Global Makeup Artist
2019 Women in Business
Apr 26, 2019
2019 Women in Business
Women at Work
From issues of gender diversity and workplace conduct to the infamous wage gap, there’s a lot to talk about when it comes the individuals now making up half of today’s work force. In the following pages, we speak to 10 executives at the top of their game about lessons learned, effective leadership and all the things going right for women in business.
Noriko Namiki
What does it take to be an effective leader in your field?
Being honest and transparent about the state of your organization and your own capacity. Running a nonprofit is not a task for one person—communication based on trust and transparency is a must to garner community support.
Most difficult lesson she’s learned:
Don’t take things personally. People may say things that seem directed at you, but they’re not. People who take the time to tell you what’s on their mind often mean well and want to help you out.
What is your company ethos and how do you ensure it is maintained?
People who join our organization believe in our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. We have a wonderful culture where everyone is willing to help each other achieve that mission by going further than what’s specified in their job description.
Words to live by:
“Act as if it were impossible to fail.” —Dorothea Brande
Favorite quality in a team member?
I appreciate anyone who is willing and excited to be part of our team. Willingness and a positive attitude are almost impossible to teach, but we can impart skills and knowledge to anyone willing to learn. I have a hard time when someone is simply a naysayer without presenting solutions or alternatives.
An accomplishment that isn’t on her CV:
I am proud to be my parents’ daughter. Both of them were brought up in war-torn Japan, and their formal education ended after junior high school. My maternal grandfather was killed in the U.S. bombing of Tokyo in March 1945. My parents had difficult childhoods as young Japanese, but later they were able to support my education both in Japan and America. I became the first in my family to graduate from college. I am very grateful for what my parents have done for me.
Do you think women lead differently than men?
I think it depends more on one’s personality and the style of communication and leadership that they choose for themselves.
I’d say be aware of differences, but don’t place too much attention on them. That could lead you to putting someone in a box before you even get to know them.
What could more women be doing to advance their careers?
Be specific about what you want and how you want to live your life. Be willing to pay your dues and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t apologize for who you are.
Describe yourself in three words.
Tenacious, compassionate, curious
Beti Ward
What does it take to be an effective leader in your field?
Getting the right people onboard and being a good mentor. Dealing with aircraft mechanicals, delayed cargo movements and high-value shipments can be very stressful. Acting quickly to solve a problem is often necessary, but it takes patience to make the right decisions.
How do you maintain your company ethos?
I flew my leadership team up to Reno a few years ago for a company retreat. One of our goals was to reestablish our company ethos: passion, align team and company best interests, commitment to safety, accountability, integrity and respect (PACAIR). To ensure we maintain this ethos, we had our core values laminated on the back of our badges and carry them wherever we go.
Favorite qualities in a team member:
Honesty, ambition and integrity
Least-favorite quality in a team member:
Whining! I’ve been blessed with a team of folks who look forward to challenges and are rewarded for working hard and dealing with challenges without complaining. Don’t bring me a problem without suggesting a solution.
Do you feel women have equality in the workplace?
Women definitely have equal opportunity in the workplace if they are willing to work for it. Equality is earned by working hard, recognizing skills and making smart decisions.
Describe yourself in three words.
Mentoring, patient, diligent
Most valuable lesson she’s learned:
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that we can take risks that take us somewhere new, but it’s important to decide the limits of the risk beforehand. I changed my career at age 40 and started over, which brought me to where I am today.
Most difficult lesson:
Make sure you surround yourself with a team you can trust. I was burned a couple of times in my career by folks I really thought I could trust. I’m careful now and make sure that everyone on my team can trust each other 100 percent. Train and get to know people over time instead of making quick judgements.
Words to live by:
A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.
Shelley Wilson
Words to live by:
“In this life we cannot always do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” —Mother Theresa
What could more women be doing to advance their careers?
I would encourage women to take more risks and put themselves out there to find opportunities. If you don’t try, you can’t move ahead. If you don’t experience failure, you won’t experience growth. If you try and fall short, then don’t give up. Have no regrets.
Most valuable lesson she’s learned:
Things aren’t ever going to be perfect. You can put your best effort into every situation, but when you’re managing many different issues with a diverse group of people, compromise is a must. Twenty-one years in business has taught me to be flexible and more nimble.
Most difficult lesson she’s learned:
Management is truly an art. Some of my worst management days have become my greatest memories. There’s nothing more challenging or rewarding for me than managing people, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning.
Least favorite quality in a team member:
Lack of effort—not trying to reach one’s full potential.
Favorite quality in a team member:
Commitment to our mission of serving others, especially when manifested in truly inspired work.
What could more women be doing to advance their careers? What is your company ethos and how do you keep that mission alive?
Our mission of caring for others always remains at the forefront of our efforts. Maintaining that ethos is a daily task. Cultivating a team of passionate, nurturing care professionals is a constant effort, and we are always looking for individuals who share our passion for caring.
Sarah Love
Sarah Love joined law firm Bays Lung Rose & Holma straight out of law school in 2006. In addition to overseeing her own case load and adding partner to her repertoire four years ago, Love’s management responsibilities include serving on the firm’s hiring and business development committees and helping to bring in new associates, secretaries, paralegals and other hires to support the team. Love also sits on the board for the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the Hawai‘i affiliate of the breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen.
Favorite part of the job?
I was a teacher before I went to law school, so I’ve always enjoyed the aspect of the job where I get to educate my clients about what their rights are, what their options are and working with them to create strategies to accomplish their goals. Not every client’s goal is the same, so that’s always really exciting and interesting.
I also really enjoy working with the younger attorneys in the firm, teaching them how to be a good attorney and a good advocate for their clients. As a young attorney, I got a lot of guidance and support, so it’s my turn now to pay it forward.
On her work in the community:
Being a lawyer, I’m at my desk every day. Getting out into the community through BIA-Hawaii and seeing what clients are facing on a day-to-day basis has been a lot of fun. And sitting on the board for Susan G. Komen has been really personally fulfilling for me.
Most valuable lesson she’s learned:
Learn from those around you. It’s really hard to reinvent the wheel, so the more you can work with mentors and other people around you to help guide and build your career, the better. I’ve been very fortunate to have had lots of mentors in the firm. Seeing how all of them do their jobs can help shape who you want to be, how you want your career to go and how you want others to view you and the value that you provide. You can’t do it all yourself—you really have to rely on the people around you to help you build your career.
Do women operate differently than men in a professional context?
Yes and no. I think women don’t always take advantage of the same opportunities that men do, but once they’re in a leadership position, they are just as effective as men. Beyond that, it’s really a personality thing.
I think it comes down to confidence. Being confident enough to take advantage of opportunities when they come your way—to step up and say, hey, I can do this job, instead of being hesitant about whether or not to take on that role.
On the role of gender in the workplace:
The legal profession is pretty well mixed in terms of gender, so there aren’t as many barriers as there may have been decades ago. You’re judged based on what you do and what you can accomplish. I’m very fortunate in that respect.
Sharon Suzuki
Sharon Suzuki got her start at Maui Electric as an analyst before moving into the customer service area and advancing through the organization as a director, customer service manager, renewable energy services manager and now president. Suzuki also holds leadership positions with the Maui Economic Development Board, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, Boy Scouts of America Maui County Council, the American Red Cross Maui Advisory Council, the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association and the Maui County Civil Service Commission.
What she’s been up to since taking the reins at Maui Electric:
Pursuing greater penetration of renewable energy by changing how we operate our existing generation. We’ve been negotiating new purchase power agreements with third parties and looking at ways to ensure reliable service for all of our customers, giving them choices as well as keeping our costs affordable. We’re also going out into the community and talking to our customers about how we can help them prepare for storms during hurricane season, for example, or explaining what we do to restore power when there’s an outage. Making ourselves available to the public by going to community meetings and hosting our own small group sessions about using electricity efficiently has worked well for us.
Most valuable lesson she’s learned:
The power of delegation. Great things can happen when you surround yourself with talented people and allow them to get things done their way.
Hurtles she’s navigated:
Listening to the voice of the community. We’ve learned to educate our customers about the different resources that are available and to get their feedback on our long-range energy plans as opposed to saying, “Hey, we have a plan and this is what it is.” Listening to our customers’ voices upfront and adjusting our plans moving forward is a better way.
Maui Electric serves Maui, Lana‘i and Molokai, and each island really has its own culture, so it’s important that we’re sensitive to the needs of the people who live on the different islands. Trying to meet the needs of our employees as well as the community has its challenges, but I have a pretty diverse professional background, so I think that gives me the ability to adjust and work with that diversity.
Favorite quality in a team member.
Someone who takes initiative.
Describe yourself in three words.
Open-minded, persistent, collaborative
What could professionals be doing more of to work their way up the ladder the way you did?
Working hard, building relationships across different parts of the organization and, of course, taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. It could even be a lateral move—just having a different perspective helps to broaden your thinking and prepare you for a higher-level position.
Chris Hause
How do you convince a burned-out team to feel the fire in their belly again? Chris Hause knew that the employees she inherited at Kaiser Permanente didn’t need pretty PowerPoint presentations—they needed authentic leadership. Through time-tested best practices and rock-solid leadership, Hause helped her team regain their spark and guided Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i to its highest membership growth yet.
How she turned things around:
Face challenges head on. When I started my job in 2011, I had to quickly sum up the deficiencies and deal with them honestly. Regular communication with staff—informing them of both the good news and bad, and how the organization is addressing the challenges—goes a long way toward making employees feel trusted and secure in knowing they are unlikely to be hit with unpleasant surprises. People can make it through dark times if they see a way to get to the light.
On earning respect:
You have to model the traits you want to see in others. For me, that meant showing the team that they truly were respected and valued. They regained their pride in the organization, our values and our leadership. Customers sensed this change in attitude and became more willing to do business with us.
On building trust:
My approach was to show employees that I cared about them and the environment they work in. It was low-hanging fruit—I installed a coffee machine, bought tea and hot chocolate and provided filtered water. I had several areas painted and buckling carpet remediated. I then started to get to know them beyond the workplace, making regular rounds and just sitting and talking story with them.
The more I focused on building relationships, the more effective I was in getting my messages across to the team and helping them understand our challenges. While it took persistence and patience, the team started to trust that I was committed to staying on my mission and that my efforts to reward and course-correct were being done in a thoughtful way.
On staying level-headed:
Don’t get emotional about potential roadblocks or challenges. Everyone is looking to you for leadership, and if you get upset, the team can start to panic. A grounded leader stays calm and helps navigate the team through rough waters.
On women in the workplace:
I believe that women leaders tend to be more participative and collaborative and less transactional and authoritative. These differences allowed me to build rapport with my team more quickly. I am incredibly fortunate that I work in an industry that has many women leaders and in which there tends to be more equality in the workplace.
Words to live by:
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.” —Henry Ford
Kelly Suzuki-Shreve
On being a good leader:
There are many qualities that define an effective leader—knowledge of the market and laws, being adaptable and organized, to name a few—but if I had to pick just one, I would say being a great communicator. There are so many integral relationships within a real estate firm and within every transaction. Everyone has to be speaking and hearing the same language. I always ask, what is the client’s goal? What do they want to do? How can we make that happen?
How do you maintain your company ethos?
Simple—we hire people we like. Being a small firm is great in that it enables you to really know your team. Everyone has a different strength, so we divide up what needs to be done with that in mind. There are a lot of smiles, jokes and laughter in the office. We’re a family. In our office family, I am a big sister to some and a mother to others. A birthday is never missed!
Most valuable lesson she’s learned:
When you call to mind the people you’ve encountered in your life and career, you may not always recollect what they did or said, but you always remember how they made you feel.
Most difficult lesson she’s learned:
Accepting what you can’t change. Sometimes you need to just walk away!
Describe yourself in three words.
Honest (I never lie), dependable (if I say I’ll do it, consider it done), hardworking (we experienced incredible growth as a company these last few years, which meant many long hours)
Words to live by:
“It is never too late to become what you might have been.” —George Eliot
When we’re young, the world is vast and exciting, with so many possibilities and so many paths to choose from. I was supposed to be a teacher—I have two degrees in elementary education. This quote reminds me that there’s still more to come! I believe no matter how young or how old we are, it’s always the right time to be the best possible version of ourselves.
Favorite quality in a team member:
Initiative. I love solution-oriented people who look for what’s possible and then get it done!
Least-favorite quality in a team member:
Lack of integrity. Call it women’s intuition, but within the first few minutes of meeting someone, I can usually tell when it’s missing.
An accomplishment that isn’t on her CV:
Hands down, being a wife and mother. This year my husband and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage. John is an incredible man who has been my best friend and my rock. Growing up, my mom always prepared a home-cooked meal, even if it meant cooking or preparing dinner for the next day into the wee hours of the night. That’s something I wanted to give to my family.
How do men and women compare in the workplace?
Women approach business with a broader perspective. Being organized multitaskers enables us to anticipate and neutralize situations for a successful outcome. Men, on the other hand, are able to confidently and decisively laser in on different parts of the business and focus on getting the job done.
I think we should embrace the differences and know how to best utilize them within the company, as it can create a wonderful balance. Gender diversity is key.
What could more women be doing to advance their careers?
There are so many incredible women reaching high levels of success in their careers and showing others what is possible. I thank them all for graciously and compassionately paving the way for others by their example.
Bettina Mehnert
A third-generation architect licensed in Germany as well as the U.S., Bettina Mehnert brings both creativity and a background in IT and business to the 70-year-old design company AHL (Architects Hawaii Limited). Mehnert has been instrumental in perpetuating the firm’s commitment to understanding and honoring the interrelationships between our environment, economy, culture, history and communities. More than half of AHL’s staff have LEED certifications, and the firm offers continuing education within the company in addition to encouraging—and often funding—education in other arenas. AHL also provides architectural and planning services to select nonprofit organizations through its 1 percent pro bono program. The firm’s most recent 1 percent pro bono project, a therapeutic campus for girls who have been sexually exploited, will benefit the nonprofit Ho’ola Na Pua.
On killing it in the design industry:
As in any field, industry knowledge is vital. I stay current and challenged through colleagues, reading, client demands and organizations such as the Urban Land Institute and AIA. Additionally, knowledge of finance, genuine interest in the people you work with and the desire to see them grow and succeed are all characteristics of an effective leader in my field.
Most valuable lesson she’s learned:
“If it is truly important, you will find a way.” My mom gave me this advice in high school. It still serves as a reminder to always be fully committed to everything I do.
Most difficult lesson she’s learned:
I love my family but I’m also passionate about what I do. There was a time when I struggled finding the balance—until I realized that there will never be [a perfect balance]. The secret is making every second count, no matter where it is.
Describe yourself in three words:
Empathetic, adventurous, tall
An accomplishment that isn’t on her CV:
People say that children are the product of their environment. If that’s true, then raising my daughter has been my greatest achievement.
Do you think women lead differently than men?
I think leaders, independent of gender, adapt to their environments and lead in the way that encourages people they work with to succeed, share in the work of the organization and work together to build a future. We need to encourage leadership skills within all our staff. We need each individual to step up and challenge the status quo and each other.