Why Sharon Fiehler’s Career Took Her to the C-Suite – But Not to CEO

Sharon Fiehler, Founder of ABC To CEO

During her 33 years at Peabody Energy, Sharon Fiehler never faced any business problem that was unsolvable. It was not until she retired that Sharon realized the one problem she had not cracked – what factors had held her back from becoming a CEO.

Before Sharon eventually became the Chief Administrative Officer at Peabody Energy, she began her Peabody career as a college recruiter. Within a year she was asked to manage the Company’s newly formed Salary Administration department, where she specifically remembers creating a folder with the heading “Salary Administration.”

“I didn’t know the first thing about what this concept even meant,” Sharon said. “After a period of training with outside consultants and going through the school of hard knocks, my team and I were able to evolve and develop some amazing new programs for the organization. By the time we got through one year, I had an office full of files. It’s just kind of funny to me that I thought one file would do it.”

Her position allowed her to interact with senior management across the entire organization, gaining exposure to all aspects of the business. “It was a great way to understand every position in the Company and how they interacted,” Sharon stated. After a few years, she found herself managing the entire HR function. And over the next several decades Sharon was asked to take on additional global disciplines including information technology, supply chain management, employee & facility security, a flight department and facilities management. Sharon added, “I enjoyed every new opportunity given to me and felt good about the chance to continue to grow and add value to the Company.”

In hindsight, Sharon realized that despite being on the cutting edge of company advancements, she had spent her entire career in “back office” functions. Although it was interesting work, she came to realize that leading in staff positions can take you to the C-Suite but not the distance to the CEO.

“As I look at people who ended up becoming CEOs of other companies,” Sharon said, “the first ten years of their careers probably looked very different than mine. And it looked different because they were more involved in answering the question ‘how is the company making money?’”

Sharon’s path, however, still took her to the C-Suite as the Chief Administrative Officer. And getting there involved many promotions and expanded levels of responsibility. She noted that although she had mentors and managers who were influential in her career and in providing the great opportunities afforded to her, not one of them ever directed her towards positions that had line responsibility – a more direct route toward becoming CEO. “And, admittedly, neither did I have the foresight to even consider asking them how I might prepare for that possibility; I was just happy to be able to get many opportunities that I had never imagained would come my way,” Sharon remarked.

Throughout her career, Sharon gained a reputation for being someone with a positive attitude about any challenge sent her way. She explained, “Senior management knew that if they asked me to do something, I would have a “can do” attitude and find a way to get it done.”

Even though Sharon may have possessed a number of the traits and skills necessary to become CEO, she now knows that decisions she made early in her career failed to direct her down the path to CEO. Through ABC to CEO, she hopes to share her wisdom with girls and young women who may not even know what a CEO is. “I want future generations of women to become aware early in their careers of the paths that may someday lead to becoming a CEO and the obstacles that can get in the way.”

As she put it, “A CEO never sees a problem as unsolvable.” Neither does Sharon Fiehler.

– By Alex Wolfe