Who's Who Women in Business

20 Sometimes, success in a fast-paced and challenging work environment takes a combination of strength and compassion. Céline Coté and Sarah Giesbrecht rely on those seemingly contradictory qualities in their roles at the Birchwood Automotive Group family. Both women rose to managerial positions early in their careers, thriving in demanding fields that require the ability to be good listeners, understand people and solve problems. Giesbrecht is human resources manager for the growing company, which counts 1,300 team members at 22 car dealerships across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North Dakota. Coté is customer service manager at the in-house financing arm, Birchwood Credit Inc. She and her team work to find solutions for customers who may be having trouble making payments. Being able to put herself in their shoes and help them devise a workable budget or payment plan is key to making the relationship work, she says. "We come to a realistic payment plan because we want to see them succeed. We offer to help them rebuild their credit," she says. "The majority of the time it is about empathy — understanding that we're going to get through this together." A similar balance comes into play in Giesbrecht's work. She might even spend time with managers role-playing conversations with team members in order to help them work through difficulties. Understanding the personal challenges of the team member or the relationship dynamic between the team member and supervisor is essential in fostering a healthy workplace. A compassionate approach isn't just in keeping with Giesbrecht's and Coté's personal values — it's part of the company culture. Coté points to a framed poster on the wall listing the 12 precepts of Birchwood Automotive founder R.M. Chipman. They're a mix of life and work advice, extolling the value of thoughtfulness, a warm smile and offering the benefit of the doubt. CÉLINE COTÉ AND SARAH GIESBRECHT Birchwood Automotive Group in good company TAKING THE HIGH ROAD TO CAREER SUCCESS By Bob Armstrong The number one precept on the list is, "The winners in this world are those that give." That's something both women practise, particularly through Birchwood's extensive campaigns for the United Way. "I'm so grateful to work for an organization that is aligned with my life and personal values," says Giesbrecht. "I grew up with privilege. It's my responsibility to give back." "Coming here to Birchwood has been the best thing for my career," she adds. Giesbrecht joined Birchwood after working as an HR Manager for a small organization. She wanted the challenge of working within a larger organization. Coté started out at Birchwood as a customer service specialist and worked her way up to her current position. She's among 80 per cent of managers who are recruited from within the company. They're also among an ever- growing number of women at Birchwood and in the automotive sector in general. Giesbrecht notes that her mentor, the company's CHRO MaryAnn Kempe, has developed several initiatives to make the company more woman and family-friendly. She is particularly proud of a brand-new policy to top up maternity, parental and adoption benefits for team members for 15 weeks. All women in the company benefit from another initiative – an annual Women in Automotive gathering. In addition to networking and career development sessions, the event includes sessions to increase knowledge of the auto industry. Increasing the number of women in all roles isn't just the right thing to do for an equal-opportunity workplace. As Giesbrecht points out, it's a benefit to customers, as well. "There's a lot of research that shows women are the ones who do a lot of the household spending. Women want to buy cars from other women." ❚ Céline Coté (left) and Sarah Giesbrecht. PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY Learn more at www.birchwood.ca.

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