Hansgrohe celebrates its women leaders

ALPHARETTA, Ga. ? While plumbing has long been considered a male industry, Hansgrohe has spent the last 25 years breaking down these stereotypes. Its North America headquarters currently employs 116 women in both the production and management teams.

All key departments, from marketing to training, have a female at the helm.

?Our company is built on innovation, leadership, dedication and respect. These guiding principles have been clear since day one, February 18, 1988,? said Russ Wheeler, President of Hansgrohe North America. ?As we toast to our 25-year anniversary in the North American marketplace, it is important to celebrate the people that have shaped our company over the past quarter century. In honor of ?Women?s History Month,? we?re shining the spotlight on some of our most influential leaders.?

Long-time leaders Mary Barron, lead-component for Warehouse, and Maria Thomas, a production coordinator, have been with Hansgrohe since 1995. The two have experienced many milestones in their 18-year history including the production of Interaktiv, Retroktiv and Euroaktiv, the first series of products designed to meet the needs of the North American market.

?Maria and I came in at the ground level, when Hansgrohe just started its production. It was amazing to see the business gain momentum so quickly,? Barron remarked.

?It was a very small, family-oriented group. We watched out for another. Today, we are a much larger team spread among three separate buildings, yet somehow we manage to keep that small group spirit. I feel that everyone at the company, from top management to entry level, really cares about everyone else. I love that when Philippe Grohe, Axor?s Brand Manager, visits from Germany, he makes a point to stop by the facility and shake our hands. You can tell he has a lot of respect for what we?ve done for the company,? Thomas added.

At the corporate level, Katie Maselis was hired as vice president of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service in 2003. Her tenure marked the first female executive in company history.

Today, the Marketing Department is led by Claudia Mueller, a native of Germany. She has been with the company for more than 15 years, including the time she spent as an intern at Hansgrohe North America. This rich experience has made her an integral part of the Hansgrohe family. In 2001, she was promoted to marketing services manager of Corporate Marketing.

Mueller was transferred to Hansgrohe North America in 2004, and was promoted to channel marketing manager in 2006. In 2010, Mueller took on a new role as director of marketing, in which she oversees all marketing initiatives for North America, including research, development and implementation of new programs for both Hansgrohe and its designer brand Axor.

Cindy Welsh has been with Hansgrohe for the last 12 years. In her first years at the company, she significantly increased the company?s sales and under her management, Hansgrohe was awarded ?Expo Design Center Partner of the Year? in 2002. In 2004, she became regional sales manager and delivered the largest percentage of sales growth of all the regions. After only a year, Welsh was promoted to Divisional Sales Manager at Hansgrohe, and very quickly rose to her current position as manager of National Sales. She is responsible for managing and executing sales initiatives for the trade channel that represents 77 percent of the U.S. company?s overall revenue.

Sharon Murray?s contributions to the company span more than a decade. She joined Hansgrohe in 1999 as manager of Business Development after more than three years with Ferguson Enterprises. In 2000, she was awarded the Phoenix award for territory growth and achievement. That same year she was promoted to manager of Regional Sales for the southeast. In 2004, Murray was promoted to manager of Divisional Sales where she produced significant sales gains. She became the manager of National Market Development in 2008, where she led the U.S. implementation of the company?s Sales Up! initiative. In her current role as manager of National Sales, Projects and Hospitality, she is responsible for the management, execution and continued development of Hansgrohe?s ?IP? or International Projects business, which includes a specific focus on growing company revenue within the hospitality segment.

Jen Bruno, manager of National Sales Training, has long been a dynamic asset to Hansgrohe. Her development and instruction of continuing education units (CEUs) at the company has garnered her widespread acclaim across the country and helped her establish an outstanding reputation in the industry. In Bruno?s current role, she is responsible for providing executive leadership and manages all of Hansgrohe?s training plans, including educating more than 10,000 industry professionals annually. She is also in charge of the Aquademie, Hansgrohe?s state-of-the-art training and product display center.

Sibylle Mair, a native of Passau Germany, has always had a drive to succeed. In 2006 Hansgrohe sought her out for her financial expertise and exemplary work for heavyweights such as Siemens. Mair currently serves as the Head of Accounting, IT and is responsible for high-level financial operations.

Ren?e Maxwell is the executive director of Human Resources and Organizational Development. In her eight years at Hansgrohe, Maxwell has negotiated rates for U.S. employee health and welfare benefit programs, redesigned the Hansgrohe NA 401(K) plan, created a new performance management system, and developed several HR initiatives including the establishment of an internship program. In the years to come, Maxwell plans to continue focusing on the integration of talent management with the business, leading to increased corporate performance and significant growth for the company.

Source: http://www.phcnews.com/wp/hansgrohe-celebrates-its-women-leaders/

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