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This is much I know...with Stephanie Marks

Words and Images: Thom Walton

Stephanie Marks has been with Finlays Solutions since 2015 and is Director of Quality Assurance based in Glenview. Here she shares her thoughts on the importance of curiosity, the power of positive thinking, and how you can learn from anyone.

Get out and see the world. Studying abroad in London at the age of 20 gave me my first taste of true independence and I loved it. Even just figuring out exchange rates, grocery shopping and how to get around without a car made me feel like I was truly out on my own. Once you’ve had that, it stays with you.

Not all who wander are lost. 18-year-old me (who wanted to be a lawyer) would be both surprised and proud to see where I am today. I didn’t plan to get into food and beverage or Quality – but here I am and I love it.

Sometimes, you just have to jump in. My whole career has felt like one baptism of fire after another – and I like that. I’ve always been eager to learn, curious and keen to just jump in and figure something out. I get a real sense of pride in getting to the other side and thinking, “yes, I did it!”.

You can learn from anyone. I’ve had amazing mentors over the years. Bob Becker taught me everything I know about Quality and I’ve learned a huge amount from my boss Jenny Dresse in the last year or so. I’ve also learnt a huge amount from people younger than me and some of the best ideas I’ve heard have come from people on the plant floor. That’s taught me to take a minute, look around and try not to judge, because the answers you need could come from anywhere.

Find the positive spin. My parents instilled in me the importance of being positive and trying to be a good person from a young age. I like to find little positive actions I can day to day, every day. We spend a lot of time at work and it’s important to think “how do I make things better for the people I work with” and “how can we collaborate closely?”.

Being a systems thinker and a people person is a great combination. I love understanding how all the pieces fit together, figuring out where something has gone wrong and how I can fix it. But I’m also a people person, and I’ve learned that the best solutions usually come from listening to the people closest to the work. That combination matters in the world of Quality, because it’s not just about processes on paper — it’s about people, trust and getting everyone invested in making things better.

Clear is kind. As a self-professed people pleaser, I sometimes find difficult conversations hard. One of the best things a coworker (Chelsea Howe) ever taught me was that “clear is kind”. You can give uncomfortable feedback and still be kind, and if you’re doing it because you care, then it’s the right thing to do.

Personal relationships = trust. A huge part of this job is building relationships before there’s ever a problem, especially with customers. If you’ve taken the time to get to know each other as people, then when it hits the fan and you have to make that call, it’s not just some corporate voice saying, “Hey, we messed up” — there’s trust there. And when you’re transparent, honest, people are a lot more willing to work through it with you.

Life’s too short to take yourself too seriously. I’m a goofball at heart and my kids think I’m ridiculous. I’m the one who dances in this grocery store when my favorite song comes on. At work, Quality is a serious business and it can be intense, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, and find moments of connection.

It’s about people, trust and getting everyone invested in making things better.”