This Hartland woman describes how she got respect in the male-dominated steel industry
When Hartland's Sally Cianciolo, foundry sales manager for Heraeus Electro-Nite, went on one of her first sales assignments, the foundry owner greeted her with blatant skepticism.
Not only that, he repeatedly addressed her by the cringeworthy "sweetheart."
Cianciolo saw it in his eyes: He did not want her to go past the front office area where the metalwork was being done. Typically, this is where metal is melted to make castings and scrap iron, pouring molten metal into a mold, and letting it cool to solidify.
It is a "hot, noisy, dirty and dangerous environment," said Cianciolo.
Undaunted, she said, "If you give me an hour or two, and I can't help you, then you will never see me again." She went to her car to get her heavy equipment to help him, hoisted a huge, heavy box onto her shoulder and effortlessly strode back in. That did it.
"I saw his eyes pop. I could see an internal monologue going in his head," she said of his reaction to her carrying the heavy box.
Cianciolo conducted a product demonstration of a product called a thermocouple, a device that uses temperature-dependent voltage, and showed him the best practices on how to use it.
She won him over; she got the account, he insisted that only she handles his company's account, and he is still a loyal customer, Cianciolo said.
'You have to work hard to get yourself in the door'
Cianciolo, 48, has worked her way up in different roles since she graduated from Arrowhead High School in 1994. She was a marketing intern in college. She did purchasing. She was in customer service.
In 1999, she donned work boots, jeans, a hard hat and fire-resistant protective clothing and became the company's first saleswoman for MINCO, which Heraeus Electro-Nite acquired in 2012.
"Females were a rarity in the industry. You have to work hard to get yourself in the door," she said.
Less than 20% of people in the steel industry are women according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As a woman trailblazer in the steel industry, she earned the trust and approval of many in the field and earned the name “road warrior” in her sales role working with steel foundries in the region.
"She is a power driver and a go-getter," said Jenni Theim-Roberson, inside sales manager and Cianciolo's co-worker for 30 years. "She is very much a leader. If something needs to get done, it gets done. She is kind of one of them. She gets dirty, is hands-on and will test the equipment."
How did she earn the respect as a woman in this male-dominated field?
'I saw an opportunity and went for it'
Before Cianciolo was in sales, she used her company position in customer service to learn as much about the steel industry as possible. She asked steel mill and foundry customers very detailed questions. She thrived on the opportunity to attend trade shows where she met customers face-to-face and learned the industry's basics.
She called herself a "sponge," soaking in every detail and said the customers ended up being her teachers.
While working in this customer service role, she noticed one of the sales engineers did not seem to be doing his job. "He was not getting back to customers, sending quotes and doing his job. Something was missing," she said.
This made her realize that she had a passion for that position and that she could definitely do it, she said.
She inquired to management about it, they saw she was a hard worker and gave her a chance.
"I saw an opportunity and went for it," she recalled.
Once she got the role, Cianciolo did everything she could to excel in it. She admits she was "thrown in the field," but with her experience playing competitive basketball and being a hands-on learner, she thrived on it and absorbed everything she could.
She said that going around to different foundries, including developing solutions for the workers and management to be more efficient and having a hands-on job is perfect for her. "If I sit on my desk all day, I feel like a caged animal," she said. "I like the adrenaline and the rush (of the job)."
Feeling comfortable in male-dominated situations
Being a female in a male-dominated industry, Cianciolo acknowledged that there were catcalls, inappropriate comments and even harassment, at times, when she visited different foundries. But she got used to it and does not let it get to her, she said.
She said she is comfortable making conversation and building work relationships while being the only female. As someone who competed in bodybuilding, Cianciolo said she is used to being in a gym around men. She used the same competitive spirit in her sales role as she did when she won the National Olympia for Bodybuilders in 2014.
"At the beginning, you are just trying to find your way," she said. "I can talk like one of the guys." She said she could laugh or brush off some slightly offensive comments about being a female if those comments were harmless enough.
"I don't get offended very easily," she said.
But she can put people in their place when needed. If someone asks her borderline inappropriate questions, she's responded with "Maybe you should ask your wife that question." Or, when the behavior was downright inappropriate, her response would be a fierce "Don't ever do that again."
Whatever the reason for the interaction, Cianciolo said she often gets this result: Respect.
Knowing what unique skills women can bring to the job
While wearing a hard hat and seeing mostly men at the foundries, Cianciolo said she realizes the unique skills that women bring into the workplace.
"I think women pay attention to details," she said. She said in sales, she would look over customers' accounts and see if a new product may help them be more efficient.
"Time is money," she emphasized. "I want it to benefit them." Knowing her skills makes her confident to problem-solve and to perform demonstrations in a male-dominated field.
"It is still a male-dominated field. When I feel them challenging me, there is no stopping me or showing me down. I won't stop until I get there," she said.
'Find a way through hard work'
Cianciolo said that most of her success working in a male-dominated field was due to how she was raised. Her father, Tom Cianciolo, worked until his 70s. He owned and operated a vending company, she said, and had only 20% of his heart function and could have and even should have retired early.
Cianciolo said her father loved what he did and loved providing for his family, noting that he immigrated to Milwaukee with his family from Sicily when he was young.
Cianciolo cited her father for his old-fashioned work ethic and learned from him. "You just work hard and keep working," she said. "You find a way through hard work."
"He did not want to stay home; he knew how to work," Cianciolo said of her father.
As a saleswoman, she gets up and is on the road at 4:30 a.m. and does everything she needs to be competitive. "If you want to be successful, for the company and the team, you work hard," she said.
Cianciolo would like to see more women excel in the steel industry or in male-dominated fields to do what they are passionate about.
"I think anyone can be who is the best for the job. If you want it, fight for it and go for it," she said. "Just keep working hard for it and don't let anything stop you."
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy.
More: Manufacturing remains a male-dominated profession. Here's how local employers hope to change that.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hartland woman thriving in male-dominated steel industry
