Influential Woman · Packaging

Michelle Witherspoon

Key Account Manager, Mauser Packaging Solutions

Summerville, SC

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Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Member Petroleum Packaging Council (PPC)

Her Story

About Michelle

With 30 years of experience in the packaging industry, I have dedicated 28 years to my current company, where I have served as a Global Key Account Manager for the past 6 years. My expertise centers on industrial packaging and managing large, complex customer relationships. In my role, I coordinate between teams and plants, manage customer needs and contracts, and focus on tying teams together by aligning our organizational goals with our customers' organizational goals. Before becoming a Global Key Account Manager, I worked as a Regional Sales Manager. I entered this field somewhat by accident when I moved to Charleston and needed work quickly. I went through a temporary employment agency and started from the bottom, working my way up through hands-on experience. What has truly shaped me is learning by doing and, honestly, failing, because when you fail, you gain so much more knowledge and learning experiences.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Michelle

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to people. It's really that simple - people are what have made the difference in my career and achievements.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I've received is to be a person of your word. That's the most important thing. Nothing else matters. I mean, if you're a person of your word, everything else falls into place.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say know your worth and be independent. Confidence comes from action, so you have to take those steps. And this isn't just for women, but understand that failure is not a reflection of your value. You will mess up, you'll get rejected - that's normal. Just change direction when you need to. It's all part of the journey.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think every year comes with a new challenge, whether it's COVID, the Middle East conflict, or supply chain issues - there have been so many I can't even count them all. Each year presents something new to navigate. As for opportunities, I think there are lots of them. There are opportunities for growth, opportunities to move into different roles. They're almost kind of endless, really.

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 being honest, transparent, fair, and kind. I also believe strongly in being accountable - that's essential to how I operate in everything I do.

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