“I am a hands-on manager, and I’m also an open-door policy kind of manager. Good, bad, or ugly, I want my team to know they can come to me for anything and that I have their back."

We’re pleased to spotlight…

Kim Woodman, Operations Manager for Equipment Finance

How long have you worked at Apex? Can you describe your experience working for the company?

“Well, my first visit, I was here two and a half years. Then, I took a job with a captive leasing company, but I always said if I had the chance to come back to Apex, I would. Apex has a family atmosphere, and I think we have the best management team around. Since coming back, I’ve been here for six years.”

Did you work anywhere prior to Apex, and can you tell us a bit about that?

“I’ve been in leasing almost 30 years; I started in 1996. I’ve worked for finance companies in various roles. I’ve worked in banking, captive leasing, vendor direct, and broker direct. I’ve handled financing for various equipment types throughout the industry.

I started my career as a documentation specialist and worked in that role at two different companies. I worked my way up to a team lead role in Operations, and then, I fully took over as manager of that team.”

Tell us about your role. What are your responsibilities?

“I’m responsible for the Operations team. From the contract being credit approved through the funding process. We handle documentation, the funding, and the funding of vendors. We have correspondence back and forth with brokers and customers. We handle gathering any title information and making sure those vehicles are titled properly. We’re also involved in quality control, making sure all our I’s are dotted and T's are crossed. Basically, anything aside from sales and credit, Operations is involved.”

Describe your leadership style. How do you motivate your team?

“I am a hands-on manager, and I’m also an open-door policy kind of manager. Good, bad, or ugly, I want my team to know they can come to me for anything and that I have their back. I want my team to be empowered and to know that they have a say, so I make sure they are included and know that their opinions are valuable.”

Who do you look to for inspiration and advice/mentorship?

“Jaime Weinsten, our Chief Operating Officer at Apex, and Donald Wampler, our Managing Director for Equipment Finance.

I go to Jaime a lot to ask questions and talk through ideas. She’s a great resource to go to, to discuss things and realize what’s the best solution. She also taught us this great line in our goal-setting sessions: ‘What are you doing? What are you learning? And what do you want to learn?’ It gives you perspective. Yes, I know what I’m doing now and where I want to be by the end of the year, but what am I striving to be and to achieve? Jaime’s always striving for the best and to make things more efficient, and she wants us to hold ourselves accountable.

I also go to Donald quite a bit because he’s got a depth of knowledge into the workings of the leasing world. He understands it. He’s great with numbers, and if I have a question on a deal, I go to him nearly as often as I go to Jaime.”

What advice do you have for people in leadership positions?

“Balance is important. It’s important to be empathetic with your team, but you need to be prepared for hard conversations too. As a manager, you also need to make sure you have your work-life balance. I’ve gone through period where I’ve overworked myself, and you can’t do that as a manager. Not only are you hurting yourself, but you’re also hurting your team and the company because you’re not coming in fresh.”

What are the most important traits you look for when hiring a new employee?

“You always look for someone who has some knowledge or background in the position you’re looking for. More generally, I’m looking for confident people. I want them to be adaptable, energetic, and positive. I want people who are looking to grow and who fits in well with the team.”

What’s the most important risk you’ve taken in your career and why?

“I would say coming back to Apex. I was working for a much larger company when Donald approached me about returning. As much as I prefer working for a smaller company, coming back was a monetary risk to some extent because I could have moved up in the larger company. But to me, coming back to Apex was more of a benefit than a risk.”

What are some of your favorite things to do outside of work?

“I love to travel with my family to our favorite place, Walt Disney World. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my new granddaughter. Really, just spending time with family.”

What’s one thing you are most proud of?

“My kids. I love my career here and I love the way I’ve grown, but my biggest accomplishment is my kids and making sure that they’re well-rounded, kind adults.”

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