Create your own personal board of directors

As Chief Executive Officer for Synergy Commodity, a company that provides procurement and price risk solutions in propane, heating oil, diesel, and biofuels for small to mid-sized companies, Lora Claus ’01, M.S. ’05 knows the importance of building connections. 

Claus, who graduated with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in agricultural and applied economics, credits much of her success to surrounding herself with a diverse group of mentors and professionals. 

During college and early in her career networking was something she was told to do, but it took her years to grasp what it meant. 

“I had many awkward happy hours trying to make connections," Claus said. "My ‘aha’ moment came after meeting a more experienced senior executive at an industry conference who gave me her undivided attention. Her enthusiasm and passion for her work and interest in me was life-changing.”  

Claus made it a priority to maintain that connection and to make others. Her advice is to constantly reach out to people you admire at your job and in your life and keep “adding members to your own personal board of directors” to help you along your career path.

“A vice president that I admired at my company announced he was retiring,” Claus said. “I took a chance and let him know I would love to take him to lunch before he left. He made the time to meet with me. I peppered him with questions about how he grew his career, what mistakes he learned from, and advice for me. Those insights made me a better leader and reinforced that successful senior leaders will make time for younger people.”

Making connections is important, but for Claus, it was her degree in agricultural and applied economics that provided the foundation of critical thinking instrumental to her career. As the chief operating officer of Synergy Commodity, Claus is focused on growth, building out the infrastructure of the business, managing human resources, and financial and operational responsibilities. Her background in agricultural and applied economics has equipped her with the necessary skills to make strategic decisions and lead the company to success.

“Synergy clients range from fuel resellers to large end-users," Claus said. "Our expert knowledge of these fuels and markets gives them an edge over their competitors. The company’s ability to save them money and time allows them to focus on other aspects of their business, enabling growth."

Approaching its third year in business, Synergy Commodity envisions a future helping clients with commodity procurement beyond the energy industry.  

Previously, Claus worked at Burndy, a division of Hubbell, a global manufacturer of electrical products. During her decade at Burndy, she held a variety of roles from production control manager to materials manager to most recently the director of customer service, pricing, and distribution. Her commodity experience spans livestock, grain and feed byproducts, and energy and metals, having also held positions at Smithfield Foods and Blue Seal Feeds.

Taylor Hudson, the co-founder of Synergy Commodity, graduated from Virginia Tech with both a bachelor’s and master’s in agricultural and applied economics in 1999 and 2001.