Dani Cook Barrows
VP, Operations & Support
Trinity Industries
Dani Cook Barrows is proof that girls can play and rule in a sandbox full of boys! Most of Dani's career has been climbing the corporate ladder in a male dominating industry. She is a personal friend as well as a mentor for me which is why I am selecting her to be a spotlight for women in manufacturing.
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- Nathalie Keeling
Please briefly summarize your career
I’m in my 27th year with Trinity Industries / TrinityRail. We are the nation’s leading manufacturer of railcars in North America. We provide manufacturing, maintenance, leasing, and railcar services to our customers. I’ve held a number of roles within the organization, and had an opportunity to lead some of the most significant projects the company has undertaken. The first 25 years of my career were in Corporate leading functions like Administrative Services, Security, National Accounts, Information Governance, Business Continuity and Legal Operations. Two years ago I shifted into Operations & Support.
How did you get into your current role?
When I started with Trinity, it was 1995 and I was looking to move into a larger company with more opportunities for growth. I got my foot in the door as the Executive Assistant to the VP of Technology. Three years later I was promoted into management as the Director of Administrative Services and worked my way up to Vice President of that organization. I worked hard to develop myself and remain open to opportunities. In 2018, I was promoted to VP, Deputy Administrative Officer and was asked to lead Trinity’s spin off of approximately 45% of our company. I had the honor of leading the Project Management Team for the execution of that transaction. We completed it in 9 months, which no one thought we could do simply based on size and complexity, but we had the right team to get it done. Once complete, I immediately shifted to Organizational Redesign of our business structure. Essentially we were taking an 85 year old entity and looking at what organizational structure was now right for this new version of the business post spin off. This project lasted about 18 months, and once complete, I was named VP, Operations & Support for TrinityRail. In this new structure, I have oversight of Trinity’s world headquarters location and support staff, work closely with all our facilities management teams, and intersect with every area within Production & Support. I own responsibility for Business Continuity for the operation for all locations, and function as the Chief of Staff for our EVP, Operations & Support. It’s the first time in my career I’m working every day in the Operations side of the house since spending the first 25 years managing Corporate functions…And I’m loving it!!
What are/were some of your struggles or challenges, working in manufacturing?
Manufacturing has always been a “man’s world”. Let’s be honest, it still is in many ways. Just in sheer numbers, men far exceed the number of women. Twenty seven years at the company and I feel like I’m new on the job again now that I’m in Operations. I thought I knew a lot, and I do. But I have a lot to learn! Some days you feel like you are really having to prove your value to the men you are working with who have been in the business for a long time. But then you walk into a meeting with a man you have worked with for years, and he helps everyone else in the room understand how valuable you are to the group just by the way he engages you or how he shares how your experience and how it can help this group. Every day is a good day, but those days when your male colleague helps you shine your light for the team to see are the best days. I’ve learned that we all need to help shine those lights…for ourselves, and for others who might need the help. Trinity’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion has been an important tool in helping us get to this point.
Who were some of the people that influenced you professionally?
Very early in my career I was introduced to Dick Martin, our VP Facilities at Trinity. Dick was a wealth of experience and information. He was fascinating to me because at that time most manufacturing companies were very male dominated and traditional. Mr. Martin treated me like an equal (even though I was nowhere near his equal), always asked my opinion, and really listened to what I had to say. I watched the way he treated others and I learned what I later became to know as servant leadership. He could be tough when warranted but those were few and far between. I always told myself that someday I wanted to be at the level of Dick Martin, not just in terms of title and role, but more importantly in terms of how he led and how people responded to him. While I can say today that I’m closer to that goal than ever, I always feel like I’m learning and strive to be better every day. And I hope Mr. Martin is proud of me. He was an amazing mentor to me.
How has the workplace changed for women since you first started?
I remember the days when we were required to wear skirts and pantyhose, and professional development consisted of the 20 ways to tie a neck scarf. Can we all say amen to the fact that those days are over?! I also remember the days when we celebrated service awards and ladies received necklaces and the men received lapel pins. I was wearing my $19.99 suit coat from JC Penney and I wanted that lapel pin! Now I look back and am happy to have the charm bracelet with my necklace pendants on it, and the lapel pins I’ve collected as well.
In all seriousness, I’ve seen women move from the background to the forefront, and it’s amazing! I’m proud to be a woman in leadership in one of the largest railcar manufacturing companies in the nation. I’m proud that we have a female CEO, and we have a female Chief Legal Officer! We have women in leadership in so many roles at Trinity. But we see that today across the board in companies all over the US. Women are taking the lead in Finance, HR, Legal, IT, and Operations. The C-Suite is now seeing more female leaders than ever before. Research continues to show that companies with women in leadership experience higher levels of employee engagement which equals higher returns for stakeholders. What I’m also seeing is that many of my male colleagues recognize that value as well, and they work purposefully to bring us along and to help create an inclusive and equitable workplace. We still have work to do, but progress is happening which is encouraging.
What kind of impression would you like to leave on other women in manufacturing?
Specifically at Trinity, I want the women in our organization to see that anything is possible, regardless of where you start. If you have a strong work ethic, you are open to opportunities, you are flexible/adaptable, and you operate with strong values and leadership you can always get a seat at the table. I never had to have a giant staff to get things done. There were times, even at a senior level, I managed projects or teams who didn’t technically report to me and used my leadership and influence to get the team to accomplish our goals. I never had to have a degree to get promoted. But I invested in myself mid-career and went back to school. Finishing my Bachelors, pushed me to finish my MBA. Now I’m just trying to decide when I want to start my doctorate. I’m addicted to learning. Trinity didn’t require it...I required it of myself.
What career advice do you have for other women?
Use your voice. Be your own advocate. You miss every shot you don’t take, and the answer to every question you don’t ask is always NO!
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Be brave! You’ll be proud of the chances you took, even if they weren’t successful…because you learned something in the process.
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Being professional, while being kind, is always a good place to be. When the people that work for or with you know you care about them, the possibilities are limitless!
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Don’t try to be “one of the guys”. Be the amazing women you were created to be. And be the leader people need you to be regardless of your job title. The battle of the sexes is a waste of time and you will ultimately win being you!
What are some ways you have given back to the community of women, or some ways you have made a positive influence and impact on women in manufacturing?
Trinity hosts a number of Employee Resource Groups, and the Women of Trinity is the largest and longest standing network we have today. They are a wonderful organization who continues their mission to encourage inclusiveness and connectivity for women through relationship building, professional development and knowledge sharing. I have served as a mentor for this organization and been a panel speaker in past years. Outside of the company, I am a Board Member of Design Connect Create, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping girls realize their potential in STEM and in themselves. I’d love one day to see one of the our DCC girls come to Trinity to work as a Manufacturing or Design Engineer, or a Data Scientist, or a Technologist.
What are your career goals from here, and how do you plan to reach them?
I always find this a little hard to answer. I’ve grown up at Trinity. I’ve had the benefit of so many amazing opportunities. Part of me would say, I’m only just getting started! Now that I’m in Operations, I see some challenges we are facing and I want to create solutions to lower our cost, create efficiencies, and advance the way we use technology in manufacturing from Operations leadership down to the Shop Floor. Unleashing the potential of a team is what I enjoy most. And then part of me says, it’s time to take what I’ve learned and grow our high potential workforce to be ready to be the next generation of leaders for the company. I think really the answer is both. I can continue to grow in my career and teach at the same time!