Company Description: Based in Kansas City, UtiliCorp United is an international energy company with four million customers in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia, Norway, Germany, and Spain. On March 31, 2001, UtiliCorp had $13.3 billion in assets and 12-month sales of $36.3 billion.
Education: B.A., Harvard University
J.D., Harvard Law School
Department Size: 78
Immediate Prior Position: Chair, International Practice Group, Kansas City-based Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin
1. Please describe an attitude change or defining moment that was pivotal to your success.
During the summers of my college years, I worked in a Roxbury, Massachusetts public housing project. The education I received there brought me to the place I am now. I worked with underprivileged (and occasionally delinquent) kids, their parents, and even became involved in fundraising. I learned to manage difficult situations and resolve conflict. And that is mostly what I do now—engage in conflict resolution—that experience was invaluable.
2. What is the best career advice you have received?
Someone told me to put yourself in a situation where there is a problem. You can learn so much from that environment. Then, you must always think of the second and third steps you must take. So strategic thinking is important because you are almost always preparing for the next challenge.
3. How would you describe your management style?
I’m a hands-on kind of manager—that makes my days busy—and my weeks are seven-day affairs. But I love it.
I want to maintain high standards and a consistency of quality. Our staff is young, so it’s important that their writing is up to snuff, and that people say, “It’s clear that it came from the legal department.” I want them to think like me and write like me.
Because our staff is small, I must delegate a lot and mentor a great deal. They must have learning opportunities and that requires me doing a great deal of explaining and educating.
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From the December 2001 issue of Diversity & The Bar®