Kaye C. Lindsey, CPCU California Operations Vice President State Farm Insurance Companies State Farm has supported Leadership California since 1995, with 35 alumnae and current class members in the California Issues and Trends program, and has provided generous financial support. Kaye Lindsey was chosen to accept the Corporate Leader Award on behalf of State Farm at Leadership California’s Legacy of Leadership Awards Dinner, on May 4, 2009 in Los Angeles. State Farm Gives a Hand Up the Ladder for Women By Carol Caley   Kaye Lindsey needed a job. With a husband relocated to Southern California with the military, she needed to establish roots in a new community. At the time, she could not have imagined ending up in a lifetime career. Out looking for work one day with her AA degree in hand, she got lost on the “She saw a sign posting a job: switch-board operator.” State Farm property in San Diego. She saw a sign posting a job: switchboard operator. She applied and got the job. That was thirty-seven years ago. Now California Operations Vice President of State Farm Insurance Companies, Kaye started out with a short-term goal. “I had a humble beginning,” she said, “but it wasn’t long before I found opportunities” to develop her talents. As she worked her way up, she went back to school, aided by State Farm’s tuition reimbursement program, eventually earning a degree in business management. She followed up with a law degree. “That one was on my own nickel,” she said, but still possible because of the jump-start she had received early on. A Supportive Environment As Kaye moved into to higher management positions, she credited the company’s environment of support, including an executive board of sponsors—all men—who showed her the ropes and encouraged her moves within the company. “Today, we would call them mentors—that’s the buzzword now,” she chuckled. “You can have big dreams.” “The company has the right environment of support—positive. It’s a climate that allows people to demonstrate their abilities, where people can feel good about what they’re doing. They can excel. They can be recognized.” A move to corporate headquarters in Bloomington, IL brought her an assistant VP position, and a move to Concordville, PA brought her a promotion to VP-Operations. She subsequently served as Operations Vice President in the company’s Great Lakes Zone before returning to California in her current position. Leading the Way Up Within the company, State Farm offers seminars and workshops for female leaders, including its California Conference Board for Women, which offers so-called “first-line” women in management a chance to compete for top leadership positions. The Partnership, Passion & Power program—“PPP”—is a guest-speaker program for women at all levels. The Black Enterprise Women’s Summit—open to company women of all races—offers a supportive environment for discussions on leadership and inclusiveness. State Farm also has a Supplier Diversity program that encourages women-owned and minority-owned businesses to work with the company. Most programs for leadership development within State Farm are open to both genders, such as the Enterprise Leadership Development Workshop for all employees, a Leadership Academy for managers, and a special Development Group, where VPs work in pairs to coach and mentor groups of individuals who are on their way to management positions. Reverse Mentoring Kaye is proud of a volunteer mentoring program that she designed and headed, which has since become a key element of trainings companywide. The program encourages both mentoring and “reverse mentoring,” where newer employees counsel those hired years ago, as a way of bringing a fresh outlook to projects and to provide a sense of purpose and involvement to new hires. Giving Back Kaye pointed out that State Farm has a long-standing commitment to community service, with its women leaders serving on 68 nonprofit boards throughout California. “It’s important for us to give back to communities and the people the company serves,” Kaye said. She is a board member of the Los Angeles Urban League, which works to improve high school graduation rates and develops childcare solutions for the community. Honors Kaye noted that among State Farm’s many honors for corporate leadership, The National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) named the company one of the Top 30 Companies for Executive Women in 2008. “I’m proud to work for a company that takes pride in developing its female executives,” she said. “The company recognizes you for who you are. For me, starting off as a switchboard operator, it’s been a positive experience. Success is what you make of it—you can have big dreams.”