Vanessa Huges & Sally Noble - MOST IMPACTFUL DUO

Vanessa Hughes and Sally Noble aren’t just business partners; they’re sisters and the best of friends.

“We do make a great team,” said Hughes, founder and president of Hughes Resources. “We think in similar ways about the direction of where we want to go, but we bring different skill sets for how we get there. I’m more of the visionary, and Sally is the implementor – detailed and process driven.”

“Vanessa is that visionary thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset who comes with ambitious goals. She’s the risk-taker,” said Noble, vice president of Hughes Resources. “I’m the person who comes along to make those ideas work, breaking down the tasks and moving the boulder an inch every day to get where we want to be.”

Those complementary mindsets propelled Hughes Resources to expand to locations in Freeport, Dixon and Rockford, Illinois, and Monroe and Beloit, Wisconsin. The company employs about 25 people and will celebrate its 20th anniversary in May.

“These are exciting times. These upcoming years will focus on expanding our lines of business, developing professional search and HR consulting,” Hughes said. “I love every day figuring out what the next set of challenges are to get through and grow.”

Noble says it takes respect and communication for a two-person leadership team to be successful.

“We really have a sincere appreciation for each other, and we like spending time together,” Noble said. “It would be hard for one person to embody everything you need to be successful. Different mindsets help solve problems and move your company forward with more diversity of thought, ideas and creativity.”