Ladies Who Lead Us

As we wrap our Leading Ladies series, we share the stories of five women who play an important role in establishing Olympic Steel as a leader in the industry.

The Leading Ladies feature kicked-off in December 2020 with Ladies Who Lead in Our Industry. For 15 months, we’ve featured women who are positive examples of the talented people building strong careers at Olympic Steel. It’s important to share stories that inspire others to keep working toward their goals and bringing different perspectives to their teams.

It’s not always easy to attract women to our industry. With these profiles, we hope to have inspired the many talented ladies already on our team and encourage more to join Olympic Steel.


And with that, we’re wrapping this series with the Ladies Who Lead Us. These five women play an important role in establishing Olympic Steel as a leader in the industry.


Lisa Christen, CPA, Treasurer & Corporate Controller, Olympic Steel – Bedford Heights, OH


After graduating from Kent State University in 1999, Lisa Christen started working for Olympic Steel as a Tax Analyst in the Corporate Accounting Department. She’s worked within that department ever since, with increased levels of responsibility over the last 22 years. She’s been the Corporate Controller for 12 years and has served as the Company’s Treasurer since 2019.


“Being the Treasurer and Corporate Controller allows me to work on different projects each day,” she says. “I enjoy my job because no day is the same, and I have the ability to look at the big picture to make the best decisions for Olympic Steel while adhering to required rules and regulations.”


Lisa’s responsibilities cover multiple areas such as SEC reporting, accounting research, month-end close, financial reporting and audits. She also manages banking relationships and daily treasury functions, insurance policies and the accounting aspects of acquisitions. She enjoys the variety and the opportunity her role provides to work with others across the Company.


Being involved in so many areas of the business presents Lisa with different challenges each day. The nature of who she is helps her work through these challenges thoughtfully and thoroughly. “I am an analytical person,” Lisa explains. “I like to look at the big picture, review the facts and then dig into the details to determine the best solution.”


Throughout her career, Lisa has worked closely with her managers to determine what she can do better, how she can improve and which areas of the business she would like to learn more about. This continuous improvement mindset is what’s helped her build a successful career at Olympic Steel, and it’s her advice to others trying to do the same.


She says, “Be an advocate for yourself and for your personal growth. Working smart and improving your skillset will enable you to grow.” She adds, “I once read – If you can’t be replaced, you can’t get promoted – so it is equally important to elevate the people that work for you to allow them to grow along with you.”


Idie Kesner, Olympic Steel Board of Directors, Indiana University – Dean of Kelley School of Business


Idie Kesner joined the Olympic Steel Board of Directors in 2018. Including Olympic Steel’s Board, she’s served on several corporate boards in a variety of industries over the past 25 years. Idie is a professor at Indiana University and serves as the Dean of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. She teaches business and corporate strategy to MBA students and conducts research in the areas of corporate governance, boards of directors and leadership succession.


Idie shares her expertise with all of us through her role as Director on Olympic Steel’s board. She also serves as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. “I enjoy my Director role for many reasons,” she says. “First, I have the privilege of working with a fantastic group of fellow Directors who each bring unique skills, experiences and expertise to the board, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn from each of them. Second, I appreciate the opportunity to interact with Olympic Steel’s senior leadership team – an experienced group of executives with tremendous expertise in the industry. I particularly appreciate the opportunity to engage in strategic planning for the Company and watch those plans be implemented. There are many exciting opportunities open to Olympic Steel and having a hand in exploring and capturing these opportunities is very exciting.”


Like many strategy professors, Idie enjoys learning new things – especially learning about new industries. She says, “When I was presented with the opportunity to learn about the metals industry through Olympic Steel, I was eager to absorb all I could.”


Idie is certainly “all in” when it comes to education – her own and educating her students. She takes that role seriously and offers this advice to anyone who also wants to develop a successful career: “Find a combination of people to play the roles of mentor, coach and/or sponsor. Find a few good people to support you professionally and personally – good people who have a wealth of experience and knowledge in the industry. Find people who can form a support network. They can inspire you, guide you and provide honest feedback. A support network can share insights and tips for how to progress upward to the next level and beyond. These individuals can celebrate your successes with you and help you get through your more challenging times. And, as you build this network, make sure you do more than just take from it – make sure you contribute to it as well. This is where giving can be as rewarding as receiving.”


Nita Patel, Chief Financial Officer, Action Stainless & Alloys, Dallas, TX


Born and raised in India, Nita Patel earned her undergraduate and post graduate degrees in Finance and Marketing, then started her career working in the banking industry. In 1988, she moved to the United States with her husband and started working for an insurance company while working toward her MBA. This led to an Accounting position at a manufacturing company before moving to Dallas in 1998. Once in Dallas, Nita started working for Action Stainless & Alloys as a Senior Accountant. In 2008, she was promoted to Controller. In 2014, she was promoted again to her current position, Chief Financial Officer (CFO).


“As CFO of a mid-sized service center chain, I deeply enjoy the connection I have with all aspects of our business,” Nita says. “From direct contact with customers, suppliers and service providers to the development of our professional Accounting and Finance team and my daily interaction with General Managers, Sales, Warehouse Managers and Operations – it makes me happy to have the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of Action Stainless.”


But Nita’s greatest joy comes from mentoring others in the metals industry. “I draw from my past experiences to thoroughly train and teach what I know about key elements of accounting and finance to our non-financial managers,” she explains.


Nita is amazed by the wide variety of applications for stainless steel, with customers and industries ranging from food equipment and processing to water distribution and treatment, oil and gas – and more. “No matter the application, it really comes down to an industry of people, and I love being here,” she says.


“The steel business is such a dynamic industry that serves hundreds of other industries and contributes significantly toward our national and global growth,” Nita says. “Anyone can build a strong career in any area of the business, if they’re open to learn as much as they can.”

Michelle Pearson-Casey, VP Marketing & Communications, Olympic Steel – Bedford Heights, OH


Michelle Pearson-Casey started working for Olympic Steel in 1999 as the receptionist at the Chambersburg, PA division. She moved into CAD/Estimating, eventually demonstrating her communications skills and earning a spot on the Investor Relations team doing the Olympic Steel Odyssey, her first official communications project and the work that launched her Communications career. Eventually, her communications position shifted into the Human Resources department. There, she gained experience, training and her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification. This led to a role within the Corporate Human Resources Department where Michelle led the HR team as Director of Human Resources. She left Olympic Steel to return to communications, working at J.M. Smucker Company and Blue Communications Agency (as a Communications and Change Management Consultant) – a period of a few years that she jokingly calls her “study abroad program.” It was in her role at Blue when she was invited back to Olympic Steel as Vice President – Corporate Communications & Marketing to develop the Communications team that we have today.


“I love this work,” Michelle says. “In communications we get to learn a little bit about every area of the business, working with people from every division and business segment. I enjoy organizing and simplifying information to help people better understand what we do and how they can have an impact. Plus, there’s a creative aspect that keeps every project we do fun and fresh.”


Even when we’re keeping things fun and fresh, challenges still come up and Michelle tackles those challenges with a positive attitude and probably an appropriately branded checklist. “I have a team I trust and genuinely enjoy working with,” she says, “and I have a supervisor who I respect tremendously and who champions our work and the value of effective communication. That support, along with great colleagues across the Company help me get through any challenges.”


Michelle loves working in the metals industry because there’s a rich, interesting history that touches nearly every aspect of our lives. “What we manufacture shows up everywhere we look, and it’s pretty cool to be part of an industry that’s so foundational to our country, creating meaningful careers for so many people,” she says.


Michelle understands that it’s in the development of your career where you can really shine, and she offers this advice to anyone who wants to have an impact and build a successful career: “Don’t be the person who shows up with a list of problems – be the person who brings solutions.”


Vanessa Whiting, Olympic Steel Board of Directors, CEO, A.E.S. Management Corporation


Vanessa has served on the Olympic Steel Board of Directors since 2019. Her experience as a business owner of 16 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Restaurants and the skillset developed from years in finance, real estate development and business law, along with her work on numerous boards, prepared her for the Board of Director position with Olympic Steel.


Vanessa serves on the Nominating and Governance Committee and Audit Committee, but she is particularly excited to work with the Leadership team on Olympic Steel’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts. She says, “Olympic Steel’s leadership understands that the most profitable companies are those that create a diverse and inclusive culture, and Olympic Steel is on a path to broaden its talent pool by ensuring that women and underrepresented minorities are included in non-traditional career paths and other opportunities within the Company and the industry. Olympic has intentionally recruited qualified female leaders to its Board of Directors, helping to break its own glass ceiling in governance. This is an exciting time to be at Olympic Steel. There is a strong growth strategy and broadening opportunities for professional development and advancement – the sky is the limit!”


Lisa, Idie, Nita, Michelle and Vanessa bring their experiences to Olympic Steel, guiding us through challenges and inspiring others to seek solutions and find opportunities for success in the every day.


It’s for this reason, we wrap our Ladies Who Lead series with this group of outstanding professionals. If you haven’t already, check out the profiles from a few of the many other talented ladies contributing to Olympic Steel’s success across our organization:


Share by: