KERAMIDA Team Completes ADVISA's Leadership Fundamentals Program

Left to right: Maddy Osswald, MBA, Vice President, Sustainability; Wesley Fleming, MBA, PE, Chief Financial Officer & Senior Engineer; Genny Willman, PE, AAAE CM, Senior Manager, Compliance Engineering Services; Nick McCreary, MS, LEED AP BD+C, Senior Vice President, Sustainability; Emilee O'Neill, Vice President, Sustainability Strategy & Reporting; Xuqing Xiong, MS, PE, Vice President, GHG & Sustainability Data.

Equipping Our Leaders to Lead with Confidence

This year, four KERAMIDA leaders completed ADVISA's Leadership Fundamentals program, which focuses on developing skills in self-awareness, communication, hard conversations, team dynamics, driving results, and leading through change. This month, they graduated.

ADVISA's Leadership Fundamentals is a six-month leadership development program designed to help supervisors and mid-level managers strengthen the skills needed to lead people, drive results, and build strong team cultures. Through monthly, day-long sessions, participants gained practical tools they can put to work every day as leaders at KERAMIDA.

The program is part of KERAMIDA's continued investment in developing the people who lead our teams, shape our culture, and serve our clients. KERAMIDA covered the full cost of the program for participating staff.

"As a young woman in a leadership position, this program significantly helped grow my confidence and provided me with an entire toolbox of skills to put into practice on a daily basis," said Maddy Osswald, Vice President, Sustainability.

Xuqing Xiong, Vice President, GHG & Sustainability Data, who graduated from the program as well, said, "Leadership is not one-size-fits-all. Different team members may need different levels of direction, support, and flexibility depending on the situation. The program gave me some practical tools to better understand those differences and adjust my approach accordingly."

Emilee O'Neill, Vice President, Sustainability Strategy & Reporting, another one of KERAMIDA’s graduates, said, “As someone who works remotely, I also really appreciated having the opportunity to spend time in Indianapolis and connect with the KERAMIDA team in person. ADVISA did a phenomenal job creating a space where we could ask hard questions, learn from each other, and walk away with practical tools and a better understanding of ourselves as leaders. I came away with so many ideas that I’m excited to share with my team and build on together. Ultimately, continuing to invest in our people and in how we work together gives us an even stronger foundation to serve our clients well and contribute to the sustainability work we all care so much about.”

One of the most impactful things I took away from ADVISA's Leadership Fundamentals was the understanding that leadership is deeply personal, both for you and for the people you lead,” said Genny Willman, PE, AAAE CM, Senior Manager, Compliance Engineering Services. “Through the Predictive Index, I have a clearer picture of my own strengths and blind spots, which has helped me communicate more intentionally, motivate more effectively, and build a team culture where everyone feels valued and supported.

"We're so proud of this team!" said Wesley Fleming, Chief Financial Officer. "We recognize the effort that went into managing a full plate of client and staff demands in order to be at these ADVISA sessions. We're grateful for your hard work and dedication to KERAMIDA and our clients. Your willingness to challenge yourselves and grow as leaders is having a huge impact on our company, and we're so fortunate to have you at KERAMIDA!"

ADVISA has been developing leaders for 40 years, with more than 18,000 people participating in its programs.

Congratulations to our graduates. We're excited to see how these new skills show up in the way they lead.