Helen McLeod is the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Genesee Polymers Corporation, a major manufacturer of industrial and consumer silicone products. A finance industry executive with three decades of corporate accounting and leadership experience, Ms. McLeod has focused her career on working with manufacturing and engineering entities. At Genesee Polymers Corporation, Ms. McLeod plays a fundamental role in managing everyday financial functions, as well as leading executive decision-making and growth processes that ensure the company’s ability to continue delivering high-quality and socially responsible products.
Ms. McLeod began her professional journey as a student at the University of Michigan, where she completed a Bachelor of Science in economics and sociology in 1991. She immediately continued her education, enrolling at Wayne State University the same year, and graduated with a Master of Business Administration in accounting and finance in 1993. As a new graduate, Ms. McLeod found employment with Follmer Rudzewicz & Company, a specialized accounting firm providing clients with a full range of advisory and financial management solutions, including due diligence, audit assistance, tax consulting and valuation assistance. She spent five years with the company as an accountant, departing in 1997 after having developed the key business and specialized technical skills that would allow her to lead throughout her career.
In 1997, Ms. McLeod became the vice president and chief financial officer at Apex Mold & Engineering, Inc., a manufacturer of specialty industrial components and tools, including dies and jigs. Over the next nine years, she was instrumental in helping the company continue to grow its business and meet client and stakeholder expectations. Her time with Apex Mold & Engineering helped establish her as a leading accountant for the manufacturing and industrial sectors and allowed her the opportunity to merge her in-depth financial expertise with executive leadership skills. In 2006, Ms. McLeod left Apex Mold & Engineering Inc. to join Aphase II Inc. as a financial controller. She remained in charge of the company’s financial records and direction for nearly 15 years, departing in 2019.
Between 2019 and 2021, Ms. McLeod held a similar position, working as a financial controller for the Harman Corporation, a major manufacturer of plastic plugs, caps, and other components. She joined Genesee Polymers Corporation in 2021, bringing with her more than 20 years of expertise in the specialized financial needs of manufacturing sector companies. She has excelled as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer and is known for her attention to detail and high level of understanding of market intricacies and compliance needs.
Ms. McLeod credits her success to the professional mentors who have helped her navigate throughout her corporate journey and develop her natural aptitudes. She emphasizes the importance of peer support and mentorship in professional environments and hopes to pay her success forward to others in the future by providing similar guidance. Reflecting on her work and industry, Ms. McLeod enjoys the clear-cut nature of accounting and manufacturing and takes pride in being able to help the companies she has worked with to be completely in compliance with standards and on track with goals.
Ms. McLeod considers her education to have been a career highlight and is proud of having completed graduate-level education. In the future, she plans to continue her professional development through additional formal education. In her personal time, Ms. McLeod enjoys cooking, trying new food, and watching cooking shows and other food-related content, and is an avid supporter of her children’s sports teams and endeavors.
