WENDY MILLER ON HER MANY TASKS, TEXAS AND TU

As the long-standing Vice President of Channel Development and Customer Experience at Igloo, Inc., Wendy Miller `88 has grown accustomed to being a wearer of many hats when it comes to her career. In her professional life, she is primarily responsible for the management of a 24-member customer service team. In addition, she works alongside a data analytics team and acts as a liaison between product managers and sales representatives to segment retailers that carry Igloo products across all channels. Lastly, she is in charge of product pricing and the oversight of the Igloo Corporate Company Store.

“In short, I officially, and by proxy, oversee three teams under the company umbrella and work with all the others from time to time,” she began. “Having been with Igloo for so long, I’ve become the go-to person for things that fall outside my scope of formal responsibilities, just because I know how everything works. I’m forever having people pop into my office with questions or being thrown into meetings for other teams who want my opinion. It’s never boring, that’s for sure. I think that’s why I don’t mind the hectic schedule – it keeps things interesting.”

Wendy’s position centers around improving the customer experience and ensuring buyers – both consumers and other companies – are satisfied with the product itself and the buying process.

“It all boils down to order fulfillment,” Wendy explained. “Making sure we complete them in a timely fashion, ensuring we have the inventory needed to fulfill them, reaching out to our manufacturing teams when we don’t, working with scheduling teams to ensure a prompt delivery – whatever makes the buyer want to work with us again. I don’t necessarily handle the step-by-step processes to make these things happen, but I do work with all teams to keep things running smoothly.”

“Wendy Miller is a true Dragon for life! A TU grad who excelled in the classroom as well as on the softball diamond, Wendy is a Tiffin University Hall of Famer who continues to support the University as a member of our Tiffin Society. Wendy just participated in our Dragon Alumni and Friends trip to the Dominican Republic where we basked in the sun, enjoyed the company of other Dragons and made great memories. We can always count on Wendy for her wisdom, great spirit and mentorship.”

- Michael Herdlick, Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement

line, I discovered through some required coursework that I had a knack for marketing, management, communication and such. I thought I would be happier if I could go the entrepreneur route and be my own boss, so that’s why I finished my degree in business management.”

Following graduation, Wendy spent eight years working at Rubbermaid before relocating to Texas in the hopes of moving up the corporate ladder – which is exactly what happened once she secured a position with Igloo in 2006. In her own words, the education she received at TU proved instrumental in her ability to grow her career.

“Small, intimate class sizes proved crucial for me,” she said. “I developed a good rapport with my professors and never felt intimidated going up to speak with them after class or during office hours. I also think that their strong sports programs helped me grow in my confidence and leadership abilities and those skills ultimately transferred as I entered my work.”

When asked about what makes Wendy most proud to be a Tiffin Dragon, she had the following to say:

“Being able to see – even from a distance, being in Texas and all – how much the University has expanded over the years has been an incredible experience. Watching us go from a one-schoolhouse campus to having all that we do today has been a real joy. I remember back to my days on campus when there was no Heminger Center or Paradiso Athletic Complex. We played softball offcampus at a local park. There weren’t even any bathrooms on-site,” she said with a laugh. “It’s heartwarming to me that TU’s facilities now reflect the same caliber of education they’ve always provided their students.”

Though she now resides in Texas, Wendy remains an involved Dragon alumna in spite of her busy schedule and remembers her days spent on campus fondly.

“I was recruited in the fall of 1984 to play on TU’s first fastpitch softball team,” she offered. “Originally, I wanted to become a physical education teacher, so TU’s large athletics presence on campus is what initially attracted me. Down the

Though now based in Houston, Wendy is an Ohio native and remains an avid fan of the Cleveland Guardians. She and her family make a point to attend as many games as possible when in town and watch the rest on TV religiously.