In honor of Women’s History Month in March, we are kicking off a Getac Profile series to celebrate female leaders at Getac. Cheryl Wynkoop is the senior manager of Order Operations at Getac. In her role, Cheryl ensures we’re getting our product where it needs to go as quickly and efficiently as we can. Outside of work, Cheryl is all about family. She enjoys spending time reading and social distancing with her friends.
How did you hear about Getac?
Two former bosses of mine worked for Getac at the time. They reached out to me when they had a role they thought I’d be good for and, since I was looking for a job, it worked out well.
How has your role changed?
I was hired to focus on transitioning the inventory and improving order operations so the company could grow as the old model just didn’t allow for growth. That lasted about a month and then it became all about MPS, order processing and logistics while doing the original transitioning of inventory and improving operations at the same time. There were some long hours that first year! So, what I’m responsible for hasn’t changed much, but how we do it has changed drastically. More automation, streamlined processes, and the right people in the right roles. Oh, and the growth? You bet – Getac is doing that in spades!
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Hands down, it’s the team. I’ve worked at places where it feels like the folks in your group are your only allies in the fight. Getac is different. We’re all in the fight together. It’s about building Getac up, not tearing others down.
Who inspires you professionally?
There’s no one single person, it’s a mix of people I’ve worked with over the years. Those that taught me that you need to find the “fun” in the work to stay on task; that hiring the right people is the best job a manager can do; not to let ego take the place of implementing a good idea that wasn’t yours. Those are the people who inspired and continue to inspire me.
Do you have any advice for the next generation of female leaders?
Don’t let anything stop you. Speak up, speak out – make yourself heard in a respectful but vocal way.
How do you manage work/life balance?
Well, COVID has certainly blurred that line! Luckily, I’m one of the few that still go to the office, so 4 days a week it feels “normal-ish”. If I’m working from home, I try to keep the same hours, but know that I can be a little more flexible taking those mental breathers. I try not to let anything take over my weekends!
When do you do your best work?
If it’s data and reconciliations, early morning is best for me – I really need to focus and shut everything out. For research and process improvement/automation, I tend to do better later in the afternoon when most folks east of California have shut down for the day. So, my best work is done when the phone isn’t ringing, and I can ignore the email notifications pinging!
