Jen Nguyen on CMA Global Inc. becoming a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)

January 1, 2020 was a historic event for CMA Global Inc. On that date, Jami Wolfe, Terence Bostic, and Jennifer Nguyen succeeded Dan Bean and Joe Hoffman to become its managing partners. As a majority woman-owned business, they began the application process to become a WBE, and were awarded certification by the State on March 16, 2021.  Transitioning into new ownership is no small feat but doing it in addition to gaining a WBE certification amid a pandemic ̶ mind blowing! So, we conversed with Jen to pick her brain on how they were able to attain these goals.

Terence Bostic: Far left, Jami Wolfe: Center & Jen Nguyen: Far right

I’m passionate about helping clients find the right fit for their employees, bringing out the best in their people, and creating the people management systems that facilitate success. – Jen

Before we delve right into the crux of the matter, however, let us talk a little bit about who Jen is. For starters, she is a great example of hard work and determination for anyone who wants to be successful in their career. She has a master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from St. Louis University with over 20 years of experience under her belt.  A few minutes into the conversation, you can tell that CMA Global Inc. is not merely a business for her.  It is her “work family.” It is her passion. It played a pivotal role in her personal and career growth.  Jen started out at CMA as an intern 21 years ago and never left. Now, as one of the CMA managing partners, she seeks to “be fully present for clients and team members” and be a “steward of CMA and its people.” Her areas of focus include strategic planning, succession planning, and C-Suite executive coaching, to name but a few. Outside of CMA, Jen can be found running on the trails around St. Louis, on a girls’ day out with her two daughters, or serving as sous chef to her husband, who is a phenomenal cook!

Jen Nguyen

I am an avid fan of Maya Angelou and particularly loves this quote of hers: ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’  -Jen

Now to the crux of the matter, what was the process of becoming a certified WBE like? Well, Jen frankly described the process as arduous, humbling, and tenacious. “At the end, you feel honoured to have come out on the other side successful, but in the middle of it your resilience is certainly tested. It took a team to do this, and we are so thankful to everyone who came on board to help us accomplish this. It took over a year to get certified, and there was significant administrative work that needed to be dedicated to it.” While it was a difficult process, she believes they did it at the right time. “We had just done an asset purchase of CMA when we decided to go for the WBE certification. As a result of this, it was easier to provide relevant documentation. Even though the process was hard, we are grateful for it. We consider it a good review process that assisted us in organizing the business better and unearthing things that we need to improve on.”

I am perpetually grateful for the work we do, for our client partners, and for our teammates at CMA. Every day, I have challenging assignments with leaders who bring diverse experiences and perspectives. I’m honoured when these leaders and organizations trust us to help them make crucial business decisions. -Jen

She goes on to provide some tips for women leaders who are thinking about the WBE process.

You might be thinking, if the process is so demanding, why should you even consider applying for it? Jen stated that it does have its advantages. For one thing, it is a recognized and preferred certification in many industries. In addition, for those who do government work, it provides information about, and advantages regarding, opportunities within government agencies.

With the new era at CMA, what goals does the new leadership have? The team of business psychologists at CMA Global Inc. remains steadfast in its dedication continuous improvement of its services and making sure its clients flourish and continuous improvement of services. That will always be CMA’s top priority. However, moving forward, Jen says, “We want to expand our reach geographically, while putting a greater emphasis on educating our clients and communities we serve through the lens of business psychologists and reflecting research in practical ways for our clients. In addition, a greater focus is given to DE&I initiatives and increasing the diversity of our staff. Just like our clients, we see ourselves as on the journey with our internal DE&I efforts.”

In conclusion, Jen states that she is most proud of the team of people at CMA. “I truly enjoy being around people from work. We come from a strong leadership legacy, and we inherited a growth mindset from our predecessors. Equally important is that we practice what we preach.”

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Stay tuned for a comprehensive guide on becoming a certified WBE company.