If you’ve ever seen Star Wars, you’re likely familiar with Yoda. You know, the little green guy who speaks funny but has no qualms about slicing you in half with a lightsaber? Yeah, him.
While there are plenty of things that make him memorable, it’s Yoda’s underlying character makeup that rings the truest.
Much like our March Employee of the Month, Yoda uses his immense wisdom and experience to lead today while mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. Like Yoda, who makes his home in a swamp on Dagobah, this month’s winner finds themself comfortably knee-deep in several projects but wouldn’t have it any other way.
Most importantly, when push comes to shove, both Yoda and this month’s winner don’t mind kicking butt when needed.
That’s why we present National Account Manager & Tray Cable Product Manager John Olguin as your Kris-Tech March Employee of the Month!
Remember when Yoda took Obi-Wan Kenobi under his wing to mentor him? How about the time he trained Luke Skywalker to use the Force?
John jumped into the tray cable line feet first but has also worked diligently to ensure the Border States account is in good hands, including introducing Kat Carver and Mitch Rice to key players at the organization.
“The amount of time and energy that John puts into this is self-evident,” Rice said. “He has given a significant amount of time to educate me about BSE, how they operate, how they go to market, and other overall insight into the organization. In each meeting, he has made it a point to communicate his confidence in us and our ability to continue serving and growing our partnership. I know what BSE means to John, which further emphasizes the positive effects of his actions.”
And just like Luke Skywalker, the entire Border States PACK team has the support of their Yoda in case things get tricky.
Ok, so leading the tray cable division isn’t exactly serving as a general in the Galactic Republic army, but John treats it like it is.
Since taking over as Tray Cable Product Manager, late orders have dropped to zero. Although it was a team effort with collaboration from Sales, Operations, and distributors, John successfully quarterbacked the situation to keep shipments moving and get back on schedule.
He was also instrumental in helping lead the charge alongside Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to create an insulated tray cable singles stocking plan. The move will position Kris-Tech to continue putting customers first while practicing disciplined flexibility.
Remember that part of Star Wars when Yoda decided he had learned everything he needed to and took a long, peaceful nap? Yeah, me neither.
Instead of sitting back on his laurels, John channeled his inner Jedi Master, serving as a student to hone his leadership skills. For the last six months, he’s been listening to and learning from his peers about how to communicate better, accept feedback, and use his skills to serve internal and external stakeholders. He’s also been taking part in MACNY’s Transformational Leadership program to keep growing in his new leadership role.
“He not only listens to feedback with an open mind but, most importantly, takes action around this feedback,” Vice President of Business Development Jeff Manzo said. “John is leading by example by accepting these leadership tools and putting them into practice.”
John may have earned the title of Master Jedi this month, but several other young padawans were considered for the illustrious title, including:
Mikki Taylor
Jack Cullop Sr.
James Sakahara
There you have it! Three winners down, and only nine more to go in 2023. Stay tuned to see who takes April’s honors and joins John, Will Potter, and Jon Gifford as potential Kris-Tech Employee of the Year winners!
