Wendy C. Shiba has ventured into many areas of law. She has clerked for Justice Stanley Mosk on the Supreme Court of California, worked in the Los Angeles and New York offices of O’Melveny & Myers, and was an associate professor at Temple University School of Law and an arbitrator for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.
“The progression of jobs that I have had has prepared me to assume my current role,” says Shiba. As senior vice president, chief legal officer and secretary of PolyOne Corporation, a leading global polymer services company headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio, Shiba has found that being in-house is rewarding because it means being involved with the operations of the business and at the front-end of decision-making.
“So, for instance, if we are looking to grow the company,” explains Shiba, “we might be exploring various acquisitions, and when you are part of management, you’re on the team that is developing the company’s forward strategy and identifying possible prospects.”
“Now that I am chief legal officer at PolyOne, my responsibility is broader than just law,” says Shiba, who is in charge of the legal, internal audit, and environmental, health and safety departments.
Her legal department of five attorneys handles a broad range of practice areas, including intellectual property, employment and labor law, and commercial contracts. The team also supervises outside counsel for litigation and major corporate transactions. Many of Shiba’s day-to-day responsibilities depend on the company’s business cycle and the calendar for the corporation. For example, she might be dealing with an environmental matter, SEC disclosure questions, or management or board of director meetings.
Shiba states that others who might be interested in following a similar career path should “pursue excellence in all that you do; always take the high road and never burn a bridge. These sound trite, but I have seen people benefit from that kind of behavior and I have seen people crater by failing to adhere to it.”
She also sees these tenets at play in the legal arena. “Crafting a mutually acceptable solution,” Shiba notes, “is often better than winning.”
One challenge to getting the ideal in-house position that Shiba has discovered is the need to relocate. “I have relocated several times in my career, and I have known people who for various reasons have been unwilling or unable to relocate and, because of that, have lost out on advancement opportunities,” she notes. “So my flexibility and willingness to move has always held me in good stead. I have crossed the continent; I have worked on the East Coast and the West Coast, in South Carolina and now in Ohio. And, each one of those moves has been to advance my career,” Shiba relates.
The leadership qualities that Shiba has brought to the table include a strong work ethic, a commitment to results, being a good team player, taking responsibility, and being accountable. “I have very strong principles and values. I have strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills and, finally, flexibility and adaptability.”
That is not to say that Shiba’s life is only focused on work, although, “Work/life balance has always been a challenge for me,” admits Shiba, “because of my makeup. I have a very high capacity and tolerance for long hours, and I have always thrown myself into my work. And because that is my natural bent, I have to impose discipline.”
“There are two key factors that have helped me maintain some balance,” Shiba reveals. “I have always made a point to commit a portion of my time and energy to community service. That reinvigorates me, and is an important part of who I am and what I do. I also try to focus on quality time with my husband. Golf is our passion and our favorite pastime. That brings us together and makes me feel that I have that balance.”
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From the July/August 2006 issue of Diversity & The Bar®