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36 •
PPB
• SEPTEMBER 2015
INNOVATE
EDUCATION
Degree in business administra-
tion with a specialty in market-
ing from Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville (SIUE).
FIRST INDUSTRY JOB
Marketing associate for distribu-
tor GatewayCDI at age 23. “My
main roles were working on
RFPs, developing marketing for
sales reps and assisting the chief
marketing officer.”
PREVIOUS JOB
Assistant manager at the Gap
FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB
Brainstorming sessions with the
marketing team. “I very much
believe that teamwork, especially
in this area, equals success. I get
excited when there is synergy,
and the best ideas are usually the
result of no one person being
able to take direct credit. As I
have progressed in my career,
working with others to help
them grow and succeed has defi-
nitely been the most rewarding.”
BIGGEST GOAL FOR 2015
“… to take life a little less seri-
ously and spend a bit more time
enjoying the now rather
than planning for what’s
next. That type A syn-
drome can be brutal
sometimes.”
PROUDEST
ACCOMPLISHMENT
“Personally my proudest
accomplishment is being
married for 13 years and
raising two children who
thus far are well bal-
anced, well behaved and
respectful (they are only
six and seven but we are
on the right track).
Professionally, I am
proud to be a part of the
success of Facilisgroup. I
have been here from its
infancy and have seen my hard
work (along with that of my
dedicated colleagues) develop the
company into what it is today. I
have an extreme passion for
Facilis, who we are and what we
do. I feel truly blessed to be a
part of this organization—work-
ing with such an amazing group
of promotional products distrib-
utors and suppliers.”
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED
“Be true to your values. At the
end of the day, you take only
yourself home with you. Make
sure you can look in the mirror
and be proud of who you are.”
STATUS IN FIVE YEARS
“We will see what the future
holds, but I am committed to
ensuring that I continually have
a passion for what I am doing. In
the ever-changing world we live
in, there are always opportunities
for growth and development,
both for yourself and those
around you. Being part of a com-
pany that believes in and sup-
ports its employees will always
be a priority.”
IN MY SPARE TIME
“Ha, ha … spare time …what is
that? When given the opportu-
nity, I enjoy reading, dinner and
wine with friends, spending time
with family, volunteering at my
children’s school and date nights
with my husband. I typically stay
pretty busy but wouldn’t have it
any other way.”
ALTERNATIVE CAREER
“I would be a college professor.
When I was younger, I wanted
to be a teacher but really didn’t
have the patience for teaching
young children or dealing with
sassy teenagers. However, I have
thoroughly enjoyed developing
training programs and working
with adult users of the Facilis
system. Teaching young adults
who are eager to learn would
bring me great satisfaction.”
ON MY DESK RIGHT NOW
Pictures of her kids, two bottles
of hand sanitizer, a Diet Dr
Pepper, iPhone, file folders and
her Macbook.
INDUSTRY CHANGES
SHE’D LIKE TO SEE
“There needs to be an increased
level of education about our
industry among college students
and young people. From what I
have seen when hiring and
speaking to adults, there is little
awareness about our industry. I
think a lot more could be done
as far as college outreach pro-
grams. This leads to the second
problem, which is the aging dis-
tributor. As an industry, we need
to reignite the younger genera-
tions as to what PPAI is about
and look to hire and mold young
leaders. I also feel there is not a
high enough level of entry or
standard for suppliers and dis-
tributors entering the industry.
Ashley McCune
• Age 34
• Vice president of marketing and communications, Facilisgroup
• St. Louis, Missouri