4-4 Leading Ladies: Women's Stories of Success

Join us for a candid and deeply personal conversation with Sirva Senior Vice Presidents, Hannah Richardson and Sally Tomte. They open up about the raw challenges of navigating the workplace, while offering invaluable insights into hurdles they've overcome and the strategies they've developed to successfully juggle motherhood and executive leadership.

Hannah Richardson is currently the Senior Vice President of Sirva's Global Strategic Services. Hannah is responsible for a portfolio of multi-national client engagements, strategic partnership, and business alignment to help drive the client agenda. With over 20 years of experience in talent mobility, Hannah has a deep understanding of the macro trends shaping the industry and understands strategic client requirements.

Sally Tomte is Senior Vice President, Global Customer Experience and Operations for Sirva. She has senior oversight for the global experience delivery teams that guide relocating employees through their relocation or assignment journey.  She also oversees the Sirva transformation team that continuously enhances experience through the blend of digital and human solutions.   

If you have any questions or feedback, we welcome you to drop us a note at soundbites@sirva.com.

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Transcript

Hi. Welcome to Sirva Soundbites, where we aim to connect, inform, educate, and entertain our listeners. I'm Hannah Richardson, senior Vice President, global Strategic Services at Sirva, and we are very honored to have Sally Tote, SVP, global Customer Experience Operations at Sirva.

Hannah Richardson: Join us on our podcast today. 

Sally Tomte: Thank you, Hannah. Hello everyone. I'm Sally. I'm thrilled to be with you all today. 

Hannah Richardson: Well, I think let's get started and dive straight in. And today we are going to explore the topic of women in leadership. So Sally, I'm curious, can you share with us some of your earlier life experiences and tell us [00:01:00] what kind of informed and shaped your ambition to go into business?

Sally Tomte: Well, I grew up on a working dairy farm, so I learned, what hard work is at a very young age. And when I was about 14 or 15, I started working at a supper club, which is basically a restaurant with, you know, great dining and it has a very social environment and I just loved. Interacting with all different types of people.

Sally Tomte: And I also really loved creating a great dining experience for people. And I also observed at that age the owners of this establishment. They'd have a lot of conversations about the food and beverage and what really drove revenues into that business. And I was really intrigued by that when I was in my high school years secondary.

Sally Tomte: Years of school, I was, very [00:02:00] analytical. Math came very easy to me. I actually was taking college courses while I was still in, in secondary or high school. So I knew very early on I wanted to be in, some sort of business environment and I actually thought I would end up in more of finance or accounting type area.

Sally Tomte: But when I was in college, I took a couple marketing and international studies classes that really intrigued me. And I really decided at that point I wanted to shift and go more into a business administration role. That's what my degree was in with an emphasis on international studies and my first job outta college.

Sally Tomte: I didn't even know that the moving industry existed, but I worked for a moving and storage company that specialized in moving people both. Internationally and us domestically. And this job [00:03:00] allowed me really to interact with lots of different types of people. There was this international aspect that I was really curious and really excited about.

Sally Tomte: The job was based in sunny California, so it took me out of the snow of north central United States and really all my dreams were coming true. So. It's incredible, isn't it? Yeah, I was gonna say, Sally, it's really incredible when you look back and there's a theme there, you know, from a young age, you know, you wanted to work.

Sally Tomte: And was that the association of sort of hard work in as well in some form of financial reward that came through? I. It was a combination of both, you know? Yeah. I was very, my, I was very fortunate. My parents, you know, took very good care. I always had a, you know, food and a strong household and, you know, I was very well taken care of, but I enjoyed making my own money as well and being, having that financial independence.

Sally Tomte: So it was kind of driven from a lot [00:04:00] of different angles. Yeah. And I can relate to that 'cause I had very similar experiences to you, you know, sort of from the age of 1415 working in hospitality as well. But it was actually for me my dad actually worked for a French oil company.

Sally Tomte: And as part of the leadership that they had within total they would actually relocate families all across the UK sort of every three, four years. So my introduction to. Relocation actually came about from six different moves that we undertook as a family all across the United Kingdom. We never went internationally.

Sally Tomte: But for me, that kind of started to inform, I think my desire for travel and experience, be it either domestically and internationally. So if we kind of shift gears a little. What does leadership mean to you? So you've had this great sort of grounding in part-time work. You've gone through to college, you've got your university degree, [00:05:00] you have a passion that you've found now where you feel there's a connection with the relocation and moving industry.

Sally Tomte: What sort of drove you into kind of moving from, you know, some of the entry ranks into wanting to become a leader and what does leadership mean for you on a professional level? Oh, I could go on for hours on this topic. This is one I love. You know, my view of leadership really has evolved.

Sally Tomte: A lot over the years, I've always been a really strong communicator and have been able really to set vision of what I wanna achieve for my teams. You know, where we wanna go. As a young leader, I was very metric driven. I. But I also like to have fun with my teams, which that hasn't changed at all over the years.

Sally Tomte: And I always led by the principle that I would treat my teams as I want it to be treated. So values like [00:06:00] trust and respect have always been really important to me. As I grew in my leadership role and my teams grew, I really learned to listen more and talk less. Interesting. Yep. And as you know, you're listening, if my teams are listening today, my current team, they probably said she still talks a lot.

Sally Tomte: This one hard, but you know, but listening is really important. Not only as my teams grew, but as I grew teams throughout geographies, throughout the world. And I learned that if I listened really carefully, I could find where people's passions are. Yeah. What unique skills that individuals or new teams maybe, that I was taking over that they possess?

Sally Tomte: And when you have these discoveries, it's like [00:07:00] finding little pieces of gold. Yeah. Because then you can shape different types of opportunities for people and really unleash their talents, you know, allowing them to shape new and exciting developments for the business and for themselves personally. And I learned you have to give people not only the approval to unleash this talent, but encourage them not to be fearful.

Sally Tomte: You know, for me, this is the most rewarding part of my job. Yeah. You know, I really, I thrive on allowing people to grow and develop. And I'm just picking up on that important theme that you shared with us around values. And I can certainly again relate to that. I'm like you very values driven, very clear on what my values are and what's very important to me.

Sally Tomte: And I do think it's incumbent upon leaders to. Model those values in their leadership roles. I think there's a big piece that you touched on there around the criticality almost of about [00:08:00] empowering and in spirit, inspiring your teams to step forward, be brave, be courageous, but also holding true to yourself on what you value most.

Sally Tomte: And I think we are very aligned in that sense of. Trust, loyalty. I think the other one that I would throw into the balance, you know, in, into the mix for me is balance. I'm always looking to seek the balance, especially in, you know, quite the turbulent world we live in live in today. I. So we've explored sort of the earlier part of Sally's life and going through to college and those first experiences are coming into the workforce and really finding this passion to lead and inspire people.

Sally Tomte: But of course, you know, our journeys are quite long. We're a similar age and we've been working now for, I wanna say three decades. More than three decades. I know that's our secret we don't look at all. But [00:09:00] along that, can you share with us any moments where. You felt you've had to make quite a bold move or maybe a pivot in your career.

Sally Tomte: And just share a little bit with us about that and the why. Yeah, I had a pivotal moment, I think really early on that really drove a lot of my success. So when I started, you know, I worked at the moving company, then I went into a relocation management organization, and the service delivery is very segmented back then.

Sally Tomte: One person managed household goods, one person manage home sale, one person manage. Expense and the company was trying to piece this together. They had about four people that were doing home sale and expense together, but they tapped me on the shoulder and said, you know, would you be willing to try piecing all this together and delivering?

Sally Tomte: What is the consultant today? And I was 26 years [00:10:00] old, never sold a home, never bought a home had no clue. But I said, sure, I'll give it a try. And I had to study a lot. Like I really worked at it really hard. But what was really pivotable about that point in my career is leadership. Let me piece this experience together.

Sally Tomte: To allow me to give the outcomes that our customers needed. Yeah, so again, it's that whole concept of giving, empowering people and giving it. Now I was given that authority and from there my career just really skyrocketed. And the next pivotal experience was I was in probably mid-career, I was in a director level.

Sally Tomte: And I was working for a company that acquired another company and the SVP that I reported up to said, we'd like you to lead the integration. Well, I had been part of mergers and acquisitions as, you know, a spectator, you know, [00:11:00] an employee of the company. But to lead something like that. And that was really pivotal because I learned so much.

Sally Tomte: So I, I. Took a leap of faith and, you know, had never done this before, but I learned about culture, building culture. I learned about bringing people together. I learned to be agile because I didn't have a lot of data points and I was making decisions. I learned that I had to be able to, you know, pivot sometimes.

Sally Tomte: You know, again, I wasn't experienced. In m and a work, but I was excited to try something new and I was curious and I was fearful. But I had a leader that believed in you, believed in me, and was gonna be by my side. Yeah. Yeah. So that was really pivotal for me as well. Yeah it's interesting listening to your stories [00:12:00] because there's a lot of grit and determination that, that comes out as a theme in, in, in what you've shared.

Sally Tomte: And I think for women listening especially, I think those behaviors are really important that we lean into. Because you, 'cause you mentioned, you know. There were fearful moments because none of us set out with the intention of failing. We want to set ourselves up for success and do the best we can, but quite often having another leader by our side who has the belief and faith in us just is quite often what we need to be able to go out and succeed.

Sally Tomte: My pivotal moments are a little bit different actually. I remember being quite heavily pregnant with my second child. And I was actually eight and a half months pregnant. And a role had come up internally that I really wanted. And I think to the surprise of some people, I put [00:13:00] myself forward.

Sally Tomte: And I remember going up to the interview and thinking, crikey, my wardrobe is a little bit limited on what I can choose to wear today. And and I got the role. And there was a huge learning moment for me in that, that, you know, particularly women who may have been fearful about stepping forward pregnant to go for a promotion may have chosen not to have done that.

Sally Tomte: And. I do remember that, that point of reckoning where it's like, crikey, Hannah, you're doing the right thing here. And then the other voice was saying, absolutely, you're doing the right thing here. Why should you know just 'cause only women can carry children should you not, why should that preclude you from going for the role?

Sally Tomte: And I got the role. And I think that gave me an enormous amount of confidence that, you know despite what could be something that would hold you back actually. Was really empowering. It was a very empowering moment. And I think like you, very [00:14:00] similar story when I was asked in the prior company, I.

Sally Tomte: To lead our global transformation and really set our company on that trajectory of experience and really delivering and understanding what true delivery of customer experience from a service design perspective is all about. So I think that was another pivotal moment there. So given that we have let the secret out the bag, now that we have worked, I think collectively between us.

Sally Tomte: Far more than 60 years. Can you share with the audience how you keep your momentum, you know, how have you managed to consistently perform over the last three decades? What's your drive? What are your secrets? Yeah that's a great question. You know, you have to have balance.

Sally Tomte: Yeah. And I learned that the hard way. You know, health is key [00:15:00] and I became really ill when my daughter was about two years old. And at that time I was in a role that required me to travel a lot and I just physically could not do it anymore. And it got to a point where I really had to, I. Make a choice and I quit my job and I found a new role that allowed me, I didn't have to travel as much, but it really allowed me to focus on, I.

Sally Tomte: My health and the way that I needed to focus on it. And since then I've made that a priority. You know, I really have kind of this, you know, I'll call it a tripod mind, body. Spirit. Yeah. So, you know, for the body part, I schedule every day some sort of workout. I'm super active. I love to run. My joints don't like me running as much anymore.

Sally Tomte: I [00:16:00] have a Peloton and there's great, you know, whether it is weight training or cycling or stretching, you know, I love hot yoga. That's been a real game changer for me for my health and wellbeing. So I always make time for that every day. On the mind side, you have to be a continuous learner.

Sally Tomte: So I always have a book or two that I have going at any given time. And I take time every day to really focus on learning, whether it is listening to a podcast, you know, reading an interesting article, whatever it may be. Because you need to continue, I'm curious. So for my own wellbeing, I need to do that.

Sally Tomte: And, you know, it helps you to continue to evolve. Okay. And then also on the spiritual side, I am a Christian and I take time every day to spend on that spiritual aspect of my life. So I find that, you know, making sure I have these three areas [00:17:00] as part of my daily ritual, you may call it really keeps me grounded, well, both personally and professionally.

Sally Tomte: Yeah. And it's great to listen and hear how you approach those things because it is hard when, you know, particularly you have a big job, you know? You're running at a pace of nots, you know, our roles can be all consuming. They never have a start and then end point. Yep. And then when you sort of overlay running a.

Sally Tomte: Family as well, you know, as we've both done through our careers. And then actually seeing to ourselves I think the big piece for me is sleep. I feel that if I can get a good seven and a half hour sleep a night, I'm on fire the next day. You know, I think as, particularly as I've got older, I have been known to go to bed earlier and earlier, and also wake earlier and earlier, but it just seems to suit the rhythm, whereas when I was younger, it was later and later. That's hard for you. You have those you know, [00:18:00] American colleagues that wanna talk to you when it's late your time. They do indeed.

Sally Tomte: They do indeed. But that's a good point. You know, I've learned my boundaries, you know, I do tell my colleagues, you know, my bedtime is 10:00 PM I am in bed by 10:00 PM I need my sleep, I need to rest, I need to switch off. But I think as certainly I've got into later life I found a passion, a love for weight training.

Sally Tomte: I absolutely love lifting weight. It's something I'm very, uh, really passionate about. And I've now don't even set it as a goal or an objective. It's a standard in my life now. It's a non-negotiable. It's something I have to do three times a week. And once I've lifted some really heavy weight, I feel.

Sally Tomte: Great. I feel super strong and can take anything on, and we did just touch on this about raising families, but can you just sort of share with us how you navigated motherhood? I. And balanced you know, balanced family life, but also continue to [00:19:00] grow your professional career. Because I know that's a question that many women sort of step back and think about.

Sally Tomte: You know, how do I have both? Can you have both? What is the compromise? And I'm just curious about how you manage that. Yeah I gotta be honest, I really struggled managing that balance between being a mom, a wife, and a professional. It didn't, it did not come easy to me at all. Yeah. I. Thank goodness I had a very patient family at my side as well.

Sally Tomte: That was key. You know, I did win the husband lottery. I've been married to my husband for 28 years and we've really created a true partnership when it comes to balancing those areas of our lives. You know, this is embarrassing to say, when I gave birth to my daughter. I held a meeting in my hospital room the day after I gave birth because I had this.

Sally Tomte: Yeah. You know, [00:20:00] the business could not survive without me mentality at that point in time. And it was really interesting, you know, once I was on maternity leave, I really enjoyed being a mom and my mindset. Shifted. I knew I couldn't do that full-time. I needed the mental stimulation that I get from business interactions.

Sally Tomte: Yeah. I also need to provide for my family. Yeah. But, you know, it was really hard going back to work. I cried when I sent my daughter off to daycare, even though she was in great hands. So it was really hard early on trying to find that balance. But I. What I learned, and my husband really helped me with this.

Sally Tomte: You know, I had to learn to be present when you're on vacation, you know, you can't be checking emails or taking calls constantly or when you're at, you know, our daughter's soccer game or, you know, chorus presentation. You know, I had a he really helped me to understand that you just need to be present, [00:21:00] whether it's you're present for work.

Sally Tomte: Or you're present for home. You know, you have to find that balance. I'm a natural planner and what really worked well with me was on the weekends, I'd have the week ahead planned out really well. So I knew that, you know, dinners, what we were eating, lunches were made. You know, how I built a really good network also of other moms.

Sally Tomte: That needed the support and just getting kids to and from activities or if I needed some after school help for a little bit. Building that network was really critical of managing. And then I also, I had to learn to say no sometimes. Yeah. And the power of no as well. Yeah. It's quite a phenomenal word actually when you know your boundaries.

Sally Tomte: I think that's where our stories are quite different. Sadly my first marriage didn't last and I suddenly found myself on my own with a five, a four and a 2-year-old. And that [00:22:00] was tough. That was really tough having three children and clearly needing to go out now and provide four for us as a family unit of four.

Sally Tomte: And you know, I, at this point we're working in big four having a two and a half hour commute each way and then coming home and then. Picking up all the chores at sort of 7:00 PM at night and yeah that, that was a really tough period. But I think. What we are able to do, I think particularly as mothers, is learn to really multitask well.

Sally Tomte: And we just seem to build this incredible layer of grit, determination. I think you really do go into survival mode of really. Powering through and knowing that it is all down to you and you've gotta perform in your job, you've gotta hold that down and ultimately raise your children to the best of the ability.

Sally Tomte: You can and you're so right. I really identify with that, you know? For me, it was my support network that got me through. And just really investing in that support [00:23:00] network to, to carry us through and ensure that, you know, we were able to deliver and perform as we needed. So, given the longevity of your career, what does the future mean for you as a leader?

Sally Tomte: Where do you focus next and what brings you purpose? Oh. You know, there's so much still to accomplish in my career as a leader. I personally wanna spend more time mentoring. Yeah. You know, our organization has so much amazing young talent, and I want them to have someone to reach to when they reach those pivotal moments in their career, or they're feeling fearful to try something new.

Sally Tomte: I mean, having, I just know how from. My story that I just shared with you, how important it's to have those people on your side really to be able to turn to for advice or to brainstorm with. Yes. And that's really [00:24:00] where you know, I'm looking to spend more time as a leader. I do it formally, but I also do it a lot informally.

Sally Tomte: And it's funny, you know, how many opportunities, I'm sure you have the same, right? Yeah. Yeah. You're into a conversation and you're just naturally mentoring someone and it just happens, right? Yeah. Yeah, I also really look forward to extending this more into my community. I do some volunteer work right now to really support the homeless in my community, but really taking these professional skills that I've developed and just using 'em in a different way to, to really promote my community.

Sally Tomte: So that's kind of what's on the future for me. How about you? Yeah, so, very similar. I have a real passion for people like you. I love to see people grow and develop. I think it's sometimes we forget how much we have grown as professionals, ourselves over decades of work and actually how much we are able to give back.[00:25:00] 

Sally Tomte: And I think that's the piece that I'm really. Enjoying now. And again, reaching out into the broader community I was last night I'm a person of faith too. So last night I was actually at our church PCC meeting, trying to sort of, support the agenda on stewardship and how we ensure that our church remains viable for the future.

Sally Tomte: So yeah it's really sort of trying to give back into the local community where we can and just continue to invest in, in those that we touch in our professional and day-to-day lives. So before we wrap, we are at time. Half an hour has gone super quick. So before we wrap up our episode today, we usually ask our guests to provide us with a top tip.

Sally Tomte: So what do you have for us, Sally? Ooh. So many, but it's, don't be afraid to try something new. You know, when, especially when you think you don't have the skillset, I think you'll surprise yourself. You know, on how well you can [00:26:00] adapt and rise to the occasion. And don't be afraid to fail. I mean, I've failed so many times in my career and that's really how you learn.

Sally Tomte: So, yeah. Yeah. I love that. I love that. Great. And I think from my, my, my perspective, my call out is to, to everybody listening. Be bold, be courageous. We are so much stronger than we realize. Yeah. So thank you so much, Valerie, as always, a complete pleasure to have you on the podcast and yeah, look forward to, to, to you coming back.

Sally Tomte: Oh, thank you so much, Hannah. Actually, the pleasure is all mine. This has been fun. So we have come to the end of our podcast episode today. Thank you for listening to Sirva Soundbites. If you enjoy our show, please click subscribe and share and be sure to come back until next time. Until then, [00:27:00] it is Hannah and Sally.

Sally Tomte: And don't forget, Sirva provides everything needed to move talent and deliver experience. See you next time.