Alex Hamel | LEADERSHIP WICHITA
Photo by NIKOLE BABB
What do you love most about your work?
I love the challenges I get to work through as a part of my job. I've been very lucky that Spirit has allowed me to rotate through different positions to give me a broad base of what HR means within our organization, and have helped me become a strong asset to the company.
What characteristic do you most admire in others and why?
Drive and determination. I love having conversations with people who are working to attain their career or personal goals. I always come away from those conversations energized to continue working towards my own goals.
What do you do for fun or to recharge?
I can typically be found going to the gym or working out. For fun, my wife and I are usually hanging out with our friends, and in the last few years a couple of my buddies and I have picked up bow hunting as a new skill to learn.
Who are your mentors and why?
I've been blessed to have numerous mentors in my life that have provided many opportunities and the occasional humbling. Notably I consider my dad to be one of my biggest mentors, but I also look to Wendy Johnson, Coleen Tabor and a few others as some of my key mentors for various reasons that I will reach out to with questions or ideas to get feedback on. They've all been instrumental in teaching me ways to get around road blocks in my career.
What’s the last series you binge-watched?
My wife and I are currently working through the final season of Yellowstone.
What book are you reading now? Why?
Currently I'm reading "Quiet -Susan Cain", it was recommended from Col. Damon the new base commander at McConnell AFB, while we both were on the Chamber's City to City trip this past July. The book talks about being a leader as an introvert (which I am one) in a world full of extroverts.
What led you to this career?
Originally I had no plans of pursuing HR work as a career. My dad has been in HR locally for a long time and I grew up listening to his stories and the work he did on a daily basis, and I wanted to do something different. My first career from High School through College was refereeing soccer, I was able to progress through the refereeing ranks and was working lower-level professional games and major tournaments around the country. Unknowingly developing many of the skills and characteristics I would need in my HR career. After graduating from college HR was the clear natural fit for me to utilize the experience I had gained through refereeing and convert that time into the corporate world.
What is your foundation?
I borrowed from Patrick Lencioni's "The Ideal Team Player" - to be "Humble, Hungry, Smart". These three give me my foundation to build toward my career and personal goals.
