Putting People at the Forefront
Amy Volz is a transformer—championing workforce innovation, shaping marketing and brand strategies, and driving organizational design and culture initiatives. Her experience throughout her career working closely with both the C-suite and front-line workers in the field has led to her success—and above all, allows her to lead with a people first mentality. Brand is her love and the unifying thread that has led her to some interesting places.
She moved from dirt to digital early in her career with branding and CX work across Caterpillar digital properties. In her 15 years there, Amy held a number of marketing roles and also served as the Global President of the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) for four years. In 2018, she was tapped by Ingersol Rand to help revitalize the century old brand. A few months in, Amy found herself leading the charge to define a new-to-the-market spin-off brand known today as Trane Technologies, a manufacturing company focused on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
In this episode Amy shares insights from her broad experience in the manufacturing industry, starting with a common misperception about what it’s really like. (Spoiler alert: it’s not always dirt and grime, and it impacts our lives in many ways that aren’t always immediately apparent.)
Amy also discusses what it was like to be a woman in the field early in her career, lessons learned, the importance of authenticity in the way you show up, our need for validation, the difference between achievement and fulfillment, and more. She’s a firm believer that creating opportunity for all requires cultural change and takes immense pride and satisfaction in championing the workforce innovation efforts at Trane Technologies where uplifting people is a core brand value.
Amy’s passion, enthusiasm and bold optimism are inspiring. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.
“Anyone who knows me knows I am much more comfortable in high heels than in steel-toed shoes. Manufacturing was not an industry that I sought out at all. It wasn’t a dream of mine or anything like that. It was really just about the people…”
Amy Volz
About Amy Volz
Amy is a visionary leader and relentless optimist with deep expertise in marketing and brand strategy and broad experience across HR and digital. For 20 years, Amy has transformed the brands and cultures of multibillion-dollar companies – built brands from the ground up, breathed new life into legacy brands, and shaped employee and customer experience. She is passionate about translating business strategy to brand purpose and unlocking the potential of women globally. Currently, she is Director of Workforce Innovation at Trane Technologies, reimagining workforce strategy for a $14B climate innovator to create opportunity for all.
Amy previously completed the Executive Development Program for Women Leaders from Standford University Graduate School of Business and the Executive Leadership Program from INSEAD. She also currently serves as an executive board member for Women in Manufacturing. For more, follow Amy on LinkedIn.