Ellen Holladay remarks on Wendy B. McDonald Award
The following is excerpted from remarks made by Ellen Holladay, senior vice president and chief information officer at Motion Industries, upon receiving the Wendy B. McDonald Award at the 2018 PTDA Summit.
I’m truly humbled and grateful for this honor. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. McDonald on a few occasions, but I mostly learned about her legacy through her employees and family when BC Bearings joined Motion Industries in 2010.
When I first visited their headquarters in Vancouver, I noticed a coffee table book with Mrs. McDonald’s picture on it. I flipped through a few pages and was immediately fascinated by the story of her life. Dermot Strong noticed my interest and was kind enough to send me a copy of the book, which I still have today.
It’s called “You Got That Right!” and she did on so many fronts. The way she responded to adversity – her drive – her love for people and relationships. Most of all, the way she passionately gave back to all the communities that she was a part of. All of this while raising a large and hugely successful family.
So it would be hard for any of us to ever measure up to the accomplishments of Wendy McDonald, but that’s OK. For me, just reflecting on her legacy over the past few weeks has made me realize that some of the principles she followed are timeless, and I’m pleased that we are keeping her memory alive through this award.
Like Mrs. McDonald and so many others in this room, I did not have a textbook career progression in the PT/MC industry. I actually majored in English and Linguistics at Auburn University, taught English for three years, and then decided to pursue something a little more lucrative.
I went back to school, and began work on my MBA in cost accounting. Shortly before graduating, I was thrilled that Ernst & Whitney – one of the Big 8 accounting firms – wanted to interview me. I couldn’t wait to start my new career in accounting.
But when I went on the job interview, much to my surprise, I learned it wasn’t for accounting at all – my resume had literally landed on the wrong desk. The job was for IT consulting, something I was totally unqualified for. When they asked me how I felt about computers, I admitted that I had never touched one but I was sure I’d be really good at it. Somehow I landed the job and my career in IT was born.
I switched the focus of my MBA to IT, learned even more through on-the-job training, and then focused my client work in the manufacturing and distribution space. But I wanted a family and needed to stop travelling full time, so I looked for a company with work/life balance.
There was a company in Birmingham called Motion Industries. I didn’t really know much about it but it had a great reputation and was growing fast. And given my love for motion pictures, well, I thought it would be a natural fit.
I went on an interview, and when my future boss suggested we tour the warehouse, I was confused. What did warehouse have to do with motion pictures?
While we were on the tour, he asked, “How would you feel about developing a company operating system for bearings and PT distribution?”
I wasn’t sure what he meant by “company operating system” and definitely didn’t know what PT was, but I forced a smile and said, “Of course, I’ve dreamed of doing that since I was a little girl!” And my career in the PT industry was born.
Six years later, I was promoted to CIO and I became actively involved in industry associations. Scott MacPherson was actually the reason I got involved. We didn’t know each other but he was the chairperson of the IT committee at BSA. He was moving into a higher leadership position, so my boss, Bill Stevens, asked if I would step in to take his place.
That’s when I found out that I loved association work – it gave me the opportunity to learn so much more about our industry, to meet major players and get different perspectives. Since that time, I’ve worked on a lot of exciting initiatives in our industry and I’ve never stopped loving what I do.
Over the past 18 years, I think our industry associations have really progressed – not only are there more women, but there is more professional diversity all around: sales and operating professionals, accountants, human resources – and even IT! I think we’ve just learned that it takes a broad talent pool be successful as an organization and as an industry.
I’d like to wrap this up with some thoughts for future leaders. But I don’t want to use my words – Wendy McDonald’s are so much better, and I’ve chosen just a few right from her book, “You Got That Right!” And I love them, because they are just “straight talk.”
When Mrs. McDonald was asked about the keys to success she said, “Sometimes you need to shut up and listen.” And listen she did – to customers and trusted advisors alike.
When asked how she was so successful with no formal training or experience, Mrs. McDonald said, “It’s simple – I just went ahead and did it.” I wonder if Nike stole the “The just do it” campaign from her.
Her advice to women: “You can do anything you want to if you have the heart” and “Just be yourself.”
And finally, advice to all of us: “Keep your word, trust your instincts, always be authentic. Never give up.”
Wendy B. McDonald had little formal training, but somehow she instinctively knew what was important.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Joyce Lansdale and Vallen. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and David Kahle, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
