This month, GLMV’s own Jessica Kovar was recognized as one of the Wichita Business Journal’s (WBJ) Women Who Lead. Since joining TESSERE, Jessica has made a company-wide impact through her work leading Federal Business Development efforts, driving new business via winning proposals and forming new partnerships within the industry. We are proud to have Jessica at TESSERE and look forward to many years of continued growth and success with her on our team. Read her full Wichita Business Journal interview below:
What is your leadership style? My most dominant characteristics are found in transformational and democratic leadership. I am wired for change and thrive in innovative cultures. I find my energy when I am collaborating with others to challenge the status quo, promote change, and improve processes. I tend to get antsy when I am not working on several strategic projects at once.
When did you first feel like a leader? I first felt like a leader when I was asked to manage a team early on in my career. I had a fantastic mentor at that time, and he made it clear that my biggest responsibility was to develop my team while continuing to develop myself. During that time, I had been honored for leading a highly engaged team. Then, my team was honored for their innovative solutions that saved the company significant money and increased customer satisfaction. The moral of the story is that a culture of leadership development is necessary in an organization. Leaders develop leaders. Those leaders develop their team into leaders. These leaders are engaged and want to make the company better. Innovation saves money and makes everyone happy. It is a great system!
What are you doing to mentor women in your industry? I have a diverse background and have taken a non-traditional approach to pretty much everything in my life. I want women to know that there are old rules and cultural norms that do not serve us, and those rules should be challenged and broken.
I tend to naturally take on a mentoring role in the workplace, and I believe in teaching everything I know. If I can help a woman short-circuit hard lessons learned because of something I may have experienced, then I am all about sharing that knowledge.
Best advice for young women considering your industry? Align yourself with leadership that encourages ideas, innovation, and change. Avoid dangerous phrases, like “stay in your lane,” as it is counter-productive to innovation and process improvement. Other advice would be to never, ever stop developing yourself. Be mindful of any negative self-talk and overcome that habit immediately. Most importantly, do not make yourself small for anyone. Shine like crazy.
What female leaders do you admire? I have two of the most amazing sisters, Pam and Penny. They are my lifeline. They are both obsessed with self-development and have taught me how to be kind and forgiving of myself. They are natural leaders who have pushed boundaries and defied norms. They always know exactly what to say when I need advice. And, they are hilarious, which makes getting that advice so much more fun!
What was your career path? My career path would resemble a mountain bike trail with rough terrain and a few crash sites, But, it is my career path and I am proud of it because every single decision and risk has brought me to where I am now. Immediately after high school, I moved to New York where I lived for six years. This gave me life experiences and independence. I also took a non-traditional approach to college. I worked hard to earn and pay for my degree. I have served different industries in different cities and even ventured out on my own to start my own consulting business. My areas of expertise are Communications, Marketing, and Business Development.
What inspired you to choose a career in your industry? I fell into the AE industry when I was working as a consultant. Several of my clients were in this industry, and it just clicked with me. I found the work to be fascinating, and there is something pretty cool about seeing projects come to life and know I was part of the business development team that won the work!
What do you like most about your job? Hands down, the people. The leadership at TESSERE is fantastic. They value women in leadership and promote diversity. We have fun. We work hard and accomplish incredible things. I appreciate that I am trusted to make decisions, and I always feel supported to bring forward ideas, lead projects, and execute on my ideas. It is a GREAT place to work.
