Spotlight: Kristin Shields
Kristin Shields – WOF Spotlight
I never planned on a career in Flexo, after spending my high school summers filing mountains of customer records, I wanted to run far and fast from my family’s business. I had big dreams of “killing it on Madison Avenue” but life led me back to Chicago and our pre-1900 plant in Wrigleyville. What was supposed to be a temporary stop has become a lifelong passion.
Taking a step back, Graymills has very deep roots in the Flexo industry, we have been an FTA member since 1959. My father, Jerry Shields, was extremely involved with the FTA and a scheduling conflict in August of 1991 started my Flexo journey via an FTA conference and workshop in Santiago, Chile. I traveled to South America and I was hooked.
My father was probably my greatest mentor. However, the single most impactful piece of career advice came from Jim Feeney of W & H. Jim said he’d give me five minutes on my name and after that I had to prove myself. I love a challenge, and this was a challenge – I was young and a woman playing in the world of middle-aged men.
Plant floors in the early 90’s looked a lot different. They were the dreaded 3 D’s – dark, dirty and dangerous. Workstations were filled with pin-up calendars and women were perceived to have little to no technical abilities. One of my favorite days was a call, with my male sales rep, at a large converter who was having an ink delivery issue on an 8-color CI press. Walking out to the press I was completely ignored, when we got there the supervisor started talking to my rep as if I was invisible. To his credit, my rep made it clear I was the one there to solve the problem. The problem was solved, and they had to look me in the eye and say “Thank You.” You have no idea how good that felt!
Young professionals need to have the courage to advocate for themselves. The opportunities are endless; you just need to put yourself out there. I’ve also seen a significant change in how women are championing other women. Early in my career there were not any mentorship programs, let alone women mentoring women. We were a threat to the women who started breaking the glass ceiling. Mentoring young professionals brings me great joy! I’m not going to work forever, so building the proverbial bench is so important.
My day starts with the Illinois Manufacturer’s Association Morning Digest. This gives me a quick view of local and national manufacturing related headlines. The Harvard Business Review articles and podcasts are a great resource for me, especially The Daily Alert and Management Tip of the Day. My new favorite business book is Rethinking Resilience by Tissa Richards. Many of the concepts carry over to life outside of work. I’d love to have Tissa speak to WoF on this topic!
I am active in several industry specific associations, along with the Illinois Manufacturers Association and The National Association of Manufacturers. They all serve very different purposes. Networking within these organizations is how I stay on top of what’s happening. I love attending the IMA’s DC Fly-in, during this time we meet with members of congress, trade missions, etc to advocate for manufacturing. Meetings in the West Wing and receptions on the Speaker’s balcony have been highlights!
I am a strong believer in being engaged. In my opinion, there is no point in joining an organization if you are not going to actively participate. My goal is to always have a seat at the table. My advice to women who want to be more involved is don’t be afraid to raise your hand. These are all volunteer organizations, and no one is going to turn away a volunteer. However, you need to make sure you have the bandwidth to commit! We all go through periods in our careers where we have more time than others, so it’s OK to say No, please call me next time.
Retiring from the FTA board is bittersweet for me. The FTA has been such a big part of both my personal and professional life. I was incredibly honored when Mark Cisternino ask me to join the board in 2019. The association hit some speed bumps during my tenure. As I stated earlier, I love challenges. It’s been a privilege working with my fellow board members to develop a long term strategy that will lead the FTA into the future. We did not always agree but the respect we have for each other and the passion we share for the industry prevailed. This is what I’m proud of – I’m leaving the board with a strategy to make our association even stronger! Like my father, I have made lifelong friends on this board! I’m retiring from the board but staying close to the action. I look forward to working with Cat Haynes on Workforce Development and Keith Nagel on the membership restructuring project. Nathan knows he can always call with a question related to FTA history.
I’m hoping my passion for board/corporate governance and workforce development leads to corporate board positions. I’m also working with my family on a succession plan that will bring Gen 3 into Graymills. This is something I never thought would be possible. I think the Shields passion for Flexo finally might be wearing off on my kids!
