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Woman of the Week – Lauren Hauser

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Lauren HauserHere at Executive Elements, we like to introduce you to fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting people who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Lauren Elizabeth Hauser

My Current Job/Company:
Team Leader/ Columbia Gas of Ohio a NiSource Company

My Birthday:
09.04.1981

My Work:
I lead a team who supports field operations with Columbia Gas of Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts.

My Passion:
Continuous learning, practical application and developing leaders.

My Family:
Jeff (Husband), Samantha (Sweet Daughter- 5), Natalie (Sassy Daughter – 2)

My Hero:
My dad. (Bob Hague). He demonstrates all the qualities I aspire to be professionally.

My Escape:
Snuggling in on a Sunday night to watch The Walking Dead with my husband.

My Pet Peeve:
People who are late. To me, “early is on time, and on time is late”

My Indulgence:
Jeni’s Salted Carmel Ice Cream

My Roots:
Raised in Memphis, TN, Overland Park, KS and Columbus, OH. I blend my southern upbringing with the mid-western culture.

My Future:
Exciting! I love envisioning what my future will hold and working to make it happen.

My Quote on Life:
“Life is 10 percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” (Lou Holtz)

My Accessory:
My FitBit. It keeps me accountable for my fitness level every day.

My Advice to Young Women:
Always aim high, be self-motivated, go the extra mile and seek out colleagues who are willing to help you.

How I Balance it All:
I don’t, at least not all the time. My husband has taken the lead role with our young daughters which allows me to focus on my career. Without his partnership, I would not be able to “balance it all.”

Woman of the Week – Cathy Lanning

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cathy lanningHere at Executive Elements, we like to introduce you to fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting people who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Cathy Lanning

My Current Job/Company:
Vice President, Affinity and Strategic Alliance Management at Nationwide

My Birthday:
February 13th

My Work:
We partner with member based organizations and businesses across the country to co-create value. This includes alumni associations, professional groups, causes based organizations, sports teams, and communities of people. We understand the needs the partners member base, utilize smart co-branding and build relevant messaging to demonstrate how Nationwide can meet their protection needs (insurance, financial services, and banking).

My Passion:
My family, my team, my community

My Family:
Marty (loving and flexible husband), Charlie (curious and active 7-year-old son) and Caroline (sweet and spunky 5-year-old daughter)

My Heroes:
My Mom and Dad. They are an inspiration, sounding board, safe harbor, and source of motivation.

My Escape:
A long dinner with great friends, good laughs, and a few well made martinis.

My Pet Peeve:
Lack of authenticity. Deliberately misspelled words.

My Indulgence:
Sleeping late on a rainy day.

My Roots:
I grew up on the west side of Cincinnati. My family was lifted from very humble beginnings, so there was a focus on education, hard work, and self reliance. Happiness, laughter, friendship, faith and service were strong themes.

My Future:
Optimistic. Healthy. Happy. Fulfilled. Impactful. Committed. Inspired.

My Quote on Life:
I have a few that I enjoy. These include “The strongest steel is forged by the hottest fire” (unknown, but attributed to Chinese wisdom) and “The best is yet to come” (Shakespeare…and Frank Sinatra)

My Accessory:
A smile, a kind word and a big statement necklace.

My Advice to Young Women:
Find a small set of mentors who can be trusted advisors. Source them from within your company, but also from across your network so you can have a broad perspective. But you can’t stop by establishing mentors – it’s important to have advocates too. Every day be smart and be kind to build an advocacy base of people who see your contributions directly. These tend to be the leaders who may take a risk to grow you and will invest in you because they know your commitment, ambition, and capabilities.

How I Balance it All:
We have a strong use of Google Calendar to manage the family activities. I have a great support system with family who help close gaps and enhance our lives. Conference calls while commuting to and from work are helpful. I have inventoried what is important in life and let go of the little things that matter less. And finally, the great gift of caffeine.

Woman of the Week – Leigh-Anne Duncan

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Leigh-Anne Duncan 2Here at Executive Elements, we like to introduce you to fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting people who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Leigh-Anne Duncan

My Current Job/Company:
Controller / Gudenkauf Corporation

My Birthday:
June 6, 1977

My Work:
This year will be my 10th anniversary as the Controller of Gudenkauf Corporation. My responsibilities require me to wear several different hats – from accounting to HR to assisting with the company fleet/safety programs and I enjoy the variety and the people I work with!

My Passion:
Living a simple life.

My Family:
Alan (Husband), Harley (Charming Chow – 13), Dyna (Hyper Husky – 8 mos)

My Heroes:
Jesus Christ (the perfect example of servant leadership and unconditional love for all). My parents (Tom & Faye, married for 48 years)…….and Wonder Woman.

My Escape:
Tending to my flower garden, quiet time in any room with the window open or outside on the deck enjoying a nice breeze.

My Pet Peeve:
People who don’t do what they say they are going to do and drama.

My Indulgence:
Chocolate!

My Roots:
The hills of West Virginia. Faith, hard work, integrity and love.

My Future:
I take one day at time and try to make each one count so that when the future becomes the present I can look back and be happy with what I have accomplished and the life I have lived.

My Quote on Life:
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Matthew 7:12

My Accessory:
A watch and a sense of humor.

My Advice to Young Women:
Surround yourself with people and things that “fill your tank.” Help others but be careful not to do all of the giving. Invest in supportive relationships, don’t try to do everything yourself, and don’t be afraid or too proud to ask for help, remain teachable. Life is a journey, you are going to have bumps in the road but don’t get discouraged, learn from them, tuck those not-so-great experiences in your back pocket and let them be words of wisdom for someone else in the future.

How I Balance it All:
Pray every day for the All Mighty to direct my path, help me make the right decisions and prioritize the things that need my attention.

Woman of the Week – Francie Henry

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to introduce you to fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting people who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Francie Henry

My Job
EVP Investment Advisors-Fifth Third Bank

My Birthday
7/19/64

My Work
I am responsible for running the Private Bank. I manage a team of highly credentialed specialists that work with our affluent clients by offering wealth planning, investments and private banking, risk management and trust services.

My Passion
My Family, my Greek heritage, and my friendships

My Family
Jim-wonderful husband of 23 years. Charlie (16) and Alexandra (13) – yes, I am raising two teenagers and enjoying (almost) every minute – so far so good!

My Heroes
My parents. My mom is 84 and has boundless energy. Unfortunately, I lost my dad 10 years ago. He was awesome and showed me unconditional love. I miss him every day.

My Escape
Blasting my favorite playlist from a golf cart while I hit as many golf balls as it takes to make a decent shot while watching the sunset. Added bonus….if one of the kids decides to tag along!

My Indulgence
Good food and drink with family and friends. I can sit around a table and talk for hours!

My Roots
I grew up in Mount Vernon, Ohio – great memories and a wonderful foundation – stable, simple, fun.

My Future
Life is good…the future is all about enjoying each day while creating choices for myself and opportunities for those I love.

My Favorite Quote
“Promise to give so much time improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.” (John Wooden)

My Accessories
Watches and cool bracelets (well, I think they are cool…my daughter often disagrees).

My Advice To Young Women
Enjoy the journey and don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself. As a woman, you aren’t likely to love success in a career as an isolated entity. Your personal relationships are unique to you and will define YOUR individual happiness. Don’t compare yourself to others.

How I Balance it All
I have an incredibly supportive and loving husband who serves as my sounding board. I lean on my mother for wise council and my closest friends for sage advice. I am not afraid to ask for help or admit that I am in over my head. I know that it is a constant balancing act. I measure balance over a period of time that allows me the opportunity to adjust to all that life throws your way.

Woman of the Week: Shelly Stotzer

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Shelly Stotzer

My Current Job/Company:
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer / Highlights for Children

My Birthdate:
04.03.1972

My Work:
I lead an amazing team of people who are focused on extending the Highlights mission of “helping children become their best selves.” My work includes aligning a diverse team of analytics, operations, brand communications, domestic and international sales & marketing, and strategic planning leaders to work within our values system to drive profitable business growth. I believe we can do the right things, in the right ways.

My Passion:
People. Giving people the benefit of the doubt, being open-minded and respectful.

My Family:
I have a supportive husband, Joe and two kind, smart, loving and funny daughters – Cambria, age 9 and Ava, age 7. Our family also includes our anxious rescue Goldendoodle, Max.

My Heroes:
My Grandmother. She was a strong, passionate, loving woman. She knew how to laugh and how to love.

My Escape:
The outdoors, especially the beach. I also love a great cup of coffee in the tranquility of our backyard.

My Pet Peeve:
When files are distributed without the right print settings (what a waste of time for all recipients) and when a question is answered with “Because that’s how we’ve always done it.” (Really, is that an acceptable explanation?)

My Indulgence:
Massage. I shoot for once every 6-8 weeks, but would like one every day.

My Roots:
Assiduous, frugal, family-focused, simple and grateful.

My Future:
Is what I make of it……it looks full, positive, productive and fun.

My Love:
Hugs from my daughters, the words “I love you, Mom,” and genuine and deep friendship.

My Movie:
“Mary Poppins.” The timeless message in the story and the combination of fantasy and reality makes it one of the only movies I’ve watched multiple times. Plus, who doesn’t want to sing “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” once in a while?

My Quote on Life:
“Anything is possible.”

My Accessory:
Optimism. Does that count? I try to wear it every day.

My Advice to Young Women:
Surround yourself with a variety of amazing women who lift you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Take the high road, even when it’s easier to take the alternative. And, always lift others.

How I Balance it All:
Having clear priorities and resetting them as new information becomes available. There is ALWAYS a way to do what’s most important. At first, the solution just might not be obvious or comfortable. Keep searching. You CAN take that business meeting AND make it to your daughter’s recital.

Woman of the Week – Jill Webb

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Jill Webb

My Current Job/Company:
Head of Lower School, The Wellington School/Director of Professional Development, Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)

My Work:
I am the Head of a Lower School for children from age 3 through 4th grade, and also serve as the Director of Professional Development for 230+ independent schools in the Midwest.

My Passion:
Family, my spiritual life, friends, art, learning

My Family:
Tom (my endlessly supportive and patient husband), Ty (my kind first born) Katie (his kind and beautiful new wife), Alex (my creative and funny son)

My Heroes:
Anyone who takes the chance to do the right thing

My Escape:
Anywhere with water, family and everyone cooking

My Pet Peeve:
Excuses

My Indulgence:
French fries

My Roots:
Lakes, trees, barefoot, boats

My Future:
Happily busy, busily learning!

My Love:
Any time my family is all together – complete!

My Movie:
Any movie with Diane Keaton

My Quote on Life:
Almost anything Oprah has said

My Accessory:
Boots! I wish I could find a way to wear them in the summer…

My Advice to Young Women:
Find as many mentors as your life will allow – most women are honored to be asked

How I Balance it All:
To be honest, I’m not sure I balance it well. I find it is often like spinning plates on sticks – and I am constantly moving from one initiative to the next to keep them all spinning!