As the first woman in many of the professional positions I have held, I succeeded while coaching and mentoring the next generation of leaders, many of whom have been women. Why do you believe honoring achievement is important? Honoring achievement is an excellent opportunity to highlight individuals and organizations reaching goals and encouraging others to achieve their … [More]
Susan Wissink
I’d say that it’s all about my actions and not just my words — I’m a natural leader and mentor and, as a mother of three, I enjoy nurturing people and helping others. Why do you believe honoring achievement is important? Honoring achievement is important because it highlights the good work that people in our business community are doing and, hopefully, inspires others to … [More]
Mary Jane Rynd, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
Every year, InMedia Company dedicates the September edition of In Business Magazine to celebrate women who are making a difference in our community. This year, the focus is women who demonstrate great business success and give back. I am honored to be this year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree and to lead this issue of In Business Magazine celebrating some of the Valley’s most … [More]
Feedback: September 2022
Q: As a former Women of Achievement honoree, you’ve been recognized for outstanding leadership. Different times seem to call for different strengths, so what do you feel are the most important leadership qualities for the times we are in now? 2018 Woman of Achievement Mesha Davis Chief Executive Officer Arizona Foundation for Women Given today’s climate on … [More]
Darren Rawson Leads through Chaos
Darren Rawson is a leader who thrives on disruption. “For better or worse, I’ve often sought it out,” says Rawson, president of Phoenix-based AZP Multifamily, a leading maintenance and parts supplier to the multifamily industry. “You could say I’m a bit of a volatility junkie.” To wit, Rawson once guided a team transitioning a company through bankruptcy and spearheaded … [More]
Leading from Abundance – The Power of Positivity
“With all the negativity in the world, what a great opportunity one has to be a positive leader and influencer. When one decides to become a positive leader, it not only makes themselves better, but makes everyone around them better — and that’s a great place to start!” —Jon Gordon In today’s volatile, uncertain world, organizations are often faced with seemingly … [More]
Disruption and Continuity – Preparing the Business Response
Business continuity planning is an essential piece of business planning. Continuity plans are created to ensure that the company is capable of continuing delivery of products or services at pre-defined acceptable levels following a “disruptive incident or circumstance.” A disruptive incident or circumstance includes a wide range of potential threats to a company — natural … [More]
President José Luis Cruz Rivera: Championing Access and Equity in Higher Education
It has been a busy first year for President José Luis Cruz Rivera, who began his tenure as the 17th president of Northern Arizona University on June 14, 2021. At that time, NAU was facing a number of challenges far beyond a transition in leadership. “We needed to bring students and faculty safely back during COVID, while also addressing issues of trust, a desire for … [More]
Brainstorming – Is Online or In-Person More Creative?
A recent study found that online interactions result in less creativity than face-to-face. The reason: When online, people mostly stare at the screen rather than letting their eyes wander around, which sparks more divergent thought. But the flaw with this study was that the conditions that actually result in creative thinking were not set, not in the online nor the in-person … [More]
Succession Planning: Preparing for the Expected or Unexpected
With an aging population of baby boomers in ownership roles, succession planning has become an ongoing priority. Although some of the activities were paused due to uncertainties related to the pandemic, the ideas have been brought back to the table with interest rates remaining relatively low and liquidity relatively available to deploy. Many businesses remain actively … [More]
