Her Story
About Erica
Erica Parks serves as President & CEO of CBE Companies, Inc., a global business process outsourcing organization providing customer engagement, contact center, technology, data, analytics, fraud, and identity solutions. Since joining CBE in 2013, Erica has advanced through a series of leadership roles, including Director of Finance & Controller, Vice President of Finance, and Chief Financial Officer, before being named President & CEO.
A licensed CPA in the State of Iowa, Erica earned her bachelor’s degree in Accounting, minor in Finance, from the University of Northern Iowa and her Executive MBA from the University of Iowa. As the first in her family to attend college and earn a graduate degree, she worked her way through school while building on the strong values, work ethic, and foundation instilled in her growing up in rural Iowa.
Throughout her career, Erica has built a reputation as a decisive, people-centered leader with an ability to simplify complexity, communicate with clarity, and lead organizations through growth, transformation, and change. Her career has spanned traditionally male-dominated industries, including manufacturing, financial services, technology, and business process outsourcing. She has been recognized as Call Center Outsourcing CEO of the Year by Acquisition International and inducted into the University of Northern Iowa Women in Business Hall of Fame.
Erica remains actively engaged in the business and professional community through the Chief Executive Network and CEO100 Group and maintains affiliations with the American Institute of CPAs and the Iowa Society of CPAs. She also serves on the Wilson College of Business Executive Advisory Board at the University of Northern Iowa, the Grow Cedar Valley Board, and the Cedar Valley United Way Finance Committee.
Beyond her professional career, Erica is deeply committed to her family and community. Alongside her husband, who founded All About the Kids, Erica serves as its Founding Treasurer that helped formally establish the organization as a 501(c)(3), dedicated to creating opportunities, mentorship, and support for young people. Together, they are also small-business owners.
At the center of Erica’s life and leadership is her Christian faith. She credits her accomplishments to God’s direction throughout her journey and to the foundation provided by her family. As a mother of two daughters, she is motivated by the opportunity to build upon that foundation and give the next generation a starting point further down the road—believing that her daughters can take what has been built for them and go further than she ever could.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Erica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success, ultimately, to my faith in God. I was the first in my family to earn a master’s degree. Growing up in rural Iowa, my parents made sure we always had what mattered most. They gave me a strong foundation, taught me the value of hard work, and helped shape the faith and determination that have carried me throughout my life.
I worked my way through college, and looking back now, I can see God’s hand in every part of that journey—using each challenge, opportunity, and person along the way to prepare me for what was ahead.
Today, as a mother of two daughters, one of my greatest motivations is to build on the foundation my parents gave me and give my girls a starting point even further down the road. My hope is that they take everything we’ve been able to build, make it their own, and go further than I ever could.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to slow down and resist the urge to be the smartest person in the room. If you can't explain an idea in a way that everyone can understand, you're better off listening more than speaking. Success in communication isn't about proving what you know — it's about how you say it and making sure everyone in the room is following along with you.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to stay true to yourself. Be authentic from the very start of your career so that you can show up consistently, in the same way, whether you're at work or at home. That consistency is what builds trust and credibility over time.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Industries like manufacturing and financial services have historically been male-dominated, but I'm seeing real improvement. Certain areas within financial services and fintech, in particular, are moving toward better gender balance, and I view that shift as a meaningful opportunity for change within my field.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Faith, family, hard work, and serving others are at the core of who I am and how I strive to live and lead. Authenticity is also incredibly important to me—I want to be the same person whether I’m at home, at work, or in my community. I believe in working hard, doing what you say you’re going to do, and having the grit to keep going when things get hard. For me, success isn’t just about what you accomplish financially or professionally. It’s about the impact you have on people, the relationships you build along the way, and being able to look back knowing you stayed true to your faith, your values, and who you are, even when things get difficult.
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