Taking Over the Family Business with Pamela Kan, President of Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation

Taking Over the Family Business with Pamela Kan, President of Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation

Family Business with Pamela Kan, President of Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation

See Pamela’s recent interview with Alan Olsen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/-KvsbCcfmaM

Pamela Kan has been the President of Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation since 1999. She is a highly respected leader in the manufacturing and engineering industry, and has been instrumental in growing the company into the successful business it is today.

Kan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

History of Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation

Bishop-Wisecarver works with manufacturers to engineer, produce, and build custom complex assemblies, linear motion solutions and optimal embedded intelligence systems. Through the integration of our mechanical, electronic, software, control and systems design engineering expertise – mechatronics – 65+ years of experience, and 20,000+ unique clients later, we continue to provide a single point of service that results in custom designs, increased efficiencies, and accelerated time to market.

Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation is a US-based, certified women owned, manufacturing and engineering company specializing in linear and rotary motion for automation solutions that excel in extreme, harsh and hygienic environments. With over 70 years of ingenuity, the company has become a trusted and respected leader in the industry.

Family business transitioning a to the next generation

When Pamela Kan took over leadership of the company in 1999, she transitioned Bishop-Wisecarver from a family business to a professionalized organization. Her vision for the company was to provide custom solutions and innovative products that would help clients reduce cost and increase efficiency.

Kan has led the company through numerous changes in technology and processes, including the introduction of new materials, advanced machinery and digital solutions. She has also focused on developing a workforce that is highly skilled in their respective fields.

Challenges of Running a Family Business

There are a number of challenges that come with running a family business, according to Pamela Kan. One of the biggest challenges is transitioning the company from a family-owned operation to a professionalized organization. This involves making changes in how the company is run and how it is perceived by both clients and employees.

Another challenge is maintaining harmony within the family while also running the business. This can be difficult when there are disagreements over business decisions. Finally, it can be difficult to separate work and personal life when both are taking place within the same organization.

Supporting Women Business Owners

Kan’s commitment as an active advocate for women in leadership roles is about empowering others to reach their full potential and is actively engaged in multiple organizations focused on empowering women leaders in the manufacturing industry and in small businesses.

She is a frequent speaker on the topic of women in manufacturing and has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and Industry Week.

Women President’s Organization

Kan has received numerous awards including the 2018 Women’s Business Enterprise STAR for WBENC, the 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year Award and the 2016 Mary Lehman MacLachlan Economic Empowerment Award from the WPO (Women President’s Organization). She is also member of the Society of Women Engineers, and has served on the boards of several organizations dedicated to supporting women in business. In addition, she is a founding member of the Women Business Owners Alliance, which is dedicated to providing resources and networking opportunities for women-owned businesses.

To view more content like this, click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel

And click here to receive our FREE Newsletter.

Sponsored by:

Thank You!

Posted in
How To Become a Leader - Richard King, past President of Rotary International

Life of a Leader | Richard King

  About Richard King Richard King served as the World President of Rotary International from 2001-2002, supervising the work of 350,000 members in 163 countries around the world. During his tenure, Rotary has it’s greatest one-year growth record in its history, with an increase on some 75,000 new members and a new Rotary club formed…

Marc Barkdull

PJMB Commercial Leadership Success | Mark Barkdull

About Marc Barkdull Marc Barkdull is a real estate developer/investor with 25 years experience in the Bay Area. Currently Marc is President and CEO of PJMB Commercial, Inc., which manages his real estate investment portfolio of 2.2 million square feet of Office, Flex and retail properties throughout California and Utah. Marc has also developed and…

Building Barriers of Entry | Alfred Mandel

Building Barriers of Entry | Alfred Mandel

  About Alfred Mandel Alfred Mandel has been an entrepreneur since his teens and has over thirty years experience in technology businesses, Steve Beals notably at Apple Computer and Redgate Communications. He co-founded and ran Tenex Medical Investors, which become this country’s largest angel investor group for the health and life sciences. In its eight years…

Lily Mei

Standing Firm | Lily Mei

  About Lily Mei For over 20 years, Lily Mei and her family have proudly called Fremont home choosing our city for its family-friendly environment. Lily is both proud to be a contributor to the growing success of Fremont’s public education system and be a proud parent of two current students.   Interview Transcript: Lily…