When Jill Mayer joined Bees Industries, the average age of employees was 60 years old and there were few women in senior management.
The average age of our employees is now in their mid-30s, and more than half of our managers are women.
“Changing the culture of an organization takes a lot of patience and time. It doesn’t happen overnight,” Mayer told CBIA BizCast.
“You don’t want to throw away the good parts of the culture that you have. You’re not destroying the culture. You’re just improving what’s there.”
Mayer first experienced the impact of a strong company culture while working for an online marketing company.
“My perception of the company culture has changed,” she said. “What I loved was collaborating and learning something new every day.”
5th generation leader
Mayer put that experience to use when she joined Bees as a financial manager for her family’s manufacturing company.
“My dad said, ‘We’re not creating positions, we have to take advantage of what’s available,’ and that’s what was available,” she recalled.
She rose through the ranks and took over the company as CEO in 2014, completing a fifth-generation succession plan and becoming the first woman to lead the Milford-based company.
“The sooner I can give them the resources that helped me, or the sooner I can integrate them into the manufacturing network in Connecticut, the faster they will be able to succeed.”
beads jill mayer
She said the men and women leaders she met through various organizations and associations provided guidance and knowledge sharing.
Now, she’s trying to give something back in kind.
“I want to help because the sooner I can provide them with the resources that helped me or get them into the manufacturing network in Connecticut, the faster they can be successful.” she said.
Mayer will share more about her experience and leadership advice at CBIA’s When Women Lead conference on March 20th.
CBIA BizCast is made possible with the generous support of Google. Rate, review and subscribe to BizCast Get your podcasts anywhere—Thank you for your support! If you have a story to tell, please contact Amanda Marlow.