This is our time! We’re stronger when we work together to lift other women up. EvolveMe's #40over40 list curates profiles of women who have or are in the process of reinventing their careers in their 40s, 50, 60s, and beyond.
We're thrilled to share stories of reinvention - women returning to work, pivoting careers, or launching new ventures!
Meet Kristy Ryan, a high-impact, results-driven, anti-boring senior business management professional. Kristy is well-regarded as a shrewd strategist in developing sweeping business practice reforms to best address untapped, undervalued, and overlooked opportunities.
Recently, Kristy stepped into the COO role at Move For Hunger. How cool is this? Move for Hunger is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization teams up with professional moving companies, corporate housing providers, relocation management companies, and multi-family apartment communities across the US & Canada to rescue the unopened, non-perishable food items from people moving and deliver it to local food banks.
In addition to collecting food from people who are moving to new homes, Move For Hunger helps companies and individuals across the United States and Canada organize thousands of successful food drives and employee engagement events each year. Since its founding in 2009, Move For Hunger has delivered more than 28 million pounds of food - that's 24 million meals - to food banks and pantries nationwide.
Read on to learn about Kristy's career reinvention and how she's sharing her value to make a positive impact!
What is the current focus of your career?
Stepping into a C-Suite role after serving in interim capacities for many years.
What prompted your career reinvention?
Hearing my former CEO share "if only" qualifiers that were not related to my experience or skills when letting me know I was not considered for a promotion.
What's the best thing about mid-life career change?
Owning the leadership space. Having unofficially held the job, trained, and supported new members of Executive Leadership for many years while having my hands frequently tied means I must show up for my team every day in a new and exciting way. My measure of success now aligns with the optics I hold myself accountable to.
What's the biggest challenge?
Leaving the comfort of the known and being willing to admit I don't know what I don't know, but I'm willing to dig in with you.
What's your personal mantra/mission? Why?
My success is measured by the success of my team, not the numbers or the data but by my team as humans, leaders, and professionals. How I show up and invest in them, and where they grow and develop through my support (even quiet cheering) is the true definition.
Your best career advice for other women in midlife is...
Be bold. When you are confident yet humble you show the ability to grow. Look at the examples, good and bad, you've witnessed and decide what kind of leader you want to be. Leadership comes in all forms, even when it doesn't carry a title. When we know more we do more.