A human approach to leadership

A WEB OF CONNECTIONS: Hope Global CEO Cheryl Merchant, seen here with production team leader John Villegas, loves the connections with other people that being a leader requires her to make and takes satisfaction from their success. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
A WEB OF CONNECTIONS: Hope Global CEO Cheryl Merchant, seen here with production team leader John Villegas, loves the connections with other people that being a leader requires her to make and takes satisfaction from their success. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Cheryl Merchant has always been driven to lead and to teach.

Back in 1984, after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Alma College in Alma, Mich., Merchant embarked on a career at General Motors as a production supervisor. Soon after, she entered and successfully completed GM’s leadership training program, becoming the first woman to lead a 65-member team as the second-shift paint department assembly line supervisor in Detroit.

She says it was during the leadership training program that something just clicked.

“I felt that I had found my calling,” in instructing others, Merchant said. “It’s been 30 years, so I guess I was right.”

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Leadership success has given Merchant the kind of knowledge and wisdom that produces effective and valuable training and mentoring. She draws on lessons from her past experiences in coaching others. And her history has included many huge professional challenges and success stories.

After the GM plant she worked at shut down, Merchant took on leadership roles at Mazda, Ford and the Lear Corp.

As a plant manager at Lear, Merchant led a 3,500-employee operation in Mexico. Several promotions later she found herself managing international operations in Canada, Poland and England and providing technical support to operations in Hungary, Portugal and Austria.

In 1999, Cumberland-based manufacturer Hope Webbing recruited Merchant to take over as president and CEO of the 116-year-old business. Soon after the company changed its name to Hope Global, and in the 15 years since, Merchant has presided over an organizational restructuring and devised a refreshed business strategy.

As a result of her leadership, the company has tripled its revenue. Teamwork is key, said Merchant, and she welcomes opportunities to take the spark she sees in people and help guide their drive to professional success.

“Working on a team is not always easy,” she said. “Communication is key.” Merchant does all she can to foster that communication, being accessible to employees as much as possible.

Merchant is always on the lookout for people who are passionate, eager to learn and willing to experiment. Despite her hectic schedule, she not only seeks opportunities to lead but also to mentor.

“I want people at Hope Global who are excited and willing to learn. I want smart people. I want people thinking of how we can do it better and faster than we have ever done it before. I want people who are creative. I want people who aren’t afraid of hard work and while they are at it, willing to have some fun.”

One of the team members who has seen Merchant’s mentoring in action is Ashley Senkarik, Hope’s marketing project manager, who says Merchant is not only smart, but also very approachable and supportive.

“Cheryl believes in her team,” Senkarik said. “She has strategically placed everyone in the current roles to contribute to succeeding as a whole. She believes that information is a powerful tool and shares that information with everyone. At any point in time, you can walk through any of our global locations and ask anyone from senior management all the way to the machine operators, ‘What are our current goals and how are we doing in succeeding in those goals?’ ”

Merchant takes her passion for mentoring beyond the Hope Global office as well, sharing her experiences and guidance with others.

Elena Barkalova, senior international brand ambassador at Alex and Ani, has been meeting with Merchant on a monthly basis for the past three years. During that time, she says Merchant has been “both a guiding light and a blessing” in her career path.

“Cheryl’s advice has been helpful as we continuously work on recognizing my strengths and areas for improvement in order to identify clear goals for the future to start working on today,” Barkalova said.

Barkalova, like Senkarik, also commented on Merchant’s accessibility.

“As one of the most down-to-earth ladies I have met, she comforts you in her approach. Her humble nature inspires and contributes to the positive energy of an individual. Her presence is contagiously wonderful as I often leave our meetings inspired, open-minded and motivated to do better.”

For Merchant, each day is truly a labor of love in every sense, and she welcomes the opportunity to serve others in ways they can reach their full potential.

“I love what I do,” Merchant said. “I love the people … I love that there is a symbiotic relationship between the effort you put in and the ultimate result.”n

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