Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement - 28W

20151109-Sup1--0028-NAT-CCI-AN_--

11/3/2015

10:22 AM

Page 1

28W * NOVEMBER 9, 2015

L E A D I N G

TESTED
continued from Page 26W

really a much tougher challenge than things
going on in my work life."
Finding an effective work-life balance during
her children's younger years was taxing on Julie
Martin, vice president of sales and marketing for
Hella Corporate Center USA. Her desire to be a
higher performer in the office "while still meeting my parental objectives" eventually prompted her to propose a job-share agreement.
"We were able to successfully promote another
high potential female to job-share with me, allowing both a high performance on the job while
allowing both of us to have more flexibility with
our family life." The idea helped establish credi-

W O M E N

●●●

bility in the organization for
job sharing, she says.
Another part of that homelife equation? Uprooting a
husband with his own career,
points out Kimberly Pittel,
Ford's vice president of sustainability, environment and
Martin: Pushed safety engineering.
for job sharing
"I think every couple faces
that challenge when you
have two people who have significant careers,"
Pittel says. "My husband is in finance at another Fortune 500 company, so I think that the
biggest challenge we faced was managing both
careers and having a family."
Marlo Vitous is philosophical about what it
takes to weather the disruption many of the

Leading Women have experienced.
Vitous is director of product development
purchasing at FCA US, and led the automaker's
powertrain purchasing team as Chrysler
passed through bankruptcy, merged with Fiat
and developed new engine technologies.
"When you have that revolution," she says of
her experience, "you have to show yourself
again. You can't rely on, 'Oh, they knew you
back then, and you have that respect and trust.'
You have to continuously earn it.
"With my old managers, I used to say that
every day is an interview," she says. "That's
been the constant challenge. You have to prove
yourself by your hard work, by your ethics, by
your passion and your skill, because you don't
know who your next leader will be or what the
market will do." c

Ford's Chantel Lenard spent time on
her leave with her two daughters,
Miranda, left, and Delaney.

BREAK
continued from Page 26W

Sometimes the
smallest number
is the biggest deal
980
98
0 Pu
Publ
b ic
bl
cat
atio
io
ons
25 P
Pat
aten
en
ntss
4 Bo
Book
okss
1 of 100 Leading Women

IAC is proud to congratulate Dr. Rose Ann Ryntz on being selected
as one of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry.

Dr. Rose Ann Ryntz
VP, Advanced Development
and Material Engineering

Inspiration comes from within.

www.IACgroup.com

amount of stamina," she says.
Lenard says she saw very little of her
daughters during her China assignment. "I was in the office from 7 a.m.
till 7 at night so I left while they were
asleep and then I came home and got
on phone calls from 7 until midnight
five days a week," says Lenard, now
46 and director of U.S. marketing.
When she returned to the Detroit
area, the exhausted Lenard decided
she needed to ask the company for a
break. The negotiations were ticklish.
"They asked me, 'How much
would you like?' I said, 'How about
a year?' They said, 'How about a
month?' We arrived at six months,
which in the end was a perfect
amount of time," Lenard says.
Asked whether anyone was worried
she might not return, Lenard says: "I
think there was a concern on their
side. Why is she doing this? Is she going to look for another job? I kept
hearing from people: 'You're going to
be so bored.' I was never bored."
Lenard says the time flew by and
she made maximum use of it.
"In that six months, I got to know
those other moms in the classrooms. ... By forming those friendships, even though I'm not there as
much now, I can count on those
other women to tell me what's going on" at her daughters' school.
"It allowed me to recharge and reconnect with my daughters, to make
some connections in the community. At a certain point we should give
everyone a chance to do that."
Was Lenard concerned about
coming back from a lengthy layoff to
a new, high-profile job? "There was
some concern," she says. "To put me
in a high-profile job like the one I'm
in now says a lot, too, for other people that might be concerned about
taking that risk. Hopefully I sent the
message that it's OK. It didn't kill my
career. It's been really good."
FCA's Barman, who returned to
work Nov. 2 as vice president of engineering, says her relationships
with her children have deepened
during the time off.
"It's been amazing; we've had a
lot of good time together. We've
had a lot of good conversation on
topics they have questions about."
Barman says she has mixed feelings going back to work, which she
loves. But she knows the time off was
worthwhile.
"Based on the time we've spent together I know our relationship is
stronger and that we have a great solid foundation going forward." c

http://www.IACgroup.com

Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement