Barbara Christianson already had industrial sales experience when she joined Ingersoll Rand Compression Technologies and Services in 2000 as a sales coordinator, but her clients—spanning sectors from retail to medical to manufacturing—were nevertheless often surprised at that first meeting or phone call.

“People would say to me, ‘How did a girl like you get to selling air compressors?’” she says.

Her outstanding product knowledge and exceptional communication and interpersonal skills not only made her a successful salesperson, but led to advancement. Christianson now serves as the business manager for the busy Omaha office, which provides sales and service covering Nebraska, Iowa, and the Dakotas. And Christianson’s title isn’t the only thing that changed in her workplace over the years.

“Back in the days after I was hired, there were only two of us women: the business manager and me. Everybody else was male,” she says. “But now we have more women than men.”

Everyone is treated with respect, Christianson says. “The seven women that are here in the office, we get along well,” she says. “It’s a small office, so we have to.”

Christianson says she’s proud to work for a company that offers both men and women opportunities for career development.

“What I’ve noticed since I’ve been here is that it isn’t a man’s world,” she says. “There are women in (executive) and management positions, and it’s based off experience and fit, not because a person is male or female,” she says. “It’s the personality, and the experience, and the ability to work with your team.”

13205 Centennial Rd. Omaha, NE 68138 402.330.5831 ingersollrandproducts.com

This sponsored content appeared in the Winter 2018 issue of B2B.