Ingredients for a Best Place to Work: At Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887), the culture starts at the top. Senior Vice President of Marketing Mary Furto, who came to the company after 20 years in marketing, says CEO and Counselor Power 50 member Neil Ringel’s commitment to his people is what drew her in – and what’s kept her there. “It’s not about managing up,” she says. “It’s about truly caring about the development of employees.” Ringel set the tone early; during her first 90-day board presentation, he made sure she walked in prepared and knew she wasn’t on her own. “I always know he has my back,” she says. It’s a feeling she’s deliberately passed down to her own 40-person team, stepping in when needed but making sure they own their work and get credit for it.

PCNA (asi/66887) employees gather annually to plant fruit trees in underserved communities, in partnership with Tree Pittsburgh and The Giving Grove.

That investment in people shows up in how PCNA develops talent. Furto spotted that one of her art department employees, who placed logos on products, had a passion for photography. She helped him move into the company’s photography and videography team. “Being able to be at a company that helps facilitate those kinds of cross-department moves, both within and outside of marketing has been really rewarding,” Furto says.

Top Benefits & Perks: Every member of PCNA’s marketing team has a ChatGPT license, part of Furto’s push to keep the team up-to-date. Their initiatives also show dedication to their communities. Branch Out, now in its third year, is a program where employees from across the company gather at the company headquarters to plant fruit trees in underserved neighborhoods, in partnership with Tree Pittsburgh and The Giving Grove.

Parting Tip: “I always want the team to feel like we’re learning and growing and evolving,” Furto says, noting that giving people room to pursue their interests helps keep teams engaged and invested.

If PCNA Were a Movie, It Would Be Moneyball. Furto says she sees parallels to the film in PCNA technology investments. “We’re leading the industry through innovation in tech and data and thinking differently to help our distributors win,” she says.