Strong leadership often grows from diverse experiences, and Lynn Fischer’s career is a clear example. As head of Gentex’s Corporate Services team, Fischer plays an essential role in supporting employees, leaders, and daily operations across the organization.
Fischer assists the Executive Leadership team, supports Program Management, and manages the Corporate Services team. She ensures seamless operations by coordinating Board of Directors meetings, planning internal and external events, and overseeing company phone systems, mail services, conference room scheduling, and fleet vehicles. No two days look the same, and Fischer embraces the variety.
She joined Gentex as an administrative assistant supporting the Japan Focus team who dealt with Japanese OEMs. She worked primarily with the Toyota portion of the business, her position being in both Program Management and Sales. Nearly nine years later, her role evolved into leading Corporate Services.
“I learned lots of acronyms and went home dreaming in letters and numbers at night,” Fischer said. “It was a whole new world for me, but the team was amazing and I enjoyed the challenge.”
Prior to working at Gentex, Fischer was an elementary teacher for seven years. She loved working in education and believes her experience set her up for her leadership role at Gentex.
“Everyone should be a teacher for a few years,” Fischer said. “Teachers need to pivot continually; even with the best planning, every day is filled with constant change. Flexibility is key.”
Since joining Gentex, Fischer has learned by observing strong leaders around her and values empathy, clear expectations, and positive communication. She believes small actions, like a smile or encouraging words, can make a meaningful difference. She loves working with employees across Gentex’s global footprint.
“If Gentex were an ice cream store and each flavor of ice cream were a department, I feel as though I’m the customer who gets to sample almost every flavor within the store,” Fischer said.
Fischer hopes her journey encourages others to explore new opportunities at Gentex. She’s passionate about the growth and relationships employees can build because, for her, meaningful connections are what make work truly rewarding.
“It’s the personal connections that bring meaning and fulfillment to a job,” Fischer said. “Without it, a job is just a job. Having a good laugh every now and then is non-negotiable.”
