Women in Leadership: How Van Meter Inc. is Recognizing the Value in All Voices

In the electrical distribution industry, the senior leadership team at Van Meter Inc. is both unusual and refreshing. Four of its eight top executives are women, including CEO Lura McBride – who joined Van Meter when it was a small, entrepreneurial, employee-owned electrical and automation distributor that she confesses she “knew nothing about.”

It turns out McBride knew more than she thought. She was promoted to Chief Operating Officer within two years of joining Van Meter and six years later, President and CEO. McBride was the only woman on the senior leadership team back then. Today, the team has greater balance and diversity.

The National Association of Electrical Distributors estimates that 21 percent of the overall electrical distribution workforce are women, and about 23 percent of executive positions in the industry are held by women.

IT STARTS WITH CULTURE

Van Meter, which has more than 800 employee-owners in 26 locations across what will soon be nine states, is comfortable with being different. Its “people-first” culture, attractive internship programs and generous benefits – such as paid parental leave and flexible time off policies — have long been recognized as successful business practices that helped grow the company and recruit high-caliber employees. McBride’s other female executives came to Van Meter from very different backgrounds, and all three give credit to past colleagues — mostly men, by the way — for getting them there.

Martina Schubert, Van Meter’s Chief Information Officer, was never an A student in high school. When her school first started offering computer classes, she took an introductory course and liked it, but her teacher told her she would never be able to handle the more advanced class. Her strong personality wouldn’t back down from such a challenge.

“It was motivating. I set out to prove him wrong, and I did. I got an A and decided to pursue computer programming in college,” said Schubert.

Others had more supportive colleagues who advocated for them.

“In my career, I’ve been fortunate to have some pretty strong male sponsors,” said Alicia Murphy, Chief Organizational Effectiveness Officer. “I say ‘sponsors’ because they’re different from mentors. A mentor is important, but a sponsor is someone who advocates for you and helps open the next door for you.”

It doesn’t hurt that Van Meter’s male executives have also pushed for a culture that not only recognizes the importance of work-life balance but rewards it. McBride recalls a time, shortly after she started working at Van Meter, when then-CEO Barry Boyer checked in to see how things were going. McBride, who has four children, told him she found herself on the phone a lot after work, sometimes when she was pulling into the driveway as her kids were running out to greet her.

“I would give them the one-minute sign while I sat in the car on the phone, and then one minute would turn into five minutes and then the next thing I knew, I’d lost a magical moment as a mom,” McBride said.

So Boyer, who retired in 2012 after 20 years with the company, established Van Meter’s “5 to 7 Challenge,” where employees are supposed to refrain from calling or emailing between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. each day. While some might say such a policy is tailored toward working parents, the employee-owners of Van Meter say it’s just another example of a company culture that puts its people first.

Karmen Wilhelm, Chief Marketing Officer, said “I truly believe being considerate of one another and embracing a model of personal accountability is what enables each of us to be our personal best at work and at home.”

CHANGE IS FOR GOOD

All four women agree that more companies are recognizing the value of a diverse workforce, and the idea of “work-life balance” is widely regarded as a positive benefit for everyone (not just parents).

Wilhelm remembers being out of town for work travel when her son was young and still needing to work late when she got home.

“I sat my son down one night in front of the TV with a fast-food kid’s meal so I could finish up a project, and I thought, ‘I’m not doing any of this well,’” she said. “Coming to Van Meter, where I was given support and autonomy to manage my personal and professional commitments in a way that I could feel confident as a mother and employee-owner, was life changing.”

While the electrical distribution industry is lagging somewhat behind others in terms of the number of executive level positions held by women, McBride and her female colleagues attribute that largely to stubborn stereotypical gender roles.

Wilhelm, said she never played at being an electrician growing up, or “constructed things.” And she certainly didn’t aspire to work at a distribution company that sells electrical and automation solutions.

She added, “I see a lot of that changing, with school-based STEM curriculum, promotion of the trades, and so many opportunities that encourage young women to pursue their passion and try things once believed outside societal stereotypes. Working in this industry has brought more professional fulfillment to me than any other in my career, but I never would have dreamed of it back then. I want to help other women discover the potential in our industry and to give it serious consideration as a career.

Schubert’s goal is to help more women realize that being a leader in this industry is possible. For many years, she was a single mom raising two kids. Before coming to Van Meter, work-life balance is something she often had to sacrifice.

“In technology, I was often the only woman in the room for many years. I know what it’s like to have nobody to turn to,” said Schubert. “Of course I love to help any employee succeed, but especially if women are having a hard time finding their voice or their passion.”

As more women have advanced into leadership roles in the workforce, they’ve gained confidence and delivered more value to businesses. In Murphy’s young career, she recalled feeling as though she had to “fit in with the boys” when in fact she didn’t enjoy the mostly male-driven activities that she was invited to attend.

“Everybody used to go golfing or out to drinks after work,” Murphy recalls. “I don’t enjoy golfing. I didn’t want to go hunting. I couldn’t go to Happy Hour. I needed to get home, but I used to think I had to act and communicate like a man to be recognized and appreciated. I had to learn that I’m more valuable for myself, my team and my company by being my authentic self.”

THE DIFFERENCE IS IN BEING ALL-INCLUSIVE

Van Meter is serious about putting the right people in the right roles – and making sure they are the right fit for its workplace. McBride, who is focused on the vision, direction and growth strategy of the company, says recognizing the strengths, diverse backgrounds and unique talents of everyone is far more powerful than just hiring people who are similar to everyone else.

“I truly believe men and women are better together in business,” McBride says. “But I also know that we’re stronger because we are focused on all people regardless of gender, race or age. Our differences power innovation and problem solving, and that’s a big part of our success.”

Schubert said Van Meter’s leadership team looks nothing like anywhere she’s been before because people really value each other’s differences. It’s an attitude shared throughout the company, and it’s led to a more engaged workforce.

“The sweet spot we have at Van Meter is not only that we have flexibility, and a family-first environment and value people’s time off,” said Schubert. “We have employee-owners who are engaged and who care about us succeeding, so with that mindset, it doesn’t actually feel like work sometimes.”

FIND AN OPPORTUNITY

Could you see yourself working in electrical distribution? Check out Van Meter’s careers page to find an opportunity. With chances to grow, develop and lead, your voice is valuable.