She Leads – With Cathy Stephens

Name:

Cathy Stephens

Which Cox division do you work in?

CCI

Job Title

Sourcing Manager

What would you tell your younger self?

You never know who can help you in the future – so it is important to make as many connections as you can. And you should never burn any bridges. I was able to get both my job at The Coca-Cola Company and at Cox through recommendations from people that I had worked with in the past.

What was your major in college and how did you get to the position you are in today?

My major in college was Public Relations with a major in communications and minor in journalism. My manager at Cox was also my manager at The Coca-Cola Company. She reached out to me about working for her again at Cox.

How do you balance your work and personal life? Often times one has more importance, and we’re curious to know how you’ve handled the balance.

I did not want the affect that I was a working mother impact participating in my son’s school activities. I was lucky to have managers who allowed me to adjust my hours so that I could participate in all of his activities. I found out that as long as my managers knew that I would get the work done (even if it was after hours), they were willing to work with me. I also worked with my suppliers so that if there was a business trip that was needed that we could schedule the trips around my son’s wrestling matches. I only missed one of my son’s sporting events – and that was only because he was added to the varsity team at the last minute.

What is your favorite hobby?

I love reading (both fiction and non-fiction) and also running. Reading helps me to learn new ideas and running helps to clear my mind.

What advice do you want to give the next generation of women leaders?

Learn to be a good listener and to ask for advice. You can then take that advice and what you have learned to help make informed decisions.

What’s your favorite ice cream?

My favorite ice cream is cookie dough.