Angela, Your title is “Client Development Manager.” What does a typical day look like for you?
“I spend most days in our community meeting with employers who are looking at ways to add resources, increase efficiency and improve their employee’s performance. Because we work with all types of industries, I can be exposed to many different things on any single day – I might be in a professional building downtown Portland in the morning, wearing PPE on a manufacturing floor mid-day and close up with a nonprofit board in the afternoon. I love it!”
How many years have you been with Xenium?
“11 years”
Culturally, what is different about Xenium compared to other companies?
“We are a customer service company inside and out – we support each other the same way we would support a client employee or manager. There’s a mutual respect for what each department does and how their function plays into the bigger picture of our client’s success and satisfaction. I know it’s cliché, but it’s truly a family at Xenium with trust and loyalty spilling over in every interaction. We hold each other accountable, we push each other, and at the end of the day, we really just LIKE to work together!”
What is your favorite Xenium memory?
“I have so many…but if I have to draw out one, it has to be where it all started – the way I found Xenium 11 years ago. I was a recent college graduate returning from 3 months of backpacking through Europe (translation: completely broke) when a family friend encouraged me to join her at a business networking event, Oregon Executives. I showed up at the MAC Club wearing my only business suit with a stack of freshly printed resumes. During introductions I was put on the spot in front of about 60 business owners to share my story (I had no idea what my story was) – I don’t even know what I said, but after the meeting, Xenium’s former President [Leslie Nielsen] walked up to me and gave me her business card. As it turns out, she was a visitor as well and only attended this one Oregon Executives meeting. We met in Tualatin a few weeks later and I was offered a Sales & Marketing Coordinator role. Timing is everything!”
Can you name a time where you really felt like you helped someone?
“This is the one reason I think my tenure at Xenium totals 11 years – I have the ability to be a resource for business owners on a daily basis. 2009, in particular, provided a lot of opportunity to open doors for challenged businesses that they didn’t realize existed. I would often be meeting with leaders who felt they had tried everything to gain stability and manage morale despite declining sales and an overall failing economy. Bringing affordable strategic resources to the table provides a great level of satisfaction and purpose for our entire team.”
What sort of activities do you do when you are not at Xenium?
“Family comes #1 for me. Xenium has allowed me to work a flexible schedule that enables me to chase my two boys (three years old and one year old) around, which, of course, is my all-time favorite activity.
My husband and I loved traveling before we welcomed Mason & Carter into our lives, so we’ve scaled it a bit, and now make routine trips to the Oregon Coast and Sunriver. That’s still traveling, right?”
What keeps you going on a daily basis?
“My team, my clients and all the business owners in Portland who wonder if there’s something they don’t know about managing employer programs for their business. Even though I’ve been doing this for a long time, I literally learn something new every day. Like, what the white specks are in potting soil (thanks to Supreme Perlite), the fact that companies can provide first aid supplies for their worksite and give back to their favorite charity all at the same time (just ask First Aid Only) or the amount of tractor equipment an average farmer in Oregon maintains (Fisher Farm & Lawn can tell you)!”
What is one thing you want to do/learn in the next 12 months?
“Before my boys, I was a runner so I’m hoping to squeeze that into life again soon – 2011 goal list includes a half marathon. My training will include laps at OMSI, the Oregon Zoo and my backyard. My boys run a mean Spring Training.”
