At LGC, we’re motivated by tales of career development and success – especially when it involves our employees. In this series, we’ll be sharing stories from managers at LGC and how they’ve moved up the ladder. Hopefully you’ll read something that inspires you to join our team and create a story of your own.
We are LGC | Meet Tena Saulny, Senior VP of Client Relations
STAY STRONG AND HOLD ON
In the three years Tena Saulny has been with LGC, she’s worked her way up from the Assistant Staffing Manager position she was hired for, to her current position today – Area Vice President overseeing ten LGC locations. While the road to get here hasn’t always been smooth, Tena has paved her way as an important asset in LGC’s past, present, and future using her determination and passion.
Tena was born in a town in Missouri aptly named after one of her personality traits – Independence – but has been living in Texas for most of her life. While she was getting a degree in Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University, she worked in both the hospitality and retail industries until she landed her first operations job. She not gained sales experience through this position but was also able to learn about marketing; in particular, branding and how to create marketing strategies for clients. This variety of experience, Tena says, helped lead her to where she is today.
Prior to joining the team in June 2017, Tena spent some time working for other staffing companies, managing events that LGC was also working at – which is how she was introduced to the company. After her current job went through a restructuring, Tena found herself looking for something new. She was ready to bring her extensive experience and commitment to a company that would value her and appreciate what she could bring to the table. Enter LGC.
In her first conversation about possible employment at LGC with then-president Jennifer, they talked for 3 hours; about what Tena’s next move was, what she wanted from her career, and ultimately – how LGC could meet those needs. At first, she was unsure about if this was the right career move for her, but on deciding to accept the position, she says, “I was sold on the culture. And this was 3 years ago, so it’s only grown from there.” (In fact, Tena has had a huge impact on the culture at LGC, having just been part of a task force to create a new mission and vision statement.)
Three months after Tena was hired, she was promoted because of the immense growth her office saw. Since then, she’s been working consistently to help make LGC the successful staffing partner it is today. But she knows she hasn’t done it alone:
“I think the key to my success has been my team. Building a strong team means teaching them what you know. One thing that’s important to me is that everyone can do everyone’s job, that way there isn’t any down time in production. My team understanding and being productive is what allows me to continue to grow. I can’t grow if they’re not growing, and you can’t continue to grow if you don’t train your replacement.”
She also attributes part of her success to her mentors, LGC CEO George Lessmeister and Jennifer, who originally convinced her to join the team. “They understood my business mind and they learned to trust me, and that’s what allows me to feel like ‘Hey, I can suggest these things’ because George is going to listen. It’s like a family here, like I’m home.”
When asked what advice Tena could share for those who are struggling during a challenging year, she first says “Stay strong, and hold on!” and laughs, continuing, “It’s okay to have a bad day. I tell my team that all the time. It’s okay to make a mistake, we are going to make them every day, I make them every day. It’s only about the recovery.”
Outside of LGC (and the pandemic), Tena likes to travel, whether it’s for fun, for work, or for her son’s basketball team. She enjoys visiting places with great cuisine, like Puerto Rico and New Orleans, and has even been a part of the famous Mardi Gras parades in NOLA. As someone who’s family is extremely important to them, Tena is looking forward to becoming an aunt for the first time in the next couple months.
In a world of uncertainty, there’s one thing that IS certain: Tena is a dedicated leader whose passion touches everyone around her and has helped bring LGC to where we are today. Perhaps her experience with LGC can be summed up with two of her favorite quotes: “Champions are made when no one is looking” and “work hard, play hard.”