WOMEN AT THE TOP, continued
ABELL continued from page 12
this point in my career, I love seeing the
impact we can have on the community. I
am focused on building an internal culture of charitable giving. Last year Donatos provided more than $130,000 in
monetary and in-kind donations to more
than 600 non-profits and charitable organizations across Central Ohio. Because
our roots trace back to that first store on
Thurman Avenue on Columbus’ South
Side, our family remains committed to
the area’s success. We are currently in
partnership with the city and other businesses to build a co-located non-profit
community center in the area.
How much of your time do you
spend at that, and what are you doing to spend more? I spend a majority
of my time with the South Side project
and on other philanthropic activities.
We are forming a potential model for
other communities with the Reeb Avenue
[South Side Learning & Development]
“We hope that
every interaction
with people
in our family
business is
characterized by
compassion and
honesty.”
give a good thing.” My father always
said that he wanted to be able to open a
business on every block where we could
make a difference and promote goodwill.
I believe the Donatos legacy is a strong
business that treats its family and customers right.
What role does diversity play in
your management team? We believe
Center where businesses, community,
and the city come together to transform
communities. I am working with a team
to raise $12.1 million to renovate a historic building that will improve the lives
in the community that we serve.
diversity is critical to success. Diversity
in thinking is critical to breaking barriers
and moving forward. We hope that every interaction with people in our family
business is characterized by compassion
and honesty. We believe that our people
are the reason we are in business. Every
associate has a story, a journey, a life lesson… and we believe Donatos should be
a place people can call home.
What do you like most about what
your brand/legacy represents?
If you are expanding overseas,
does being a woman affect growth?
Loosely translated, Donatos means “to
N/A n
BERGERON continued from page 16
ing to serve our customers and can be
implemented right away, why wait? We
try to keep bureaucracy at TMT to a
minimum. I’m also very enthusiastic…
I can’t help it!
Was becoming CEO of an organization part of your professional
plan? Never. Our family business grew
from just my mom plus a woman who
worked part-time and me in our office.
As we grew, I naturally took on that role.
What do you love most about being Chair? You are a part of all the
decision-making; you see so much from
5,000 feet above. You can actually see
how each decision by various departments affects all the inner workings of
the business. It’s fascinating.
How much of your time do you
spend at that, and what are you
doing to spend more? Currently I
“People don’t
forget how you
treated them
while moving up
the ladder.”
am Chair of the Board of Two Men and
a Truck. I love this role. I don’t have the
day-to-day responsibility of the CEO
(who is now my brother, Brig Sorber).
I spend the majority of my time as a
spokesperson for the company. I also
spend a lot of time working on IFA initiatives, my favorite being the Students
in Franchising program that the IFA
is kicking off with several universities.
What do you like most about what
your brand/legacy represents?
Exceeding customer expectations and
community service have been what Two
Men and a Truck has naturally and persistently striven for since day one. I’m
very, very thankful that with all of the
change our company has been through,
these two things remain front and center. I hope that continues as long as our
brand exists.
What role does diversity play in
your management team? We have
a mix. We always look to hire the best.
Whether the person is male, female,
black, white, or purple… we want the
best for that particular skill set.
If you are expanding overseas, does
being a woman affect growth? We
are overseas now. I don’t think being a
woman has anything to do with it. The
people we partner with are business
people looking to add to their portfolio.
They are looking at management teams,
skill sets, brand identity, and support. n
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