Fierce Females in Package Printing: Ginnie Gandy — Driving Positive Transformations, Preserving Legacies

Ginnie Gandy is a business leader, who knows the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion in creating successful business. As a third-generation member of Channeled Resources Group, Ganey continues her family’s dual legacies of female leadership and representation as well as environmental stewardship and commitment to sustainability.

Gandy:
Our business is co-owned by my mom and her two sisters, which means there are three female owners. They have been great role models for me. So, there was no doubt or question of me coming into the family business.

Now, my cousins and I get to be part of something I’ve seen my mom do for as long as I’ve been alive.

Gandy:
I think that there are a lot of hype words and even some actions around DEI that are more talk than anything else. For me, DEI boils down to every voice has a seat at the table. This sounds simple, but it’s not easy because it also means giving a voice to people who, in the past, have not necessarily been passed the mic. Everybody should have a seat at the table where their voice is listened to and respected.

Gandy:
If we have a table full of people who are thinking the exact same way, we’ll be pigeonholed into one line of thinking. Having people with different backgrounds, who come at problems from different perspectives, and whose experiences with businesses are different enables organizations to deliver better outcomes. A more holistic approach comes from a diversity of perspective, and businesses are far better off with a more holistic point of view.

To expand on that, I think it's a necessity for business to have diversity in the leadership team. It’s not optional because you need other people to provide those different perspectives.

Gandy:
This is where I can offer a different perspective. Because my involvement in the industry ramped up a couple of years ago, I can still offer somewhat of an outside view.

DEI is important to the packaging industry because it’s how businesses can foster growth, agility, and innovation, and just get faster, smarter, and better. This is only possible for our industry if we have a diverse collection of people who are contributing to the packaging industry’s growth.

Gandy:
My answer is more along the lines of what I’m still overcoming to succeed. I don’t want people to just see me as a fun, young girl. I want to be taken seriously, and I’m growing my knowledge of the industry and how to better articulate and represent myself, so all people take me seriously.

Gandy:
This is a difficult question for me because I’m a fiery person in general. This means I’m passionate about a lot of things.

If we narrow the field down to causes, I’m passionate about what we’re talking about today — making sure that everyone has a seat at the table, both in business and in politics. I’m passionate about DEI in life in general.

I'm also passionate about the environment and the work that my family business and the packaging industry is doing to reduce our waste to make packaging more sustainable now and in the future.