By Debra Solomon Baker
Emily Aschinger Martin
president, Aschinger Electric Company
Around Aschinger Electric Company, the president is not easily camouflaged.
She is, after all, a "she", which makes Emily Aschinger Martin
certainly stand out in an industry still largely dominated by males.
Actually, though Martin's childhood was spent, in part, counting light fixtures in the company warehouse, she never imagined that she would end up running the family business.
However, neither did her siblings, two of whom became actors and the other, a pastry chef. So, despite her background in law, (as opposed to the more traditional study of electrical engineering), Martin decided to plunge into the business.
She joined as general counsel in 1998 after four years of private legal practice at Thurman Law Firm and Weier, Hockensmith & Sherby, P.C.
The fourth generation president as of February of this year, Martin now manages the companyÕs overall strategic direction, growth, and customer service.
Her key focus is on maintaining lifelong partnerships with her customers.
"We want to build your facility and never leave," she says.
With annual billings of more than $44 million, Martin oversees one
of the largest electrical firms in
St. Louis, although the company serves specialized clients nationwide.
As a full-service contractor, Aschinger designs, installs and maintains electrical systems as well as telecommunications, data, security, fire alarm and paging systems. In addition, the company provides lighting services, including energy efficient lighting design, retrofitting and ongoing electrical maintenance services.
Among Aschinger's latest projects is the multi-user flight information system for passengers at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
In an effort to harness the power of her employees, Martin has established the Aschinger Ambassador Program. This provides incentives
to employees who identify opportunities through the cross selling of services.
"Our field force knows our clients best, as they are in their facilities every day," she says. "They see things that, as management, we donÕt get to see. We explained that the real benefit was that if we could continue to add value to our customers and maintain lifetime partnerships, our company would remain a strong, vibrant place for us all to work."
During her free time, Martin does laundry ("my hobby," she jokes),
co-leads her daughter's Girl Scout troop and plays Battleship with
her son.
Who knows? She might, in fact, be raising her family's fifth generation of leadership.
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE INSIGHTS
"If you had to choose one book to recommend to your colleagues, which would it be? Why?"
"Truman
by David McCullough or Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.
Both books are about leadership. Harry Truman was a man of great
character, who, when faced with some very difficult decisions,
did not bend to popular opinion or political pressure, but rather
opted for what he truly believed was right for our nation and
its citizens in the long run. Undaunted Courage is the
story of Lewis and Clark and their amazing journey from here in
St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. These were leaders who prevailed
during very difficult circumstances to guide their country and
their expedition to new frontiers."
Steven
Lipstein
president & CEO,
BJC HealthCare
"The Leadership Engine-How Winning Companies Build Leaders at Every Level by Noel M. Tichy.
It is a fun
read and very practical and has learnings that I have been able
to deploy with various teams I have worked with."
Denny
DeNarvaez
president & CEO,
St. John's Mercy Health Care
"Since
almost everyone recommends Jim Collins's Good To Great,
which by the way is a very good book, I would recommend Aligning
The Stars by Jay W. Lorsch and Social Intelligence by Daniel
Goleman. Aligning The Stars focuses more on professional
service organizations and Social Intelligence provides
keen insight into rarely measured personality traits."
Thomas
J. Campbell
managing partner,
Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C.
For more information on the Leadership Circle, please contact
John Diefenbach, vice president-membership, (314) 444-1184 or
jdief@stlrcga.org.
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