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“ I didn ’ t go to school for this , but I had lots of people around to help me and figure out what my role was , because I had been an operations person and it was tough for me to put that aside .”
The support Kristy had within Knichel has sometimes been challenged by a lack thereof outside of it . She admits that , sometimes , customers and partners have shown unwilling to display the respect Kristy deserves simply due to her gender . However , her determination not to be marginalized has spurred her on to prove those naysayers wrong , and she is happier than ever to help create a diverse environment – both within Knichel and along the supply chain .
“ After 2010 was when I really started to find myself as CEO ,” she explains , “ and this is important , especially for a woman in this industry because it ’ s very male-dominated . Sometimes I ’ ll go to executive industry meetings and I ’ m the only woman in the room , and it can be intimidating at times , but I ’ ve pushed myself to get involved and talk to the men there . It ’ s been a challenge , but I felt I was up to that challenge .”
With a large portion of Kristy ’ s staff being female – 29 out of 42 – she is passionate about giving women opportunities they might not be given elsewhere . That being said , this choice is one borne of a desire for equality : “ I ’ m all about giving a chance to everybody – men and women of all ethnicities . It ’ s crucial to me because I ’ ve had a really , really hard , rocky road to get where I ’ m at , and I don ’ t want other women to feel they have to go through that .”
Follow the leader It is Kristy ’ s leadership skills , after all , that have created the close-knit , successful business Knichel is today . In her own words , she surrounds herself with people who are smarter than her , and places them where they are the most valuable . In an industry that typically has a high turnover of staff , Knichel boasts an average employee tenure of 10 or 11 years . Why ? Because the business takes care of its employees .
“ When I took the business over from my father , my goal was to keep the employees happy and take care
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