Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X V I I I A U G U S T 7 , 2 0 1 7 14 N ancy Strojny navigated the waters of mega corporation Procter & Gamble for 30 years in an era when few women dared. en she changed careers to work in distribution and mer- chandizing for CVS. After that, she pitched personal care products to hospitality industry executives in Dubai and Las Vegas. She's as surprised as anyone that those decades she spent making a name in the high-powered world of corporate merchandizing were a perfect foundation for what she does now — running the Portland chapter of SCORE. While SCORE, the Small Business Administration's resource partner for mentoring and education, may conjure images of dusty retirees sharing war stories, that's far removed from the 2017 reality. Strojny, 67, started at SCORE in July 2010 and became chairwoman in 2012. She's mentored leaders at Sea Bags, e Holy Donut, employment agency MaineWorks and outdoor gear maker Flowfold. "I tell people ' is isn't your grandfather's SCORE,'" Strojny says during an interview in the organization's Middle Street offi ce. "We're building a team of volunteers with exceptionally relevant skills and experience." In the process "we're helping [startups and entre- preneurs] fi nd their own truth." Margo Walsh of MaineWorks and Beth Shissler of Sea Bags, both former Mainebiz Women to Watch, nominated Strojny for the honor this year. "She's shaping Maine," says Walsh. "Her bandwidth, her professionalism, her connectivity, is second to none." Strojny could have easily landed somewhere with brighter lights and more money and action than Port- land. "I've had a long and interesting career," she says. A lifelong learner, she took a buyout in 2001 after 30 years at Procter & Gamble and went to drug store chain CVS. At Proctor & Gamble, which includes dozens of familiar household and personal care brands, she became a senior sales and marketing executive focus- ing on branding strategy. At CVS, she was instru- mental in developing the strategy for beauty products, focusing on merchandizing and distribution. A second career mentoring others B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n SCORE — Portland chapter 100 Middle St., Portland Chapter chair: Nancy Strojny Founded: 1964 Number of volunteers: 125 Contact: 207-772-1147 www.portlandme.score.org P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY NONPROFIT Nancy Strojny Chair SCORE — Portland chapter C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 6 » Nancy Strojny, chair of the Portland chapter of SCORE, meets with Jeffrey Blais, owner of the Portland salon Akari.

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