Karen Renk says the best part about her job is the relationship she has with her colleagues. "I am privileged to work with quite a brain trust," she says, "It's a wonderful group of people."

Renk describes herself as "self-motivated," and it's no surprise to her that many other ambitious women have found success in the incentive industry. Her mentor was Barbara Koch, who in the late 1980s was the first woman to be elected president of IMRA. "There have always been successful women in the marketplace," she says. The main difference today, however, is that "many more women are taking very visible positions within the special markets divisions of major corporations. That was not the case back in the 1980s."

According to Renk, the technology boom and bust of the 1990s transformed the industry, altering both the way programs could be managed and the corporate perception of motivation strategies. "The downsizing of the 90s certainly changed the face of the incentive buyer," she reflects. "IMA members now deal with fewer end-buyer customers, because organizations have outsourced that responsibility to incentive houses and performance improvement agencies."

Renk believes new research tools will redetermine how programs are sold. "Twenty years ago, we were able to promote the use of incentive programs based on a gut reaction—it's good to reward people, because it makes them feel good and then they do better. That was fine, but now we have empirical evidence to support that claim. Technology has made us more sophisticated."

But even with new technology, Renk says incentives will always fundamentally be a relationship business, and that's just fine with her. "Having my contributions recognized by people who are important to me is my greatest motivator.... That 'pat on the back' is very important."

Fast Fact: Renk says her greatest personal challenge has been raising a family while trying to advance her career, a feat that she says is as hard for working women today as it ever has been.
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