aspire to become!
Rich Radil – Facility Supplies Product Manager, St. Louis: Nicole Radil, my Wife – Throughout Covid, we have been office mates of sorts. Listening to her in meetings from my perch at the kitchen island I hear her stand up strong for her thoughts and ideas to peers and management – both men and women. To her team, she leads by example with hard dedicated efforts. However, what really sums her up is this short story. When going for her first interview with a Big 6 Consulting Firm she asked her lifelong mentor, her Uncle, for advice. He told her to wear a black skirt suit with heels and go in there and be confident. She did not listen because black was not bold enough. She wore black pants with a RED suit jacket. She is bold and the strongest woman I know. She was hired, but more importantly, she stood up loud and proud, being herself and showing her true BOLD colors.
