Her Story
About Mary
Mary Thomas serves as a Corporate Communications Specialist III at CF Industries, a position she has held for more than eight years. In this role, she specializes in storytelling through interviews, video production and editing, podcasting, and written communications. Her work focuses on motivating safety, collaboration, and long-term decision-making while amplifying the voices and experiences of underrepresented individuals. Through her communications efforts, Thomas helps connect employees to the company’s mission and to one another through compelling, authentic storytelling.
Thomas brings a diverse background in theater, speech, film, education, and corporate communications to her work. Her interest in storytelling began in high school through theater and speech and continued through her study of film, including hands-on experience physically cutting film after college. She later taught literature, poetry, and film at both the high school and college levels. Her creative development also included Second City courses in comic memoir writing and improvisation. After transitioning into a customer support role in the corporate environment, a mentor in sales encouraged her to pursue communications, allowing her to combine her creativity with emerging digital tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro and develop her expertise as a visual storyteller.
Throughout her career, Thomas has earned 11 professional awards, including recognition for Best Interview Series for a project featuring scholarship recipients and Best Humorous Video for a return-to-office initiative. She attributes her success to her passion for the storytelling process and her genuine curiosity about the truths people share through their roles, beliefs, experiences, and interests. Her background in film, theater, and education has helped her develop a creative vision that continues to shape her work. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Thomas participates in church discussion groups focused on promoting inclusion and fostering a more welcoming community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my passion for storytelling and my genuine curiosity about the truths people are willing to share about their roles, beliefs, experiences, and interests. My background in film, theater, and education has helped me develop a strong creative vision, which continues to serve me well as a visual storyteller and communications professional.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received has been to value education, remain open to learning, and continue developing myself throughout my career. My father was an important influence in this regard and encouraged me to recognize the value of education, ultimately inspiring me to earn three degrees. I have also been fortunate to learn from influential mentors and creative role models, including filmmakers such as Chloé Zhao and Quentin Tarantino, whose unique approaches to storytelling have inspired my own creative vision. In my current career, the head of sales has been a particularly supportive mentor, encouraging me to become more visible, share my work with confidence, and recognize the value of my contributions.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage young women entering the communications industry to trust their creative instincts, continue developing their skills, and remain open to unexpected career opportunities. My own career has shown me that experience in the arts, education, and other seemingly unrelated fields can become a valuable advantage when combined with strong communication and storytelling skills. I would also encourage women to remain curious, embrace new technologies, and have confidence in the unique perspectives and experiences they bring to their work.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is ensuring that diverse voices are genuinely included in corporate storytelling, particularly within traditionally male-dominated industries. At the same time, advances in video, podcasting, and digital communications are creating exciting opportunities to tell more personal, authentic, and engaging stories. I believe communicators play an important role in building workplace culture, encouraging collaboration, and helping employees feel seen and represented. As communications continues to evolve, I see tremendous potential to use new technologies and creative storytelling approaches to connect people in more meaningful ways.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are creativity, inclusion, education, authenticity, and connection. I believe storytelling has the power to help people feel seen, foster greater understanding across different backgrounds and experiences, and strengthen workplace culture. I value continuous learning and personal growth, as well as the ability to build genuine connections with others through shared experiences and meaningful communication.
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