60 Seconds With Liz Richards, CEO or the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA)

Liz Richards

• Title: CEO
• Company: Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA)
• Location: Wauconda, Ill.
• Experience: 28 years leading MHEDA

Modern: There’s a story going around that you’re retiring at the end of 2023. Congratulations! Let’s talk about the past first. How did you wind up at MHEDA?

Richards: In 1994 I got a call from Tony Colletti, who had been hired to succeed Dan Reilly, MHEDA’s CEO for 25 years. The only trouble was I knew nothing about materials handling. Nothing. In fact, I was working as the building director at a retirement community. And we didn’t even have a lift truck.

However, I was told none of that should hold me back, that I had the right qualities. So, I interviewed and they offered me the job. I almost didn’t take it. But, to be honest, it was my mother, she’s now 96, who said “you’d be crazy not take the job.” Turns out, Mom was right.

By the way, my successor, Jeannette Walker, takes over January 1, and she, too, has all the right qualities. I expect she will have a long run here, too.

Modern: So, you’ve been at the helm of MHEDA for 28 years in a time when the average CEO in America barely lasts 7 years. Clearly, you understand the soul of MHEDA. What’s your secret?

Richards: There’s no secret. We have an internal mission statement that I follow every day. It has three points: Serve members; serve each other; have fun. MHEDA staff is all about service. It works because we all care deeply about MHEDA and about each other. It’s very personal.

Those three points are the basis for something we’ve created called the MHEDA Way. It has 28 fundamentals.

Top of the list is “do the right thing, always.” The final item is “have fun.” In between are points such as “help the team succeed,” “celebrate success,” and “invest in relationships.”

None of the 28 are out of the ordinary, and all are very doable. And they don’t just exist on a folded pocket guide. Each week, one team member writes about one fundamental, and this weekly insight is shared within our organization. But most importantly, we live it every day.

Modern: So, you lead a staff of 10. And all are women. Was that by design?

Richards: Not really. We did have a male on the staff in the early days when there were just four of us. But ever since he left, this has been an all-female staff. That kind of evolved rather than being by design.

As we built the team, we looked for people who wanted to collaborate and build relationships, who are open to having ideas challenged and willing to support other people’s good ideas. As it turned out, we found a team of women who are able and willing to work that way. And it’s paid off for MHEDA and its members.

Over time, we’ve also built out a MHEDA event called Women in Industry. This annual conference gives women in materials handling a voice and platform to express themselves, influence others and build upon their careers. We had 110 women at the event this month, our largest so far.

Modern: Sounds like a conference with a future. As to your future, what’s next since retirement is different for everyone?

Richards: I am looking forward (perhaps selfishly) to “me time.” I have been the primary caregiver for aging parents and recently lost my only sibling to cancer. Combining caregiving with a demanding career has taken a lot out of me, and my husband has been a tremendous supporter. We are both excited for the time we will have to enjoy the life we have built together.