Adrienne Hadley’s return home ‘more than career move’

Sometimes life and career line up better than one could plan.

AERON Lifestyle Technology co-founder and Chief Financial Officer Monica Hadley recently extended an employment offer to her CPA daughter, Adrienne Hadley, to join the company as associate vice president of finance.

Adrienne has always had a head for numbers like her mother. As a teenager, she was AERON’s first employee. Adrienne graduated from Fairfield High School with highest honors and went on to distinguish herself academically in college and graduate school. She began her professional career with one of the Big 4 worldwide CPA and management consulting practices, later moving into private industry.

“I am so proud of her accomplishments and always hoped she would bring her talent, expertise and experience back to AERON, but she wanted to carve her own path,” Monica said. “I had almost given up on the prospect.”

As a world leader in making fragrance diffusion devices, AERON has designed, engineered and manufactured thousands of products for wholesale and retail private label brands over its 20 years and this year is adding a manufacturing plant in Mexico City to its holdings. The staff has grown to more than 100 around the globe since those beginning days.

When AERON’s associate vice president of finance announced his retirement plans, Monica realized that was her cue to approach Adrienne.

“AERON had grown to a size and scope that bringing Adrienne on board would be mutually beneficial,” Monica noted. “She agreed.”

For Adrienne, the opportunity to join the AERON team couldn’t have been better timed.

“I’ve had the great fortune to be able to develop my skill set and work experience in multiple companies across the country, but I always felt like there was something more I wanted to connect with. This opportunity to join a company that I have known from the very beginning in my home state was something that I could not ultimately pass on.”

Adrienne said growing up she admired her mother’s work ethic, grit and resourcefulness as a female business leader.

“This opportunity is more than a career move as it allows me to align myself work-wise with family,” she said. “Early on in my adult life I left Iowa, but that sense of home never left me, and I couldn’t be happier to be back and working with such a dynamic and impactful company.”

AERON CEO Patrick Kosar said Adrienne’s placement with the company supports one of management’s highest priorities: providing meaningful career opportunities for women.

“I’m pleased to say we are actively engaged in bringing talented women into our organization at all of levels of the business, at all of our locations worldwide — Fairfield and Mason City, Iowa; Pflugerville, Texas; Mexico City; Hong Kong and China. The value to our organization from this initiative has been immeasurable,” he said.

Monica added, “At Aeron, we have a policy of promoting from within, and we hope and expect that all of our employees, both male and female, will have the opportunity to grow and rise within the company.”