Women Of Excellence: Christine Owens
Senior vice president, communications and brand management, UPS
Jennifer Dennard
July 1, 2008
sponsored by:
A
good sense of direction has been one of the driving forces behind Christine Owens’
success at UPS, where she currently serves as senior VP of communications and brand management, and
in the philanthropic organizations with which she is involved.
“There’s an intersection for everyone and it’s about navigating those intersections,” she says. “At UPS, in my 28 years, I’ve never said ‘No’ to an assignment. I’ve never not walked through that next door of opportunity, even though there have been times when I’ve looked at it and thought, ‘This may not fit.’”
Owens had no idea how far opportunity would take her when she started as a UPS helper in 1979. “I was placed with a driver at Christmas-time. He was just phenomenal, and he made me believe the company must be phenomenal for him to feel the way he did after 15 years of driving that brown truck.”
Navigating her way through the ranks at UPS has led her to Texas, Chicago, Omaha and Atlanta. She also had the distinction of becoming the first female district manager; first female SVP of operations for both the West region and the Southeast region; and the second woman to ever sit on UPS’ management committee.
"Christine is one of those individuals who possesses both a great sense of humor and the intelligence to make a significant impact through every position she's held at UPS,” says Scott Davis, UPS chairman and CEO. “She’s been a real asset to this organization, contributing greatly to our success and to the success of thousands of other employees and many other organizations beyond UPS."
Owens’ desire to get involved with the community was fostered by her parents, who instilled a strong sense of giving back in her and her four sisters. “Every night at dinner, we talked about what was going on in the world and our role in how we could make things better for our community and our country.”
Owens found a great fit with UPS, where she also is a trustee of the UPS Foundation. “ Philanthropic endeavors by UPS have always been there from the very beginning,” she says. “You have an obligation to be part of your community, and we take that obligation very seriously. It stems around the world when you’re a global company. Whether it’s building schools and computer labs in China or funding CARE, we are continually ensuring our presence in that community is for the better, that it isn’t just to transact business.”
It was through UPS that she also became involved with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization.
“In the years that Christine has been on our corporate board of advisors, I’ve learned a couple of things about her,” says Janet Murguía, president and CEO. “First, she and UPS have a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. Second, she really knows her business and when she commits to something, it happens.”
Owens also is a supporter of the Women Presidents’ Organization, a non-profit membership organization for female presidents of multimillion-dollar companies, helping set up some of its foundation work, and aided in its naming and branding.
Return to the Women Of Excellence index page.
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Co-managing partner, Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
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