choosing corporate...

choosing corporate....

 

  I was in law school for one year when I was offered a full-time job with Brown and Williamson Tobacco  in 1975, Sherry Spence said.  

  Brown and Williamson Tobacco is a subsidiary of British American Tobacco Company and is located in Louisville, Kentucky.

  HUH?  What's up with that?

  Sherry is now retired, but she has a couple Encore Performances going on in her life.  She works a couple days a week as a Human Resources Director for a family-owned business in Louisville and she  spends a lot of time with her grandchildren.  

  Let's start with your college days.  Where did you go and when did you graduate?

  I went to UK (University of Kentucky) for two years, then transferred to U of L (University of Louisville) and graduated in '73, she said.  I went to U of L Law School for one year.  

  You sandwiched in a short teaching career after graduating college and before law school.  

  I did.  I took a job with a middle school for one year while I was waiting to get into law school, she said. At the end of that year, I got into law school.

  Then, life happened and you took a detour from that path. 

  Yes, she affirmed.  I went to Brown and Williamson Tobacco.  They had a program that hired teachers in the summer to fill in for supervisors that were on vacation.  At the end of the summer, I was offered a full-time job and I accepted it.  

  So, a career change was made right then.

  It was and I never went back to law school after that first year, she confirmed.  

  Did you ever regret your decision?

  Not really, she mused, but I never started something I didn't finish. That was a first.  However, my career was very fulfilling and there are no regrets.

  What plans did Brown and Williamson have for you?

  I started as a supervisor in production, she recalled.  From there, I was transferred to the Testing and Quality Control Department and did that for two years before they moved me to Macon, Georgia where B & W built a new plant.  

  Were you in Quality Control in the Macon plant?

  I was for a short time, she said.  Then, I became the HR Manager. 

  According to your resume, the company then sent you across the pond as they say.   

   I was in England from 1990 to 1992 and was assigned to their International Training Center.  Sherry went on to say, I coordinated the senior management program where people from all around the world attended.  

  Where did you live while you were overseas? 

  I lived in a house they provided for me and my family.  Our kids were 8 and 10 at the time, she recollected.  The company also provided a car for us.

  When you weren't working, were you able to travel?

  Oh, we did, she smiled.  We traveled all throughout England and Europe and lived outside London in a small town called Cuckfield in West Sussex.  

  What did you do for entertainment besides travel?

  We ate good and did a lot of sightseeing, Sherry said.  We also enjoyed London theater too.  We saw some first rate plays like Phantom of the Opera, les miserables and Starlite Express among others on London stages.   

  Would you say you were on a corporate fast track?

  Hmm, I don't know about that, she admitted, but they did move me around to various levels for development purposes.  

  What about your husband.  What did he do while the whole family was overseas?  

  He actually had the toughest job.  He went to grad school and he helped take care of the kids, she said.  

  Did anything out of the ordinary happen while you were in London?

  No, not really.  Since we were there for two years, we became acclimated quickly, she answered.  The kids were in school and everything was pretty normal, really.  BAT (British American Tobacco) did send me to Helsinki, Finland for a week.  

  Did you go there as a teacher?

  Kind of, she responded.  It was to share my experiences with the B and W Quality Control program.  BAT has operations all around the world.  

  How long did you stay with Brown and Williamson?

  I started in 1975 and retired in 1995, she said.  I was retired when a friend of mine in the HR Department called me and told me about an HR job available at Kentucky Manufacturing.  I interviewed for it and was offered the position, so I was quickly un-retired.  I stayed there five years.  

  And, what did you do in those five years?  Same as you did for B and W?

  Pretty much.  I was responsible for employee relations, hiring, payroll, training and healthcare management, she responded.  

  You completely retired in 2000.  You were still quite young.  How did you spend your time?

  I love antiques, she informed me, and I had a booth at a Peddler's Mall for about six years.  I used to go to estate sales and yard sales all the time.  I also had a booth at Louisville Antique Mall for a couple years.  

  Why did you give that up? 

  Well, my son and daughter were in their 20s and starting their own families by then and I wanted to spend time with them, she said. 

  Is that a big deal for you now?

  It is, she smiled again.  Being with my grandchildren is my favorite thing and spending time with my family.  I try to walk every day and I read a lot, but really, I have a pretty low-key life now.  

  Coming up:  meet some POS and hear about their dreams; meet a 91 year old man who still works six days a week, and;  meet a man who has had a lot of bad luck.

  And, lastly, this random thought.  

  Remember when you would ask to have a Corona?  

  HUH?  What's up with that?