2024
AVP Risk Management
ASIAN
Education (degrees & institutions): MBA, Bellevue University; BS, Business Administration, minor in Communications, Bellevue University Company Name: Union Pacific Railroad Industry: Transportation Company CEO: Jim Vena Company Headquarters Location: Omaha, NE Number of Employees: 31,490 (2023) Words you live by: Leave things better than you found them. Stay curious, learn, grow and transfer knowledge. “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill Who is your personal hero? Heroes (my parents) What book are you reading? Ask for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything by Alexandra Carter What was your first job? Corn detasseling Favorite charity: Conservation Fusion Interests/Hobbies: Travel, golf & pickleball Family: Husband Greg, married for 17 years & 2 dogs (puggles) Ziggy & Brody
A strong upbringing and a bevy of great leaders have kept her career on the right track I attribute my career success to some traits that I learned early on that were instilled by my parents and grandparents as well as having truly excellent leadership and direct supervisors over the years at Union Pacific Railroad. Growing up in my household, we were taught to be respectful of our elders, to listen to their experiences and learn from their wisdom. I recall being corrected as a child anytime that I interrupted or did not appear to be listening or was preoccupied. The traits of being respectful to others, a good listener and wanting to always learn and be curious has been essential to my success. Many times throughout my career these three traits have come into play when learning a new role or defining business objectives and goals as well as understanding the history so that the same mistakes do not get made a second time. Part of being a
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2024 Second Quarter
good listener is getting clarification that you understood the speaker correctly, so it’s important to ask good questions. My direct supervisors or leaders of my departments have been my mentors. I count myself very lucky to have had truly excellent leadership role models at Union Pacific and I have learned and grown in my career from numerous opportunities and experiences. I attempt to do the same thing for my teams, looking to provide good guidance, leadership and opportunities for my teams to develop, grow and learn. I have had great advice and coaching over the years from my mentors, leaders and supervisors that has been very helpful. Here are a few: o
Always do the right thing for the company overall.
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Constantly communicate, collaborate and innovate.
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Find win-wins.
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Problem solving skills are a must.
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Understand others perspectives and objectives.
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There are always more good ideas & opportunities to work on than there are resources, so prioritization is key.
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Be fair, consistent and accountable.
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When delegating, have a specific “due date” for the tasks.
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Always talk through the “whys” and ensure you check for understanding.
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Be organized and have good time management.
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Celebrate wins and learn from mistakes.
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AWARD
Naomi Deines