Curt Bender is a Sr. Manager - Product Regulatory Compliance at Tennant Company at Tennant Company. He possess expertise in cross functional team leadership, product development, manufacturing, engineering, continuous improvement and 34 more skills. He is proficient in Spanish. Colleagues describe him as "When I started as Global Compliance Counsel at Tennant Company, in the midst of a global pandemic, nearly everyone was working in a fully remote capacity. This makes it challenging to learn the business, understand the role and how you and the (newly created) role fit in within the department and the broader organization, to make connections and build rapport with co-workers. This is especially so with long-tenured employees who may be set in their ways and do not remember what it is like join a new industry or start a new job. Mine was a newly crated role, so not only was I struggling to figure out where and how I fit in, the organization was similarly struggling to understand this new role. Enter Curt Bender.
Through his kindness and natural curiosity, Curt helped ease my transition into the organization. In one-on-one meetings, he was an active and generous listener, helping me see how all the puzzle pieces fit. He provided names of people with whom I should connect and why, making introductions where appropriate. Together, we identified ways our two areas would overlap and how we could best collaborate. He offered strategies for getting buy-in on all my ideas, no matter how (relatively or organizationally) radical they seemed. he supported and advocated for updating processes, policies and programs. he consistently offered insightful advice and encouragement at all the right moments. In meetings, he posed questions out of his own desire for more knowledge and to help others who might not be comfortable speaking up - or who didn't know what questions to ask. In an organization that thrived on over use of acronyms and project names, curt was mindful to explain the meaning, especially when he saw new people in the meetings. This subtle yet highly impactful action set a strong example for others to follow.
One of the things I most admire and respect about Curt is his small and highly impactful words and acts of kindness. I would routinely interrupt speakers asking what a particular acronym or project code name meant (so many people assume folks have access to and knowledge of this information, or it is a power play to sound smarter than everyone). I would also ask questions such as, "Help me understand this [or why that matters]." Curt would send an instant message thanking me for speaking up. He would stop by my workspace, offering thanks and support, recognizing that it may have been difficult or uncomfortable to speak up. In calling attention to potentially unethical behavior, or asking what the Code of Conduct would support, Curt applauded these efforts. he appreciated bringing these issues into the light. These small yet impactful words and acts of kindness, his generosity in time and active listening, helped me feel more seen and valued." and "I had the great pleasure of working with Curt for several years while at Tennant. I always appreciated Curt's systematic and well thought out approach to his job. Not only does he understand the specific discipline of standards and regulations very well but he has a great grasp of how this all fits into the context of product development in a very practical way. I always considered Curt to be a solid addition to any product team."
Listed skills include Cross Functional Team Leadership, Product Development, Manufacturing, Engineering, and 35 others.
