Seattle Business magazine — January 2021 Issue Preview, Daring Women Section

Seattle Business S E AT T L E B U S I NESSMAG.COM JAN/FEB 2021

CHANGE AGENTS

WORLD TRADE CENTER SEATTLE

DIRECTOR EMILY CANTRELL IS AMONG DOZENS OF BUSINESS LEADERS LAUNCHING AMBITIOUS DIVERSITY AND EQUITY INITIATIVES

SB PROFILE

MICHAEL GREER HAS NAVIGATED A HOST OF CHALLENGES AS THE NEW CEO OF ARTSFUND

BEST COMPANIES

TOTAL BENEFIT SOLUTIONS RELIES ON TRANSPARENCY AND AUTHENTICITY TO SHAPE ITS CULTURE

EDITED AND CONDENSED BY ROB SMITH

LEADERSHIP: When I think about the

leaders I’ve admired, I think of courage and passion, people with integrity who are deeply committed to collaboratively pursuing a vision and to helping others develop. And to do this, I think leaders need the ability to be self-reflective and actively seek feedback from all around them. And while many people talk about the importance of leading from behind, which I agree with, it is also critical to be able to lead from the front. Sometimes having the courage to go first so others will follow is as important. While few may consider aggressiveness to be a leadership trait, for me, it crosses a line into more ego-driven and self-serving actions.

EMBRACING Janicki Bioenergy’s high-tech waste treatment seems a boonAUTHENTICITY for developing countries. Now comes the hard part: Convincing local municipalities thatencourages it’ll work here, too.

Laird Norton CEO Kristen Bauer leaders Patricklective Marshall to becomebyself-ref and sincere

K

risten bauer became chief executive officer of Seattle-based Laird Norton Wealth Management, the Pacific Northwest’s oldest and largest independent wealth management and trust company, in May. Raised as the daughter of a CEO, Bauer didn’t lack for lessons in leadership.

Now, she strives to be a role model for future leaders of all identities — especially her own two daughters — in whatever endeavors they pursue. Recognizing the state of diversity in financial services — where less than 4% of financial planners are Black or Latino and less than 20% of advisers are women, according the Certified Financial Planners Board — she’s making a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture a top priority for Laird Norton.

Bauer is passionate about working closely with multiple generations within successful families to help them navigate challenges, change and generational transitions. She grew up in Bend, Oregon, which inspired her love of the outdoors and ongoing involvement with environmental causes. Bauer serves as board chairwoman of The Nature Conservancy in Washington, president of the board of the Wilderness Awareness School and is a member of the Young President’s Organization.

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PROMINENCE: Nurture an authentic and

supportive network, get feedback from as many diverse perspectives as possible and be willing to stretch beyond your comfort zone.

To evolve and advance your career, you can’t play it safe. If you don’t risk failure, you won’t grow. This takes bravery, passion, advocacy and sometimes scrappiness, but it’s worth the effort. And you can actually balance it all.

MENTORSHIP: What’s interesting is that, in my professional career, I’ve only had one female boss. For three summers during college, I worked for a CFO who was a woman who took a chance on me and pushed me.

COURTESY OF LAIRD NORTON

DARING WOMEN

BARRIERS: Early in my career, I got in my own way and let too many things hold me back, especially around whether I was doing a good enough job of balancing being a mother with my professional aspirations. I was fortunate enough to have a few mentors who saw something in me and took a personal and authentic interest in my development.

They helped show me my leadership path and, in turn, encouraged me to own up to my unique abilities. That said, I don’t mean to discount the structural and systemic barriers in business. They’re very real and they go far beyond gender. I’m proud to say women make up half of our firm’s leadership team and board of directors but we have lots of room to improve as it relates to building a diverse and inclusive culture that considers all aspects of diversity. We’ve recently brought in a consultant to help us assess where we stand on DEI, from hiring and culture to how we can promote racial and gender equity in our region and industry. It’s a first step, but an important one.

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

So, I’ve gained most from women who I’ve watched create their own path, whether they were public figures, professional forces of nature or those who quietly used their integrity and guiding influence as powerful drivers of change.

“We believe in the positive power the run can create in someone’s day. It is also an effective antidote in troubling times.”

—Jim Weber, CEO at Brooks Running, describing why the Seattle company’s fiscal third quarter revenue skyrocketed 49%.

ADVICE: Build your tribe and offer your

full authentic self to others. What I’m talking about here is embracing authenticity and diversity within yourself so that you can encourage authenticity around you. And find others who will do the same. I see this next generation of female leaders building businesses and cultures that fully celebrate diversity and authenticity and not only make room for a future that’s going to look different, but take an active role in learning from, developing and mentoring the next generation. Our youngest generations are showing us great leadership for how diversity and authenticity should be respected in our world.

NETWORKING: Finding ways to bring my

networks together that benefit others has been a passion of mine. We are all interconnected and helping to weave a broad web of relationships that brings exponential rewards.

It’s not just about advancement of one’s career.

It’s about inclusiveness, community building and being a part of a thought-provoking ecosystem. New ideas, partnerships or ways to address big issues often come out of connecting beyond our immediate circles.

DO DIFFERENTLY: As I started nurturing

my network, I realized how many opportunities and connections I may have left in the past by not starting earlier. I often wonder what impact people from college or early in my career could have had on my life and how I could’ve paid that forward.

UNWIND: On a hike or wandering Discovery

COURTESY OF LAIRD NORTON

Park. I’m honestly a country girl from central Oregon and being outdoors in nature calms my mind. And if it’s raining, you most likely will find me with my two daughters or friends talking about the interesting aspects of life.

MEET A DARING WOMAN. BE A DARING WOMAN.

To read more Daring Women interviews or to submit your own answers to our questionnaire, visit seattlebusinessmag.com.

THE BIG NUMBER

$431 million Sea-Tac based Alaska Air Group’s net loss in its fiscal third quarter

Source: SEC

S TAT S H O T

Relief Picture

STATE GIVES MILLIONS TO YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS TACKLING COVID -19 CHALLENGES

The Washington State Department of Commerce created the Washington Youth Development Nonprofit Relief Fund to assist nonprofit organizations working with young people effected by Covid-19. Funding came from the federal CARES act passed last year. The state partnered with nonprofit School’s Out Washington for implementation. Here’s a look:

9.4M

Dollars awarded to youth organizations impacted by Covid-19

421

Number of recipients

600

Applications received

13

Languages spoken by applicants

88

Percentage of youth served by awardees in the Relief Fund’s priority populations (BIPOC, LBGTQ, migrants/ immigrants experiencing homelessness and/or poverty)

48

Percentage of organizations whose entire client base is in a priority population

84

Percentage of organizations providing expanded learning opportunities

76

Percentage that provide mentoring

78

Percentage that serve children between ages 5-12

10,000

Minimum amount of dollars awarded to a single organization.

50,000

Most dollars awarded to a single organization

47

Number of organizations receiving $50,000

Source: Washington State Department of Commerce (November 2020)

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