Kelly Sauriol – PenFinancial
Kelly Sauriol – Branch Manager, PenFinancial
Nothing makes me happier than seeing people succeed and thrive. While working in customer service for over 20 years, 10 of those have been in the financial services industry I have gained a wide perspective on what service means to individuals. Each day I strive to provide the best advice to both my members and my employees and the end goal is to leave them feeling empowered and motivated.
I do believe community is everything. To be truly immersed in the community, I believe you have to actively engage with the people and the happenings there. I am a proud supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Niagara and enjoy spending time with my little sister. I am also an active member of the Rotary Club of Fonthill and enjoy participating in a variety of fundraisers and events to support local charities. I am currently on the Board of Directors with the Welland Pelham Chamber of Commerce and actively attend Business after Five events and other local events where I can support entrepreneurs and small businesses in the community.
Outside the office, you will find me hanging out with family and friends. I love to laugh and enjoy spending quality time with those close to me.
How do you define community leadership?
I believe community leadership is making a difference, it is about making a contribution that everyone can benefit from and making the community a better place to live, work and play in. It is about working together towards a common goal.
“… it is about making a contribution that everyone
can benefit from and making the community a better
place to live, work and play in.”
Why are you personally motivated to explore community leadership?
I am personally motivated to explore community leadership because I want to make a difference. I enjoy seeing others succeed and prosper, I love to make a difference and inspire those around me to do the same as it provides a sense of fulfillment.
What, in your view, is the most significant issue/opportunity facing our community? Why?
There are many significant issues that I would love the opportunity to work on that I believe are important such as homelessness, lack of housing/long wait times for low income families and individuals. Mental health is a rising issue as well among our youth and adults. I would welcome any opportunity to work with some of the great programs already in existence such as PathStones, the RAFT, Community care etc. I would meet with individuals of those programs and find out where the greatest need for help is. Develop a plan to enhance services and volunteer where most beneficial to the organization.
If I had the opportunity to come up with my own idea or implement a program I would love to implement a program that is being used in other schools in the country that teaches the 7 habits in schools and enforces Leadership skills in their day to day learnings. I am most passionate about our youth, I am interested in getting a head of the issues and working with young people. Each of them should know that they have a leader in them and they can make a difference in the world. We can teach them about self control, taking ownership, relationship building and so much more. The children are our future and I feel they need more support and guidance than ever before.
In your view, what’s the most important attribute of a leader?
I believe that there are many attributes that make a great leader one of the most important to me would be Integrity. It is important to be honest and build trust with people. When you have trust you can build a strong relationship and accomplish so much together. It is also important as a leader to practice what you preach, you should be living your values each and every day and leading by example.
What individual attributes do you hope to develop or expand upon?
I would like to expand my ability to delegate tasks. I tend to take on too much and not ask for help. It is also important that I let others fail even though I may have the answers. This will help them learn and grow. This is definitely something I need to work on.