Description

To position your company for the future, it’s imperative that you identify and develop your next level of leadership talent. Whether that’s the next project manager, department manager or someone who’s going to eventually take over your spot. You must create an environment that fosters employee engagement and helps your developing talent envision their path forward. This session will provide valuable insights into the value of mentoring, best practices on being a mentor and tools you can use to begin mentoring and developing your next level of leadership talent.

Speaker

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  Kathy Jo Van

  Van grew up in the electrical industry, working after school in her family’s electrical distributor business in Owensboro, Kentucky.  After graduating from The University of Notre Dame and earning her graduate degree at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Van moved back to Kentucky to re-join her family’s business.  In 1993 she returned to Chicago, to join a large regional electrical distributor that was eventually acquired by WESCO Distribution and she served a variety of roles with WESCO.  In 2000, Van joined Coleman Cable, where she led a variety of businesses, as well as strategic acquisitions.  When Southwire acquired Coleman Cable in 2014, Van joined the Southwire senior leadership team where she served on the integration team, Sr VP of cord and electronic products, and Sr VP of Contractor Solutions.  In July 2017, Van retired from Southwire to enjoy life in Chicago with her husband Ron, 3 children, a grand-daughter, and puppy Addison (their latest addition to the family).  Van volunteers as a Board member of the American Marketing Association – Chicago Chapter and is leading the development of the AMA Mentorship program.  She also provides coaching and mentoring in the electrical industry as a way of giving back to an industry that has meant so much to her and her family.

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