2023 Ones to Watch - Industry Leaders: Karen Sommers of City Wide Facility Solutions Boston

3 skills that you use every day in your position: Time management, forecasting & projecting and empathy. 

Best advice for new leaders in 10 words or less: Ask open-ended questions, you will receive better information. 

Best book, podcast, or app for aspiring leaders: I have two “go to” podcasts that I always learn something from: How I Built This with Guy Raz and also with Guy Raz, Wisdom from the Top.

What recent project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of? The camaraderie that exists in our company is inspiring. We have an amazing team who is driven to meet our goals. We recently celebrated 15 years in business. Our team came together for different fun activities that culminated with a large party at Encore. It was rewarding looking back over 15 years at where we started and the impact, we have been able to have on our team, clients, and the communities we serve through our volunteering and charitable contributions. 

What was one of your biggest challenges as a leader and how did you overcome it? Leading through the early pandemic was a unique challenge. Like with everything else in our business, we were transparent with our team about what we knew and didn’t know. We formed a task force and leaned into the few resources that were available to learn as much as possible. We were vigilant about communicating to and educating our team. This allowed them to support our clients with confidence and provide deeper levels of customer service. 

What makes this nominee an Industry Leader? “Karen challenges us all to push the boundaries of excellence in customer service and goal setting. She is willing to roll up her sleeves to support our team both in the office and in the field. She values overall work ethic and problem solving. Karen makes sure to acknowledge those who continue to challenge themselves to achieve new personal bests.” - Craig Pietz, Vice President of Operations at City Wide of Boston.