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CEO and Co-Owner, Business Furniture
Achievements: Mary Beth Oakes has more than 30 years of experience in the change-management consulting and office furniture industries. In 2020, the pandemic caused a nearly 40% loss in revenue at Business Furniture. Four years later, the company achieved an 18% growth in sales revenue over its record pre-pandemic sales volume. Oakes also co-founded Choreo to provide data- and people-driven research and change management to help organizations create workplaces that maximize real estate and support strong cultures.
Proud moment: “I am enormously proud of the workplace culture that our leadership team and I have worked to create in the past six years,” she said. “We believe that our culture is the foundation for our company’s success, and it has many facets, including communication, inclusion, engagement and opportunities for growth and development.”
Career track: Oakes was 24 and looking for a company with good people and the ability to leverage her communication and marketing skills when she heard about the showroom manager position at Business Furniture. She knew “absolutely nothing” about the office furniture industry but learned the business from the ground up. She has been with the company for 32 years—
eight as CEO.
Influential moment: In 2008, Oakes decided work was not limited to cubicles but was a hub for innovation and company culture. She created Choreo, a change-management service
that became a spinoff company—and the first business of its kind in central Indiana. “It was exciting and invigorating and provided many opportunities for me to grow and develop as an entrepreneur and a leader.”
Givebacks: vice chair, Community Health Network Foundation Board; member, Community Health Network Giving Gig Committee, Indy Chamber Board of Directors, Indy Chamber Education and Workforce Council, Damar Services Foundation Board of Directors, Steelcase Dealer Council
Advice for young women: “Do not let fear guide your destiny. Have the courage to use your voice respectfully. Build strong networks
of mentors.”•
Check out more Women of Influence honorees.
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