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Kathy Seegebrecht, vice president of marketing, UL in Northbrook

Q: What's new at your company?

A: Already, UL has had quite the busy year. In February, UL published a safety standard for hoverboards to help mitigate the risk of fires and shock hazards. Recently, UL announced its cybersecurity assurance program to better help manufacturers and consumers protect their devices and networks from malware and hacking. From a brand marketing perspective, we are looking forward to the UL International Crown July 19-24, which is being played at the Merit Club in Gurnee. There's already been a lot of buzz here and in Asia as the final teams have been selected.

Q: What will your company's main challenges be in the next year?

A: For UL, it has always been about having people understand who we are and what we do as we've expanded both geographically and beyond the core safety testing for which we are known. We also must keep pace with not only our customer needs but also the quickly changing nature of technology as it comes to market.

Q: What's a hot trend in the industry?

A: The Internet of Things is the one that stands out, although there are many. Devices, wearable technology, homes and cities are becoming more connected and SMART. UL's role is to help our customers and stakeholders ensure the safety and security of those SMART devices and connections.

Q: If you could put your company name on a sports venue, which one would you choose?

A: One enjoyable part of my job is overseeing our sports sponsorship of women's golf and the LPGA. We are very excited to see the UL name as part of the UL International Crown. Eight countries will compete in teams to take home the crown. We value this sponsorship as it boosts employee morale, serves as a sales tool and reaches a C-suite audience.

Q: Two people to follow on Twitter and why?

A: I follow Bill Gates, just because he's Bill Gates. I like his blend of business, personal and world 'issues' tweets. And I follow Amy Edmondson from the Harvard School of Business. Amy provides some great leadership thoughts and tips.

Q: Do you have a business mantra?

A: Work hard, play hard. I'm fortunate in that I absolutely love what I do, and love the company I work for, so the work hard part is easy. It's a challenge to make sure you find time for family and friends.

Q: From a business outlook, who do you look up to?

A: I don't have any one leader who I look up to, but I follow those that are progressive and innovative. I admire any business leader who takes a different path and sees better results. Richard Branson would be one I would call out, and Ann Mulcahy from Xerox.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your company that most may not know?

A: I could write a book on interesting facts about UL.

• UL employees are truly experts in their fields - I've met safe crackers, ballistics experts, robotics engineers, firefighters, and even former crime investigators all who now work at UL to advance safety.

• Our labs are extremely powerful and robust to accommodate the thousands of products that pass through every year. Our headquarters facility has enough water pressure to shoot a stream of water over the Sears Tower.

• UL was founded in 1894 at the World's Fair when a young electrical engineer was asked to identify the cause of frequent fires. William Henry Merrill discovered how to safely use the newest innovation of his time - electricity.

• Many will recognize UL in the space of certification, testing and safety, but very few know us for our expertise in cyber and transaction security.

Q: What was your first paying job?

A: I started cleaning my grandparents homes for money when I was very young, probably around 11 or 12 years old. My first real job was washing dishes at a local restaurant when I was 14. I had decided to attend the local, Catholic high school and I needed to make money to pay a portion of the tuition.

Q: What is one funny thing that has happened to you in your career?

A: I met my husband on my first day of my first job out of college. We didn't date and/or marry for many years later, but when I stepped off the elevator that first morning, he told the lady sitting next to him that "he was going to marry me." I thought that was quite fortuitous and funny; he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Name: Kathy Seegebrecht

Title: Vice President of Marketing

Company: UL

Headquarters address: 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062

Industry: Testing, Inspection and Certification

Number of employees: 11,000+

Website: www.ul.com

Age of company: 122 years

Family information: Husband, Peter, and teenage boys, Max and Blake.

Hometown: Peru, IL

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