Never one to think in terms of five-year plans, Courtney Slata did not see her path to leadership upfront, but she did have a plan for success. Slata, who is now a vice president of solution architecture at Odessa, has always focused on how to do the best she can at whatever she does while learning from her failures and figuring out how to do better the next time around for herself and others. Slata is also comfortable living in what she calls a “world of gray” because it allows her to be flexible and take on opportunities that are thrown her way rather than only ones that fit within a black and white plan.

At Odessa, Slata leads key professional service teams at the company’s headquarters and focuses on designing departmental initiatives as well as providing project and career guidance to support employee growth. Slata says each project she has worked on has taught her something new about the equipment finance industry and she always shares those lessons with her team. “I’m most proud of the reusable artifacts I’ve created that help the job be easier for the next person,” Slata says, noting she remains dedicated to helping businesses meet the challenges they face in the leasing environment.

Slata believes success requires you to know where to draw boundaries and ensure that you prioritize non-work items the same way you prioritize those from work. She says it is easy to take things in our lives for granted, but she always keeps in mind that things can change in an instant.

“My kids make it easy to find that balance, as I know I really only get 18 years with them and I want to be a part of it,” Slata says.