“Don’t Be Afraid to Try Different Roles”: Q&A with Group Manager Becky Kelderhouse-Stout
Becoming a better leader means not only gaining breadth of knowledge and operational acumen, but also refining the abilities to understand and manage people and learning to think about a business more strategically. Becky Kelderhouse-Stout has been able to hone all of these capabilities during her dynamic career within the Volaris network.
Hired as a product manager at Northpointe less than half a year after the company was acquired by Volaris in 2011, Kelderhouse-Stout got a first-hand look at how new companies integrate into the Volaris ecosystem. After taking on additional part-time project manager roles for customer accounts and implementation projects, her position evolved into a full professional services role, then as Northpointe’s Director of Operations and eventually General Manager.
Often, attaining the top role at a company means there's nowhere else to go when you're looking for your next development opportunity, but belonging to the larger Volaris Group network allowed Kelderhouse-Stout to bring her experience to newly acquired Volaris companies as an Integration and Business Growth Manager.
In 2024, she took on not just one, but two new roles: filling in as the interim General Manager at Volaris-owned Intellicene and taking on a new challenge as a Group Manager. Kelderhouse-Stout sat down with Acquired Knowledge to discuss the essential skills for helping business leaders accelerate their company's growth and how her experiences as a General Manager help her understand the challenges facing others currently in that role.
Congratulations on your new position. Can you share with us what your primary responsibilities are in your new role as a Group Manager at Volaris Group?
Thank you. It's been an interesting journey since January 2024. I oversee three Volaris businesses. Additionally, I am directly leading one of these businesses as its acting General Manager. Currently, my role has a strong operational focus. Approximately 10% of my time is dedicated to M&A activities, which involve reviewing business development proposals and assessing product offerings in the security sector.
While my responsibilities are somewhat divided, the operational aspect is predominant due to my dual role as both Group Manager and acting General Manager. There is certainly a lot happening!
Sounds exciting. How was your integration and transition into this role, and what challenges or opportunities have you encountered?
The transition to Group Manager went very well. My daily responsibilities did not change significantly, as there is a substantial overlap between my previous role as an Integration and Business Growth Manager and my current role. Fortunately, I was already familiar with the businesses and their challenges, having worked closely with them for about a year and a half. This familiarity made the transition smooth and a natural fit, which I believe was the intent.
Regarding challenges and opportunities, I found that the role of Integration Manager challenged me to influence without direct authority. In that capacity, I worked alongside General Managers of Volaris-owned companies, advocating for best practices and facilitating their adoption. Now, as Group Manager overseeing three Volaris businesses, I have more opportunities to directly guide business processes when necessary. Leveraging the authority that comes with the role allows me to implement best practices and drive changes more effectively.
As a Group Manager, what leadership qualities do you consider most important, and how do you incorporate those in your daily management style?
At the individual business level, the focus is narrower, but at the group level, the perspective needs to be much broader. This requires a diverse set of leadership qualities to meet the varied needs of the role.
Effective communication is paramount. I need to ensure open collaboration and be accessible to any leader, whether that’s a General Manager or their team members as they delve into our best practices.
Empathy and strategic thinking are also crucial.
Empathy is essential because managing people can be challenging, and understanding their perspectives is vital. Strategic thinking is equally important because decisions must be made quickly and based on both the current situation and data analysis. It’s not just about making a quick decision; it requires a critical thought process. This approach is crucial for the success of our businesses.
What are the most important considerations for sustainable growth in a software company?
In my experience, sustainable growth in a software company hinges on two critical factors.
- First, it's essential to leverage existing assets. Having managed two businesses before moving to the group level, I've seen first-hand what works and what doesn't during my 13 years at Volaris. Many of the businesses we acquire need change, often because their products are legacy products. But if we don’t leverage our existing assets effectively, we risk falling into the trap of building something new and trying to compete with the entire market, which is extremely challenging in software development. Therefore, maximizing the value of what we already have is crucial.
- Second, our people are vital for sustainable growth. It's important to take care of our employees, as they possess domain expertise and deep knowledge that cannot be easily replaced. The notion that "everyone is replaceable" is dangerous, especially in the software industry. For sustainable growth, it's imperative to have talented people who enjoy what they do and are motivated to work for their businesses.
These two factors—leveraging assets and nurturing our people—are fundamental to achieving long-term success.
What personal and professional development strategies have you found most effective throughout your career?
I've always had mentors, and I truly believe in their importance. I gain a lot from relationships and connections with others. Learning how others have dealt with challenges and opportunities, or getting a fresh perspective on a situation, has been transformative for me. These mentor relationships have helped me understand myself better, often providing a compelling reflection that has been instrumental in my career growth.
I've also completed some coursework, which has been beneficial for gaining theoretical knowledge. However, I find that practical insights from mentors are more impactful, as book smarts can sometimes be one-dimensional. The mentoring experience within Volaris has been particularly valuable.
Two of my key mentors were part of the Volaris Group, highlighting the strength of our networking ecosystem.
When I joined, I was an individual contributor, and over time, I've grown significantly, partly due to the expertise and guidance around me.
Additionally, I participated in the VEGA (Volaris Executive Growth Academy) program last fall, which was excellent. It was a fantastic way to meet leaders from other portfolios. We were organized into Personal Advisory Board groups, which facilitated collaboration and connection, reinforcing the valuable network we've built.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to move into a management role within Volaris Group?
My biggest piece of advice is to work in as many different roles as you can. This approach has been transformative for me, providing immense value and knowledge. I started my career as a programmer, which was fascinating due to the problem-solving involved in coding. However, I found the solitary nature of the work didn’t suit me.
When I had the opportunity to transition into project management, I embraced it, and that path eventually led me into services and product management. This varied experience has given me a well-rounded perspective and a deep understanding of different aspects of our business.
Don't be afraid to try different roles during your career. People often hold themselves back, but exploring various job functions can equip you with diverse skills and insights. If someone had told me five, six, or seven years ago that I would be in this position, I would have been skeptical. However, gaining different job skills and perspectives on how our businesses operate is crucial for growth and success in a management role.
What current trends in the software world do you find most exciting or concerning, and how is Volaris Group positioning itself to capitalize on or mitigate these trends?
One of the most exciting trends is the rapid advancement in AI and technology. The speed at which things are accomplished today, driven by open-source collaboration and global teamwork, is remarkable. This was a significant challenge when I started my career 26 years ago, but now it's exhilarating to see how fast things are moving and the endless possibilities AI brings.
For Volaris, AI adoption could mean easier entry into new businesses and numerous opportunities from an M&A standpoint. The proliferation of startups, both promising and otherwise, also presents potential for growth and expansion. It will be interesting to see if Volaris will capitalize on this trend differently — perhaps focusing more on knowledge growth and innovative teaching methods and aligning with our emphasis on learning and development.
On the more concerning side of the AI trend, I believe critical thinking skills are more important than ever in a fast-paced work environment where we have increased access to quick solutions like ChatGPT. As a Group Manager, my role is to strategize and position my businesses for success, which I believe requires setting aside time for deep reflection and critical analysis. As leaders, our ability to make thoughtful, informed decisions means that we need to ensure we don't lose our critical thinking ability amidst the rapid pace of technological advancement.