PPB October 2019

Tanya Ignacek Vice President BrightStores, Inc. Evergreen, Colorado Years managing others: 10+ Why she was nominated: “I think the biggest quality Tanya has that makes her such a thoughtful leader is that she coaches us without taking over,” says Lucy Taylor, one of six nominators. “Her feedback is always thoughtful, constructive and spot on. She empowers us to manage our areas of expertise—never stepping on our toes or micromanaging a project—but will make herself available to talk through any areas where we might be stuck. And it’s never a burden. She’s an incredibly busy woman but when you are sitting in her office, she has all the time in the world for you.” Tanya’s insights on her best boss: Dan Halama is my best boss, my current boss and the owner of BrightStores. In addition to being incredible in business, Dan inspires with his vision and passion for what our company is and what it can be. He continually invests in the company infrastructure but also in our greatest asset—the people who work here. Dan is compassionate, fun to have around and, overall, an incredibly supportive boss. Her advice for managing others: I believe that being a great boss starts with recognizing that every person on the team is equally important and equally vital to our success. Nurturing a culture of respect and trust allows us to each do our jobs well independently while also bringing together our best ideas for successful collaboration. Additionally, I believe that to be successful at the office, it’s important to be happy outside of the office. Douglas Kordel President and Chief Legal Officer Proforma Independence, Ohio Years managing others: 21 Why he was nominated: “Doug does not expect more from anyone than he does of himself,” says one of two nominators Kathy Mayo, who’s reported to him for 12 years. “He puts 110 percent into every work day and inspires his people to want to do the same. Doug also gives credit to every person’s success and never claims it as his own. He is quick to point out what his team accomplishes.” Douglas’s insights on his best bosses: Vera and Greg Muzzillo have been both instrumental and inspirational, mentoring me in all aspects of Proforma’s business and vision, enabling our Proforma owner members to enjoy their best business success through technology, finance, operations, sales and marketing. Specifically, they have taught me the value of strategic thinking while deploying tactical solutions to accomplish Proforma’s vision. Their collective mentoring enables me to serve our Proforma teammembers and owner members. His advice for managing others: It’s all about serving your teammembers to enable them to serve others. Once you achieve this objective, you should then ask yourself daily, “Am I the type of leader that I would follow?” If you truly serve your teammembers, you will be able to answer “yes” every day. Tanya Ignacek, third from left, with four of her team members and nominators, from left, Sarah Tuomi, Lucy Taylor, Sheri Mischke and Akhil Shastry. | OCTOBER 2019 | 33 Best Bosses Of 2019 | FEATURE