Western Allied Mechanical

In this issue of Shop Talk we are getting to know Lisa Vuong, our Purchasing Manager at Western Allied Mechanical. Lisa and her team of five purchasing agent’s source all of the material and equipment for each of our jobs, all while building relationships with vendors to find the most competitive pricing. Her manager Juan VirgenTorres, CFO says, “Lisa is dedicated to supporting her team and successfully unites them around common goals, I really appreciate her leadership and initiative in her role.” Additionally, Jim Jeffrey, Director of Operations describes Lisa as, “…consistently engaged in doing her best; she is both responsive and pro-active in coming up with solutions we need.”

Enjoy reading the rest of our interview with Lisa and as a bonus, you will know who to call if you ever need help with opening ceremonies before your favorite sporting event.

What has led you into this field?
When I was in college, I responded to a front office job posting in the construction field. In that role, I fell in love with this industry and the culture. Here I am 18 years later and still feel the same about the field of construction and our vendors. The leadership from seasoned men and women in our company make a positive influence in shaping our culture and core values.

How did you end up working at WAM?
Jim Jeffrey reached out to me via LinkedIn while I was in the market for a job during the Pandemic. I interviewed several times with different people at WAM and everyone had one thing in common during each interview; THEY SMILED and LAUGHED! I knew this was the company I wanted to be with.

What is the best part of your job?
I like being able to apply my knowledge, serve the team, as well as serve the company. I appreciate our core values, enjoy the coworkers who have turned into friends, and WAM has also turned into my second home.

Try and think of a short story you can tell me about a time at work that confirmed this was the right fit for you in terms of the company, or your work team, or your work project.
Being a leader to me means serving the team and company. During a team meeting, a member voiced that they finally felt seen, heard, supported, and a sense that they belong in this department. All the mentorships that I received, coaching the team, working through stressful days, meeting deadlines, and all the hardships were all worth leading up to that very moment! I love doing what I do for that exact reason WE ARE A TEAM!! ♥

Anything you can share about your time outside of work to help us get to know you better?
I LOVE to sing- I had the opportunity to sing the national anthem at the Bay Areas Nurses graduation.
I used to be a makeup artist and still enjoy and love creating my own art on faces, but don’t have an interior decorative bone in me. LOL
I am a Niner fan by inheritance from my grandpa -who was a HUGE Joe Montana fan. I actually met Joe Montana and his wife about 15 years ago at my previous employer and wished my grandpa was alive for me to tell him that story. 🙂

What are you looking forward to in the future?
At work: I hope to see an increase of females in this industry. It’s so awesome to see females in this trade and kicking butt at what they do.
At home: I would like to learn more about football and flag football so that I can coach my son’s flag football team one day soon. ♥