Part of being a good corporate citizen is identifying how a company can take cues from best practices gleaned not only at a local level, but worldwide as well. While that may sound idealistic, Allison Kern can attest from personal experience how a neighbor from the east, as in Far East, can set the tone for a global provider.
The senior specialist for CSR and internal engagement for Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Kern spent four months training at the company’s global headquarters in Tokyo. She was tasked with helping assemble the company’s global CSR report, an experience she found enlightening.
“I had the opportunity to travel around Japan and witness the various types of CSR activities the company participates in, from employee volunteer events to plants where eco-friendly products were being developed,” said Kern, a 2020 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “This experience allowed me to see how important CSR is at a global company and how we can truly create a positive impact on our society.”
Kern devises programs and initiatives that enable Konica Minolta to resonate with employees, customers and society beyond a product and service scope. As such, Kern runs the point on fostering philanthropic endeavors for Konica Minolta’s branches and provide insight on creative ways they give back to their respective communities.
A University of Hartford graduate who studied art history, criticism and conservation, Kern has always been fascinated by visual art, photography and technology. In Konica Minolta, a company with a rich history in imaging and creativity, she found a kindred spirit. During her 10-plus years with the firm, Kern’s duties have expanded beyond CSR reporting to include developing and running CSR and employee engagement programming.
Kern derives satisfaction from connecting employees with their community through volunteering. “Assembling teams of volunteers and watching how enthusiastic they are to serve the community and bring their individual skillset and ideas to a task is great to see,” she said. “Volunteering not only helps support important community causes, but I really believe it forms stronger teams and develops critical thinking skills by being faced with tasks outside of your routine/daily activities.”
Open Mind
One of the strengths behind Kern’s value proposition is being open to new ideas, a product of her willingness to listen to others, which serves her well in both business and life. “There’s always room to improve on whatever you’re doing and running successful programs or creating impact requires a commitment to continued learning and openness to viewing things from other perspectives,” Kern added.
Among those supplying a wealth of ideas is the marketing communications team at Konica Minolta, and Kern has enjoyed the tutelage of Director Stacey Sujeebun, who encourages team members to try new things while taking a novel approach to challenges. Through this, Kern has found that creativity is important in every facet of life.
One of the watershed moments for Kern in 2019 was the company’s partnership with the National Kidney Foundation as a national walk team sponsor. The year-long program drew 200 employees, and Konica Minolta’s teams raised $148,000 for the cause. The initiative included raffles, awareness days and sign-up events throughout the year. The Konica Minolta team also put together a fun Halloween video and donated money to the Foundation for every view the video received.
In 2020, Kern and her team are working on expanding the employee volunteering program to draw in more nationwide employee participation, and she will be rolling out a list of exciting activities later in the year.
For Kern, it’s all about being open to change and continuous learning. “Given the current circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m sure there will be so many new ways to approach CSR and internal engagement in the future and I will continue to learn and adapt to make sure our programs and continuously improving,” she said.
Kern and her fiancé live in Western Massachusetts with their two cats. They have an October wedding planned. She loves absorbing all the outdoors has to offer and enjoys filming/photographing it. Aside from music and playing guitar, she also enjoys her new hobby, birdwatching.
