By Regina Stracqualursi ’15
UPS Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Solutions Kate Strang Gutmann ’90 spoke to a standing-room only crowd inside Siena College’s Maloney Great Room on Friday. Gutmann returned to her alma mater to deliver an engaging speech about ethics in business during this year’s Lewis Golub Executive Lecture.
Gutmann’s speech titled, “The Business of Ethics: Why We Need a New Ethical Framework,” focused on the necessity of trust and integrity for long-term growth in a business.
As a native of Troy, Gutmann graduated from Siena College in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Her career began during her senior year of college when she accepted an internship with UPS. From that starting point, Gutmann grew with UPS, taking on increased responsibilities and challenges along the way.
At UPS, Gutmann has served as the president of worldwide sales and was responsible for the company’s iShip, Inc. and ConnectShip, Inc. subsidiaries. She also worked as the vice president of marketing for the UPS Europe region where she supervised the development of UPS rates and services for more than 100 countries.
Having spent a significant amount of time within a large corporation, Gutmann shared some of the ethical dilemmas she has faced and explained to students how to properly address those situations. Ultimately, she stressed the importance of maintaining integrity, even if that results in the loss of money and customers, because in the long run, acting ethically will better serve the company.
“You’ve got to know where your moral compass is,” said Gutmann.
In her address, Gutmann also reflected on how a Franciscan, liberal arts education influenced her success at UPS and encouraged students to choose a workplace with the same ethical framework upon graduation.
“You have a good foundation. You have it built within,” said Gutmann. “You just have to keep watering it in the hope that it flourishes.”
Gutmann’s career success serves as a shining example of hard work and perseverance paying off. Several students were eager to learn how she was able to work her way up in such a successful, global company.
“I am super excited to graduate in the next two years because it just goes to show how great a Siena degree is,” added accounting major Travis Brodbeck ’17.
Fellow accounting major Matt Fortin ’15 chose to attend Gutmann’s lecture when he learned that she was a Siena graduate with a high ranking position in such a large company. “It makes me confident that I can have a successful career knowing that I studied at the same school,” he said.
Sponsored by the School of Business, the Lewis Golub Executive Lecture Series brings business executives to Siena College to speak to students and faculty about ethics in relation to businesses principles and practices. It was established in honor of philanthropist and food industry visionary Lewis Golub ’53.
