Kim Bassett-Heitzmann
By Caley Clinton • Feb 1st, 2010 • Category: Burning Questions
Photo by David Wasinger
Kim Bassett-Heitzmann
Kim Bassett-Heitzmann had to overcome three major challenges to get to where she is today: being a woman in a male-dominated industry, proving herself at her family’s company and changing careers midstream.
The president and newly elected chief executive officer of Bassett Inc., Kaukauna, started out as a speech pathologist. But after a few years, Bassett-Heitzmann said, she realized it just wasn’t for her, and she decided to seriously consider the family business.
Bassett Inc. was founded by Bassett-Heitzmann’s great uncle in 1936, and her father, Bill Bassett, took over in 1974. As the third-generation leader, Bassett-Heitzmann said she felt she had to prove herself more because of her family connections.
“I didn’t want to be one of those cases where, because you have the name, they put you in a role,” she said. “All eyes are on you. You have to prove yourself.”
She worked her way up the ladder, starting out in sales in 1996 and later serving in the field as an estimator, project manager, sales manager and, eventually, executive.
“I took the full journey,” Bassett-Heitzmann said.
The fact that she is one of few female executives — she said it was “noticeable” she was the only woman in the boardroom — has been less of an issue, she said, because she grew up in the business and knows the employees well.
“I just try to do the best job I can do,” she said. “You can’t make everyone happy.”
We presented Bassett-Heitzmann with another challenge: answering this month’s Burning Questions.
What word in the English language do you wish you had invented?
Fabulous. I love everything that this word stands for: extraordinary, amazing, wonderful, tremendous.
What is your greatest extravagance?
While in Italy in 2000, I bought a sculpture from a Murano glass factory that was beyond my budget
at the time. Today, my greatest extravagance is finding ‘me’ time.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Absolutely. Fabulous.
What is your most treasured possession?
The scrapbooks I’ve created with pictures of my children
What trait do you most like in others?
‘Can do’ attitude and honesty
What book is sitting on your nightstand?
10-10-10 by Suzy Welch
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Caley Clinton is the editor of Wisconsin Builder magazine. You can follow Caley and Wisconsin Builder magazine on Twitter for daily links, news and more.
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