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Transforming the construction industry isn’t just a goal for EquipmentShare, it’s our mission. Achieving it means attracting, developing and elevating the very best talent. And many of the best innovators, builders, problem-solvers and leaders shaping our future are women.
When we champion their growth and create space for their leadership, we don’t just strengthen our workforce, we accelerate the transformation of our entire industry.
The construction industry remains a male-dominated field, but at EquipmentShare, women play vital roles across all teams. Here are the stories of four of those women who found their calling and are thriving at EquipmentShare.
Karen Speight
National Account Manager
Karen Speight lives in Las Vegas, which is an appropriate location for someone who’s never been afraid to bet on herself.
Speight left a factory job in Leicester, England, as an 18-year-old to make a new life in the United States. After graduating college with a degree in psychology, she decided to support her two young children with a commission-based sales position, despite having no previous sales experience. She built a thriving decades-long career that helped put her kids through college, but instead of comfortably coasting toward retirement in her role at another construction equipment rental company, she decided to join EquipmentShare in 2024.
Playing it safe is not how she rolls.
“To change jobs in my 50s when I was already successful was a risk, but I looked at EquipmentShare as a growth opportunity,” Speight said. “I had the confidence to say, you know what, I’m going to go for it. I see opportunity at EquipmentShare.”
As a national account manager, she builds and nurtures partnerships with major general contractors — mostly builders of solar and wind farms — who work across the country. She collaborates with EquipmentShare territory account managers (TAMs) who take care of the daily needs of her customers’ projects.
Speight said she still gets a rush each time she sends the first piece of equipment to a jobsite for a new customer. She also finds purpose in sharing advice and support for sales reps — especially women — who are just getting started in the business. Speight’s career is a good example that fortune favors the bold.
“What I’ve learned over the years is a lot of women don’t want to go into a male-dominated industry because they don’t feel confident,” she said. “You have to be confident. You’ve got to be willing to go outside your comfort zone and jump in feetfirst. Especially in the construction rental industry, you’ve got to raise your hand and say, ‘Yes, I can do it.’”
Shelby McGrew
Regional Fleet Coordinator
Mission Control for EquipmentShare’s Gulf Coast region is located in the small town of Port Lavaca, Texas, where Shelby McGrew lives and works. Armed only with a few spreadsheets and a mind that navigates multiple logistical mazes at the same time, McGrew finds a way to get equipment from where it is to where it needs to be.
“What I really like about this job is that it’s so fast-paced that I have to have 5,000 tabs open in my brain,” McGrew said. “It keeps me busy, and I like being busy.”
EquipmentShare has 50 locations along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama. When customers need a machine that isn’t readily available for rent at their local EquipmentShare branch, McGrew takes all the puzzle pieces and starts putting them together. It involves:
- Finding the right machine at another branch.
- Arranging a transfer.
- Determining which of the seven regional drivers should make the delivery.
- Communicating the plan to the sales rep so they can keep the customer informed.
McGrew’s problem-solving ensures the right machine arrives at the right time on jobsites across the Gulf Coast, helping EquipmentShare customers keep projects on track.
“Shelby is driven to help her team succeed and provides the structure and support that keeps our customers happy and our operations team moving like a well-oiled machine,” said Cody Brown, EquipmentShare’s director of field human resources.
Mary Mumpower
Sourcing Category Manager
Mary Mumpower was fresh out of college and working in a finance role for a government contractor when her boss offered her a position as a procurement manager. It was an early lesson in the importance of negotiations.
“I was so green and naive, I thought, ‘This is great. I’m going to get a raise,'” Mumpower said with a laugh. “What I learned is, I got extra work but didn’t get a raise. But what it taught me was that I really enjoyed procurement, and that’s where my career took the right turn.”
After a few decades polishing those negotiating skills while working in procurement for multiple companies, she joined EquipmentShare in 2024. She was drawn by the company’s rapid growth and a culture that encourages innovation. As an example, a conversation with a fuel vendor sparked her idea to partner with the company to create EquipmentShare’s own private-label diesel exhaust fluid.
Mumpower’s primary job is making deals with vendors to supply EquipmentShare with high-quality fuel, equipment parts, IT supplies, uniforms and more. By saving EquipmentShare money, she helps the company pass that savings on to customers.
“I approach negotiations more like a partnership,” she said. “If we can negotiate this deal, it will help you and me. This is how you benefit. This is how I benefit. Let’s see if we can get it done.”
Mandy Peters
Regional Director of Sales
Since starting in the construction rental business in 1999 as an office administrator, Mandy Peters has built a successful sales career in the industry. She chose to join EquipmentShare in 2019 and has thrived at the company.
“I feel supported, empowered and assured that our ideas are genuinely valued,” Peters said. “I believe we have the ability to drive meaningful change.”
Peters recently received a promotion from district sales manager to regional director of sales in Florida.
“Mandy just earned it,” Regional Director of Sales Leann Thomas said. “She wants to win. She has the drive. She wanted to be the best in the region, and she was.”
In her new role, Peters is using her experience to set others up for sales success.
“At the end of the day, what fulfills me most is when a representative calls to share a win, or when someone in my district becomes the top representative in the Southeast,” Peters said. “My goal isn’t to be the hero. It's to help make heroes.”
— EquipmentShare is growing nationwide, and we’re on the lookout for talented team members in all departments. Check out our job openings.
