How does Grange work toward equity, and how do you play a part?
Our senior leadership team prioritizes fostering a culture of belonging among our associates. We’re committed to cultivating a safe environment for open discussion and understanding. At Grange, equity in the workplace is about leveling the playing field for all and giving every associate the resources they need to have access to opportunities. A few examples of how we’ve enabled an equitable work environment include making job descriptions accessible, empowering associates, and offering equitable benefits and diversity training programs like unconscious bias training and inclusive leadership training.
We prioritize building an inspiring and inclusive company where everyone can be, and do, their best every day. It’s important for our associates to represent the diversity of our communities, including people of all abilities and everything that makes us unique as individuals. Their collective ideas, opinions and creativity of a diverse workforce are necessary to deliver the innovative solutions and customer service our agency partners and policyholders deserve. The role I personally play with all I’ve noted is to do as much as possible to advance our DEI initiatives and position toward an even more mature state.
How have your experiences shaped your approach to mentorship?
As a mentor, I have valuable experience and insights that can benefit a mentee. Being available and active are two ways to approach a successful mentorship relationship. I’ve been active internally with our Women’s Associate Resource Group and externally with organizations in the Columbus metropolitan area. For me, being available means being intentional about making time for the people with whom I’ve worked in the past or who I’m mentoring, either formally or informally. I find it easy to prioritize the consistency of those meetings around everything else going on at work and outside of work because I get great reward from helping others in their careers and because these mentoring relationships help me to learn and grow, too.
What has your EY experience meant to you?
The firm has always had great success at hiring very smart people who were also very good humans. There was so much to absorb and learn, all of it very quickly. We used to say that the EY environment was like an MBA on steroids. The fast pace of learning, interacting with different types of people at various ranks across clients in different industries with unique problems to solve, set me up for success. When I stepped away from IT and into a senior business leadership role at Grange, I really began to see and appreciate how my EY experience laid the foundation for so much of what I’ve been fortunate to experience.
Who are some of the people from your time here that stand out to you?
In the Columbus office, Rich Sheely, Don Mrowzinski and Denver Shaffer were all great partners and teachers in very different ways. When I was working on a client engagement with Cincinnati partners, Tom Lambert, Stan Brown and Tom Lindeman all left a memorable impact on how best to lead others. All these partners truly helped set the stage for me to advance my career. I also developed many valued friendships, too many to name, in my time at the firm. Some who I stay in close touch with and I consider dear friends include Kelly Gratz, Lynette Humphrey, Melanie Kolp, Eileen Orr and Maria Urani. We are still very connected and supportive of each other personally, and in our careers, to this day. Look at this list of people; it underscores how fortunate I’ve been and how critical it is that I pay it forward.
More about Linda Roubinek
Friday night lights: Linda’s daughter is a marketing major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Linda enjoys visiting Knoxville and attending Vols football games. “Tennessee has been doing well over the last couple of years in many sports, including football!” she says.
Turn up the volume: A fan of music, specifically country music, Linda enjoys going to concerts with her immediate and extended family and friends. Recently, she and her husband visited Nashville, where their daughter was working for the Country Music Association during CMA Fest. “All the big country artists were there,” Linda says. “That was a unique experience and a lot of fun.”
A room with an ocean view: When it’s time for R&R, Linda opts for beach vacations. “It’s the fastest way for me to recharge,” she says.
