Kim Adriano directs "global" performance
As vice president and corporate controller at SC Johnson, Kim Adriano
('79) spends her days overseeing and orchestrating a dynamic financial
production. While she may not be the lead actor in the play, she is
responsible for worldwide aspects of the company's internal and
external reporting, financial controls, business planning, financial
support to global functions, and overall accounting policy.
One of a handful of female officer-level employees at the Racine-based
company, she utilizes her financial and managerial skills to coordinate
a smooth operation in the family owned organization, regularly in
Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list.
Adriano first honed her financial skills as a business student at
UW-Parkside, earning a bachelor of science degree in accounting.
Because she was turning 17 years old when she graduated from Racine's
Washington Park High School, her parents encouraged her to attend
college close to home. Between the summer classes she took and the
extra credits from College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams,
Adriano was able to graduate from Parkside in close to three years.
Soon after she took the CPA exam and earned exceptionally high marks.
She began working in public accounting, and was able to enter SC
Johnson in 1981 when a relative alerted her to an entry-level position.
Adriano's interest in accounting came early, and she knew she wanted to
work in the business world. Initially, however, "I wasn't nearly as
goal oriented and didn't fully understand my potential," she said. "My
parents didn't push me in the same way they did my brother, which was
typical of that era."
As the parent of a daughter, Adriano has come full circle and
encourages Michael Anne, a sophomore at UW-Madison, to pursue studies
she is passionate about and that will lead to a career which
capitalizes on her strengths.
The advantages of working for SC Johnson are many, particularly in the
accounting realm. As corporate controller for a private company,
Adriano is not constrained by the same public reporting requirements of
investor-driven organizations. "My job's a lot easier. I can focus on
value-added activities," she said. "Since the Enron fallout five or six
years ago, public companies have had to worry about a whole host of
things that I don't need to. We don't have Wall Street peering over our
shoulders, acting as the Monday-morning quarterback the way public
companies do."
Another advantage is the opportunity for career development. "You are
constantly being groomed for your next assignment, and know exactly
what your opportunities are," Adriano said. She realized that a
position in executive finance required international experience, so she
asked for a relocation assignment. "As a mother, I didn't want to be in
a position that required a lot of travel from Racine because that meant
missing big chunks of my daughter's life," she said. So when a position
became available in London, Adriano jumped at the chance and spent two
years overseas.
Living abroad allowed her family to experience a variety of cultures
and cities, and was an especially important bonding experience. "We
didn't know anyone, and everything was new to each of us," she said.
"We couldn't wait to return home and share stories about our respective
days."
Life as a working mother hasn't been too much of a challenge for
Adriano. "I always found a way to make it work," she said. To simplify
life, her family moved from Milwaukee to Racine. Besides being closer
to the office, Adriano could be more involved in her daughter's life.
"If there was something going on at school in the middle of the day,
I'd just drive over there, go see it, and come back to the office," she
said. Her husband, Neil, retired from an engineering career at SC
Johnson several years ago, which created even more flexibility for the
family.
"When I'm home, I'm home. I don't bring my work home with me. My
preference is to do what it takes during the week; I really try to free
up the weekends," she said. With her daughter away at school, the
Adrianos recently purchased a weekend apartment to renovate in downtown
Chicago - "part of our strategy to deal with the empty-nest syndrome,"
she said.
As a working mother and senior executive, Adriano doesn't see herself
as unique, until she's outside SC Johnson's environment. On a recent
vacation, a fellow traveller inundated her with questions. "I don't
think he had ever encountered a senior executive as a woman," she said.
While living in Europe, her husband was frequently asked what kind of
work brought him to the UK. The couple enjoyed the surprised response
by many that it was Kim's career, not Neil's, that had driven their
relocation.
Executives at SC Johnson are encouraged to become involved in the
community in ways that enhance the region. As the former president and
ongoing board member of the Racine County Economic Development
Corporation (RCEDC), Adriano volunteers her time to improve the
economic vitality of Racine County. She sees the organization as a
"broker" bringing together funding sources with people who want to
start businesses. She has worked on a variety of projects, including an
image-building campaign, resulting in an enhanced downtown Racine.
When asked to define her rise from UW-Parkside accounting student to
officer in one of the most respected family companies in the world,
Adriano reflects on her career. "First of all, you have to do your best
in whatever position you have," she said. "You may like some jobs more
than others, but that shouldn't affect your performance. You have to
recognize opportunities when they arise - and take advantage of them
despite any risks you might foresee."
She is appreciative of her circumstances, and recognizes that there's
always a bit of good timing to any successful career. More importantly,
Adriano is thankful for the quality of the people she's been able to
work with as managers, co-workers, and employees. "What makes people
successful is much less about the technical skills and more about the
interpersonal skills," she said.
Adriano clearly uses her directing skills to generate a dynamic
production, whether evaluating budgets, creating financial plans, or
mentoring younger employees. The result is a well-thought-out
performance, where the "actors" are on their game, the "script" is
engaging, and the "set" accurately depicts reality. In a well-equipped
theatre, this female "director" and her "cast" receive a standing
ovation.
