Kathleen "Kathy" Mazzarella has been the Chief Executive and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of Graybar Electric Co. since June 1, 2012. In addition, she has been the Chairman of Graybar Electric Co. since January 1, 2013. As of May 2020, she is one of only 37 women CEOs of the Fortune 500. Mazzarella started with Graybar in 1980 as a

customer service representative Customer service representatives, customer service advisors, customer service agents, or customer service associates interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and servic ...

. She progressed through various sales positions and then moved to field

sales management Sales management is a business discipline which is focused on the practical application of sales techniques and the management of a firm's sales operations. It is an important business function as net sales through the sale of products and ...

roles. Soon after her first management assignment, Mazzarella was promoted to National Product Manager, and later served in other executive-level positions. She was named

executive vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

and

chief operating officer A chief operating officer or chief operations officer, also called a COO, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization, composing part of the " C-suite". The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm, especially if ...

in 2010 and president and CEO in 2012. She was named chairman of the board of directors in 2013.

Education

Mazzarella has an

associate's degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of Tertiary education, post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelo ...

telecommunications engineering Telecommunications Engineering is a subfield of electrical engineering which seeks to design and devise systems of communication at a distance. The work ranges from basic circuit design to strategic mass developments. A telecommunication enginee ...

. She has a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in Applied Behavioral Sciences and a

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in business from

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate program ...

which she earned in 2002.

Board memberships

In January 2015, Mazzarella joined the Board of Directors of the

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that, along with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the United States' central bank. Missouri is the only state to have two main Federal Reserve Banks (Ka ...

as a Class C Director and became Deputy Chair in January 2016 and Chair in April 2016. She was elected to the

Waste Management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitorin ...

Board of Directors effective on October 1, 2015. She was elected to the Board of Express Scripts in June 2017 and joined the Board of Cigna Corporation when it merged with Express Scripts in December 2018. She was elected to the board of Core & Main LP in 2019. She also serves on the boards of Alliance STL, the Saint Louis Club and the Webster University Business and Technology Advisory Board. In July 2016, she became an active member of

The Business Council The Business Council is an organization of business leaders headquartered in Washington, D.C.International Women's Forum The International Women's Forum (IWF), founded in 1974 as the Women's Forum of New York, is an invitation-only women's organization with some 7,000 members. Its mission is "to support the women leaders of today and tomorrow". The IWF hosts two con ...

, The Committee of 200, The American Cancer Society's CEOs Against Cancer of Missouri and Civic Progress.

Awards and recognition

Mazzarella's business achievements and community involvement helped her earn several recognitions, including the St. Louis “40 Under 40” award in 2000 and the “Most Influential Businesswomen in St. Louis” award in 2004. Her views on human resources strategy were included as a chapter i
Inside the Minds
a book featuring interviews with top HR practitioners across the United States. She was also featured as one of the “Women Worth Watching in 2010” in the September/October 2009 issue of Profiles in Diversity Journal. Mazzarella has been the driving force behind the establishment of a women's networking group at Graybar and in promoting careers for women in the wholesale distribution industry. In 2011, she received the Outstanding Alumna Award from the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University. In 2014, Mazzarella was recognized by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis as one of its distinguished women in leadership. In 2015, she earned the Women in Industry Trailblazer Award from the National Association of Electrical Distributors and was recognized as a Leader of Distinction by the YWCA of Metro St. Louis. In 2019, she was honored as a Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazzarella, Kathleen Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies 21st-century American businesspeople Webster University alumni American women chief executives American chief executives of energy companies 21st-century American businesswomen