Karen Puckett, executive vice president and chief operating officer for CenturyLink, visited the University of Louisiana at Monroe to speak in recognition of National Women’s History Month Wednesday night.
March is National Women’s History Month. The purpose of this dedication is to celebrate the generations of women whose accomplishments and nature have proved important to society.
Puckett said to the crowd, “We always want to feel like we are creating an impact, right?”
The crowd stared at her with curious faces. Several faculty members and students questioned Puckett about the key to her success and how to stay focused. How could a woman be in an executive position that is known for mostly men?
The first International Women’s Day took place in 1911. The idea expanded to National Women’s History Month in 1987.
Puckett feels that women should not be discouraged just because of their gender.
Today many women are CEOs and executives of multi-billion dollar companies such as: Facebook, Yahoo!, Oracle and more. These women continue to shape our future and build a foundation for generations to come.
“To achieve the goal I wanted, I had to set high expectations for myself,” Puckett said.
CenturyLink is a company based out of Monroe, which gives ULM students a great connection to start a career in the area. The vision CenturyLink has is to improve lives, strengthen businesses and connect communities by delivering advanced technology and solutions with honest and personal service. CenturyLink is the third largest telecommunications company in the country.
Freshman English major Leslie Brown said, “She [Puckett] presented the company very well to the audience. She explained how attitude is important in the workplace, which is something I think is vital for success.”
The advice Puckett gives to students is to begin by contemplating the lifestyle you want to live, become accountable for your actions and work in an environment that supports your values.
While in college, students should focus on classes like science, math and marketing to build their foundation in the business world. Puckett encourages young and old people to reach out to someone who they believe does the job well and learn from their accomplishments.
“The best advice she [Puckett] gave is to stay positive about life and to always think ahead for your future,” said Maria Antunes, a sophomore general business major.
Puckett has held the position of CEO for 12 years at CenturyLink. Altogether, Puckett has spent 32 years in the telecommunications industry. She is a wife and mother of two children.
“Just remember that if you cannot control your future, you can always influence it,” Puckett said.
