At some point in all our professional lives, we come to a crossroads – stay with what we know, or take a chance at a new opportunity. We were honored when last month, Elements Financial Credit Union CEO Lisa Schlehuber, shared with us how she navigated these times in her own career.
With a degree in business economics from DePauw University, Lisa spent years of her early career at Caterpillar Inc, working in various finance roles – and often as one of, if not the only, woman in the department. She says of that time, that she worked to find various ways to be a part of the conversation and to voice her opinion (in the right way).
After over a decade at the company, she and her family met that first crossroads: continue the journey with Caterpillar or embark on a new path in Indiana? They chose the latter, making the move to the Hoosier state where, after a stint at Arthur Andersen & Co., Lisa joined Eli Lilly and Company.
After spending time in Lilly’s finance department, Lisa was faced when a second professional crossroads: pursue a job in her current department that she wasn’t sure was a fit for her (but her boss was), or make the leap into a role in HR, which would be new to her but felt right for her and her career? In her own words, she focused on who she was and what made her happy when making her decision, and chose to take a chance at a new opportunity, spending time with the human resources department.
In her current role as CEO of Elements Financial for the past decade, Lisa’s experience with finance and HR, in addition to the professional path she has taken, have led her to a unique style of interacting with her team. Her style – “be brief, be bright, be gone” – is focused on getting her team members to focus on the point of their talks with her, versus getting bogged down in details. She aims to continue to collaborate with her team to bring the financial services company in line with the fast-paced, tech-savvy market of today.
With her years of experience – spanning big professional choices and various roles – her best advice? “Ask for what you want, because we own our own experiences.”
Interested in hearing from other women in the Indy community about their professional journey? Join our LinkedIn Group or sign up for our email list to get the latest information on upcoming speakers and events!