For more than 25 years, Adrienne Hartman has been an active member of the UWEBC, attending meetings, building connections, and learning alongside peers from across industries. As she steps into her new role as UWEBC Advisory Board Chair, she’s excited to give back to the organization that has shaped her career in meaningful ways, while also marking a new chapter as the first woman to hold this position.
“When I first started attending meetings, I had just become a first-time manager with a team of two people,” she shared. “ I recently received a promotion and now I’m leading all of marketing for my organization with a team of 180 people. UWEBC has been a part of every step of that journey.”
Adrienne remained closely connected to the consortium throughout her career at Lands’ End, Mason Companies, and now J. J. Keller & Associates, where she serves as the Executive Vice President of Marketing. When making career changes, she intentionally sought out companies that were UWEBC members and valued the community it fostered. That continuity makes her new role with UWEBC especially personal. “This is where I really feel like I can now help others in their career paths and in their career progression, and give back in multiple ways,” she said.
Adrienne has been involved in several professional organizations, but what continuously sets UWEBC apart is its peer-driven structure. Members shape the topics, raise the questions, and collaboratively tackle industry challenges. She recalled how quickly the consortium adapted during the onset of COVID-19. Virtual sessions were launched almost immediately, creating space to discuss remote work, shifting expectations, and unprecedented business impacts, all driven by member needs.
Over the course of two decades, Adrienne has worked to build a trusted network within UWEBC, to which she can turn when evaluating software, navigating organizational changes, or exploring career decisions. She emphasized that these relationships and professional connections wouldn’t have existed without this community.
At the recent annual conference, Adrienne reflected with John Stofflet on her long-term involvement with the consortium and the value it continues to deliver. She’s attended about 20 UWEBC conferences, and this year stood out as one of the best. Curious what made it so special? Learn more about the conference on our webpage!
Adrienne also encourages members to actively participate to get the most out of the consortium. “You get out of it what you put into it,” she said. Beyond listening, she recommends submitting questions in advance, joining breakout groups, engaging in discussions, and building peer-to-peer connections. “That’s where most of the value comes from. It’s not just listening, but it’s engaging, it’s going deeper into discussions, and it’s really in how we come together as a community.”
Adrienne’s professional journey is a testament to what can happen when leaders stay curious, collaborative, and connected. As Advisory Board Chair, she’s looking forward to helping others grow just as she did, with the support of a network that learns, adapts, and evolves together.