Shelley Hickman, Charter Next Generation Inc. | Women Breaking the Mold 2023

Hickman is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that help the film packaging maker cultivate an ownership mindset culture, ensuring high levels of employee engagement and creating a best-in-class employee experience.

After Shelley Hickman graduated from Bluffton University in Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry education, she joined specialty chemicals maker Ashland Inc. She said she was attracted to plastics because she was interested in how things are made and how they work.

"Getting to play a role in the formulation, production and application of plastics was a phenomenal way to start my career. I've spent all but six years of my career working in manufacturing and joined CNG in 2022 for the opportunity to be part of an employee-owned, purpose-driven organization," said Hickman, director of culture and employee experience for Chicago-based plastic Charter Next Generation Inc.

Hickman is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that help the film packaging maker cultivate an ownership mindset culture, ensuring high levels of employee engagement and creating a best-in-class employee experience.

"As a facility manager for Caterpillar, I prioritized the development of front-line leaders, driving employee satisfaction results up an average of 13 points across 18 of 19 categories, including engagement, communication, accountability and leadership," Hickman said of a career highlight. "I also led the Global Reporting Index (GRI) certification process and published an inaugural sustainability report for Bucyrus, a publicly traded company."

Hickman, who also earned a master's degree in marketing and communication from Franklin University, believes her greatest achievement still lies ahead.

"Every day I focus on unlocking the potential of others. In doing so, I get to advance their growth as well as my own. When I see our CNG employee-owners bring our purpose to life and reap the rewards of their hard work and dedication, that will be my greatest achievement," she said.

Looking toward the future, Hickman said she would like to be a chief purpose officer or chief culture officer.

"Today, people want to work for and do business with companies they resonate with emotionally," she said. "Positions like these can supercharge a company's efforts to be purposeful and, ultimately, more successful."

Her current challenge is driving cultural alignment while also celebrating diversity, optimizing employee experience and helping employees embrace the power of ownership.

"I'm working to let go of personal biases that could limit the potential of others," she said. "As a white woman, I'm privileged. I'm learning to live in a way that fuels a sense of inclusion and belonging for those who are different than me."