Reaching Back to Pull Others Forward
Name: Kelly
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Riverwoods, IL
Title: Principal Project Manager
My personal brand
Collaboration and teamwork.
My approach to delivering exceptional results is achieved through a combination of partnership, effective communication, and mutual respect. I believe in fostering creativity and innovation, and I am committed to driving outcomes that exceed expectations.
Creating a balance
My family and friends are most important to me. The pandemic helped me re-examine my priorities. Before, I would have classified myself as a “workaholic.” Now, I believe it is not only important but truly attainable to create a healthy work-life balance where I can feel successful at work and spend quality time with the people I love.
Who I am compared to who I thought I’d be
I thought for sure I would be a professional soccer player when I grew up! I played from age four until an injury sidelined me about ten years ago. My experience as a player helped establish my strong belief in the power of a team. I am still VERY passionate about soccer – I am a loyal and enthusiastic fan of the US Women’s National Soccer Team. I have a great group of friends I played soccer with and several of us will be going to New Zealand later this year to support the United States at the Women’s World Cup. I try not to focus too much on what could have been – there is a reason that the rearview mirror is much smaller than the windshield. I try to focus on being positive about the future. If I had to give advice to my younger self, I’d say: be flexible, work hard, build your network, and allow yourself to shine.
As a Principal Project Manager supporting Discover Student Loans, I continue to embrace a team approach by establishing collaborative working relationships with colleagues and business partners, which consistently enable me to influence change and make a difference at Discover.
I have recently become involved in a scholarship committee through a local community association, and our focus will be to assist future student leaders. I look forward to assisting local students as they pursue their development efforts through higher education.
Learning moments and life’s themes
I’ve noticed two major themes in my life: creating community and growth and development.
Creating community, to me, means embracing positive energy, working together to achieve results, having pride in the success of others, and having fun while doing it all.
My growth and development continue to be both personal and professional—I love to read, travel, explore new places, and experience new things. I recently earned my ETA Certified Payments Professional Designation and will continue to pursue further education to enhance my professional skillset.
As I reflect on some of the learning moments I’ve experienced over the course of my career, they would include learning that I can be a leader or a mentor without having an official title, moving laterally within the organization is just as helpful to my career as moving up, I make a difference by reaching back and pulling others forward, and I am PWIRful! No matter what my role is, I can always make an impact.
