WOMEN AT
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THE TOP
Mary Kennedy Thompson
President, Mr. Rooter
customer experiences to our franchisees and their employees.
How has your life experience made
you the leader you are today? My
path has been a winding one that has
helped me have a rich view in business
and leadership. My early days as a Marine Corps officer gave me the foundation for serving others and leading with
passion. Having come into franchising
as a franchisee first has allowed me the
perspective that helps ensure I stay a
collaborative leader and best understand
to listen with the intent to understand
first. Now being part of The Dwyer
Group, I am surrounded by very strong
and experienced franchise leaders in my
fellow brand presidents who help me
grow and seek continual improvement.
Has mentorship made a difference
in your professional and personal
life? It certainly has. I’ve been blessed to
have mentors throughout my personal
and professional life. Many of them I
walked up to and asked for their guidance. I am grateful so many have willingly shared their wisdom and helped
me hold myself accountable. Leaders
need to surround themselves with people who will tell them what they need
to hear, rather than what they want to
hear. Having an accountability partner
and mentor does that. It has helped me
continuously improve, not allow myself
to get too comfortable, and sharpened
me to drive better results. I recommend
that when you meet someone who impresses you and has a skill or wisdom
you seek, ask for their mentorship—if
only for one or two calls.
Role models? My dad taught me the
true essence of leadership in serving our
country during wartime. Dina DwyerOwens showed me how to lead with love
and kindness while effectively holding
one another accountable for creating
results. Sir Winston Churchill showed
all of us that leadership is being the right
person at the right time and inspiring a
group of people to rise to the occasion.
Management gurus or books that
have deeply affected you: The best
book I’ve read regarding leadership is
The Servant: A Simple Story About the
True Essence of Leadership by James C.
Hunter. It helped me define the kind
of leader I wanted to be and share
with others how to best grow into a
true leader. I’ve always believed that
being an open-book manager helps
keep an organization focused on creating results. The Great Game of Business:
Unlocking the Power and Profitability of
Open-Book Management by Jack Stack
is a wonderful read to better understand what true open-book management looks like. For creating the kind
of customer experiences that help grow
a brand, the Disney Institute book Be
Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service gave me a playbook to
teach the art of creating outstanding
SYSTEM REVENUE: $244 million
NO. OF UNITS: 257
Female leaders you admire: Dina
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: Private
GROWTH PLANS: Double-digit same store
sales growth each year for the next 5 years
FOUNDED: 1970
BEGAN FRANCHISING: 1974
YEARS WITH COMPANY: 7
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 21
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: 78
“People follow
leaders who
are sure of
themselves,
show integrity in
all they do, and
can trust others
to make things
happen.”
Dwyer-Owens is a strong leader who
makes everyone she meets feel special.
I have learned much from her. Dina
truly makes me want to up my game every time I watch her in action. Melanie
Bergeron from Two Men and a Truck
leads with a grace and steadfastness that
has taught me to better appreciate the
strength in listening. Watching Debbie
Moss from the IFA interact and lead a
group o f CEOs through planning for
an IFA convention made me appreciate
the strength and grace it takes to lead
leaders. I admire her grit and amazing
people skills.
Advice for young female CEO aspirants: Be authentic to who you are.
People follow leaders who are sure of
themselves, show integrity in all they
do, and can trust others to make things
happen. If you’re not the real you it will
eventually come out in the most stressful
situation and people will question who
you really are. What makes you unique
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