Our observance of Women’s History Month in March, which featured Q&As with Laura Blackmer of Konica Minolta, Kay Fernandez of Katun, and Jennie Fisher of GreatAmerica, was met with such enthusiasm that we’ve decided to amplify our coverage of the empowering women of the dealer channel.
Moonsun Park has worked on the financial business side of Sharp Electronics for the past 27 years. In late 2018, Moonsun began serving as the OEM’s chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance: titles she still holds today. Before joining Sharp, she spent four years in the accounting department at LG Electronics.
Like CJ Cannata, our son and CEO, Moonsun completed her undergraduate studies at Tufts University (she’s a 1991 alumna) in Medford, Massachusetts, which happens to be where I’m from. She then earned a master’s degree in business administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, and also is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Talk about accomplished! I asked Moonsun to tell us about the WISE mentor program that she helped start at Sharp.
Moonsun Park, CFO and SVP of Finance, Sharp Electronics Corporation
MP: Good morning, Carol! As you know, WISE stands for ‘Women Influencing Sharp’s Innovation.’ Debbie Tyler from our Legal Department [associate VP & deputy general counsel] and I helped launch that program on International Women’s Day 2019. We were looking to create a way to improve life at Sharp, to make things better for all employees. Our mentoring initiative is focused on training and education as they relate to career pathing and growth.
CC: How wonderful! Congratulations on the sixth-year anniversary of WISE. How does the program work, exactly?
MP: Well, this got off the ground pre-COVID, so we have evolved! We’ve really elevated our game and now present inspirational, in-person events that are livestreamed to some 50 Sharp locations and recorded. Video technology has allowed us to share our content virtually across the organization. Literally hundreds of people can now log in online. The WISE chair-people put a lot of effort and time into programming. New chairs are appointed every two years, so we are now on our fourth pairing.
One event we held was called “Navigating Career Growth in the Technology Industry.” The panel consisted of Melissa Confalone, president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems; Jenna Stramaglio Miner, channel development manager at ConnectWise; and Danielle Wolowitz, co-owner of Shore Business Solutions. Jennifer Cheh did a great job as moderator. [Based in the Chicago area, Cheh is senior vice president of display marketing and product management at Sharp Business USA.]
Our last speaker drew an audience of about 100 in-person attendees at our U.S. headquarters in Montvale, New Jersey, and over 200 more watched the livestream! There were just as many men as women. I think that’s important to note because men need to be a part of this process. We need to work together, and support for these corporate programs comes from the top on down. Mike Marusic [president & CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Co. of America] is an avid proponent who has supported me personally and professionally.
CC: What’s new with WISE?
MP: I feel like we are always learning and getting better every year. Two years ago, we came up with the idea for new employee breakfasts to help fresh hires make immediate connections. We’ve found that these morning mealtimes greatly facilitate meeting people and building relationships.
Then there is the cross-functional EMPower mentoring program, which I founded and Debbie leads with me. She was overseeing Training & Development within WISE, and I started up mentorship as a subcommittee. The mentorship initiative became so popular that it now stands alone as EMPower, which developed into its own, strong ERG [Employee Resource Group]. EMPower creates engagement within our organization and keeps ties strong among employees. I firmly believe that programs like these can change the dynamic within a company because of the rich relationships they foster.
CC: Moonsun, one last thing . . . so, why is there such a big push for mentorship at Sharp? What’s in it for you as a leader?
MP: I’m giving back, Carol; paying it forward, as they say. I have received so much from mentors in my life. There are a handful whom I still keep in touch with. Just two days ago I got a call from Kathy Dvorak, a fellow CFO from Chicago. Doug Albregts introduced us when he was still with Sharp. [Albregts now is CEO of major dealer Marco Technologies in Minnesota, and Dvorak has since retired.]
When I was new to the chief financial officer role, Kathy shared many of her experiences—both good and bad. She was my sounding board. She’d mentor and encourage, sometimes by talking about things that were 10 times worse than what I was faced with. It’s helpful to have a support network like that; to have access to a person like Kathy, who ‘gets me.’ She can really relate to my job and suggests ways to overcome my challenges. She helps me get through the most difficult times and celebrates successful accomplishments with me.
Editor’s note: If you haven’t yet seen or read them, please pour a cup of java and check out our inspiring “Coffee with Carol” Q&A content featuring this trio of channel executives:
- Laura Blackmer of Konica Minolta
- Kay Fernandez of Katun Corporation
- Jennie Fisher of GreatAmerica Financial
