Tell us about your academic and professional background?
I graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in human resources from UW-Whitewater. Right out of college, I worked in the HR department for the law firm Godfrey & Kahn. Since then, I’ve worked in HR in a wide variety of industries including healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. I mostly held general HR roles but also had a few roles specializing in compensation and recruiting.
You have a strong background in HR and operations. What do you like about working in HR for a public relations agency?
Prior to joining Lowe Group, most of the companies I worked for were large. Due to the bureaucratic nature of working at a big organization, things could move slowly. I enjoy the challenge of the fast-paced environment of working at a PR firm. Decisions can be made and acted upon much quicker, and I can have a more direct impact on the organization and the employees.
I wasn’t actively looking for a position at a PR agency when I accepted the position with Lowe Group five years ago, but I liked the idea of exploring a new industry and working at a smaller firm where I could have a greater, more direct impact. I also enjoy being more involved in the operations side of the business.
HR work is an integral part of any company. Why is it so important and what do you most enjoy about it?
To me, human resources is about balancing the needs of the company and the needs of the employees and finding ways to make both successful. That’s why I enjoy it—finding a way to make sure each employee feels satisfied and successful while also meeting the needs of the company.
A big part of HR is bringing on new team members. How do you approach the hiring process?
While we’re always looking for candidates with a strong finance and/or PR background, we also focus on candidates who are inquisitive and curious about the business. That’s something you can’t train—it has to be inherent. This is especially true for junior staff who might not have previous experience but are looking to break into the industry. It’s one way the hiring process for Lowe Group has been slightly different than it was at other companies I’ve worked for.
Another consideration is a candidate’s drive and willingness to push projects forward. As a consulting firm, we are always balancing the needs of multiple clients at once. We want our clients to feel that they are a priority, and that requires someone who is always thinking about how to advance each client’s strategy.
Can you tell us more about the operations side of your role?
A big part of my operations role is working with our reporting team to closely monitor and track our clients’ daily media coverage. Over the last few years, I’ve spearheaded the refinement of our process, which now uses the combination of a media coverage database and manual searches. This allows us to report important media successes back to our clients in real time as well as providing quarterly detailed reports. We’ve also built our own coverage database to help us track these successes over time.
When it comes to the work you’ve done at Lowe Group, what is something you’re most proud of?
I’m proud to be the first person at Lowe Group with an HR background. It’s been rewarding to bring an HR perspective to the team and introduce considerations and practices that didn’t exist at the firm before I joined.
You’re a working mom with a busy schedule. What’s your morning routine?
As a working mom with an 8-year-old and 2-(about to be 3!) year-old, mornings are intense! I get myself ready before heading into battle. Some mornings are smooth and even include a little playtime. But if I’m being completely honest, some mornings may involve begging and bribing and maybe even a 2-year-old on her way to daycare without shoes or socks on—but she makes up for it with a daily serenade of a combination of ABCs and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
This interview is one in a series of “Meet the Team” conversations with our staff. Our previous interview can be found here.