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Teamwork and community involvement were just some of the points emphasized at the second annual Women who Lead luncheon in Warsaw on Thursday.
The luncheon, hosted by the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion, with lunch provided by Saucy's Barnyard BBQ & Catering.
Following networking and lunch, close to 100 attendees heard from three female leaders in the community: Lisa O'Neill, chief financial officer of Lake City Bank; Anne Hill, human resources leader at DePuy Synthes; and Dr. Emi Kreklau, executive director of the Catalyst Corridor at Grace College.
Each of the panelists gave background information on themselves, along with key moments that shaped their professional developments and advice to the women in the audience.
Kreklau said her father was in the military, which led to her family moving around a lot when she was a child. She graduated from Pendleton Heights High School in Indiana and was a first-generation college student. Her passion for science led to a deepening of faith in cancer research, receiving a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology.
Hill graduated from Whitko Jr./Sr. High School and Indiana University Bloomington, getting a biology degree with intentions to go into dental school. She decided to do that with no back-up plan and ended up taking an internship as a microbiologist at DePuy, where she's worked in various roles.
O'Neill was born in Colombia, then moved to Miami, Fla. As an adult, she graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts, starting her banking career in downtown Chicago for 10 years. O'Neill said she was offered a job at Lake City Bank when the CFO position became vacant.
With mentors, O'Neill said her father was a very foundational person in her life.
"I didn't realize as a teenager, I now realize, the things he did ... taking me to work when I was 5 years old, letting me sit in his chair and play with colored pencils, those moments had a big impact on me and I didn't even realize that was happening," said O'Neill.
She also said Lake City Bank CEO David Findlay was an amazing mentor.
"He pushes hard, he tests to see how far you can go, but he's also very kind and been a big part of my story," said O'Neill.
Hill was asked if she's noticed any major differences between how men and women present themselves in job interviews.
"Just showing up and being extremely positive brings your whole self to the interview," said Hill. "I actually have more luck with women interviews, I think it's the comfort level of it, than men. For some reason, men seem to clam up a little more, even from the second they walk into the door."
Kreklau emphasized the power of teamwork in helping develop Verzenio, a targeted treatment for both early-stage and advanced-stage hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative breast cancer.
"It was a wonderful experience to be part of a huge community of amazing scientists," said Kreklau. "My role as a toxicologist, I got to work on multiple projects at the same time and be part of many different teams. Some teams really gelled and were collaborative, and other teams were butting heads ... but the project that ended up being Verzenio ... one of the things that stood out to me was the power of that team."
All three women also encouraged those in attendance to get involved in community organizations and boards, and to practice honesty by focusing on aspects that matter most to them.
"Non-negotiables are different for everybody," said Hill. "But whatever's important to you, whether you want to see your kids at night, walk your dog in the afternoon, whatever it is, make it known because you'd be surprised how many managers and leaders are like 'Okay,' and then you just build your schedule around it. It's liberating. If they say no, you're not in the right spot."
As final advice, Kreklau, O'Neill, and Hill asked those in attendance to always be willing to try new things, be part of teams and practice positive attitudes.
