Faces of Evotherm: Victoria Woods
Oct 09, 2017
Sharp, strategic, dry sense of humor, and world-class leg wrestler are just some of the many different ways to accurately describe Victoria Woods, an Evotherm® technical sales manager based in Vienna, Missouri. Victoria is impressive for many reasons, not the least of which is how she’s made a respected name for herself in an industry dominated by the guys.
“I’m involved in the process of developing new ways to incorporate Ingevity chemistry into asphalt mixes,” explains Victoria. “I enjoy being part of technical groups whose focus is advancing asphalt performance.” In the past, Victoria has been the expert speaker at events put on by the Association of General Contractors and the Transportation Estimators Association, and has presented at the Missouri Science and Technology Asphalt Conference.
She dreams of living down by the river; she’ll do just about anything for her two sons; and she’s into Latin quotes. Here’s to learning more about this awesome Ingevity team member.
Who are some of your heroes in real life?
My grandparents, my parents, my husband, my kids, my cousin, Tim, who’s a Marine, and essentially everyone I know. There are also many people within Ingevity that never fail to deliver when I call. There is a hero somewhere in all of us.
If you could be gifted with a natural talent what would it be?
I’d like to be able to play the guitar.
What’ s your idea of happiness?
Living in van down by the river.
What can you tell us about these world-champion leg wrestling rumors we hear?
My career in leg wrestling spans over many years. I am currently semiretired but will readily accept any challenge. I will not call out those who have been crushed in competition but they know who they are.
What’s one of your favorite memories from a project?
There are too many to have just one favorite. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years on projects and I just love the feeling that comes when a job has been successfully completed, and is on time and on budget.
What are some of your hobbies?
I enjoy kayaking and feeding our cows, which really is more work than an actual hobby. I also love watching my boys team rope cattle. It’s usually a very long drive to their competitions for only four to eight seconds of victory, but it’s worth it. They’re worth it.
What’s your favorite quote?
“Nullius in verba.” It’s the motto of the Royal Society, the English fellowship of some of the world’s most eminent scientists. It means “take nobody’s word for it” in Latin.
If you ask Victoria what gets her out of the bed in the morning (besides needing to feed the cows), you’ll likely get a genuine response about her work at Ingevity. “It’s a privilege to provide value and improve the quality of asphalt mix designs for my contracting customers, the agencies who administer this work and the tax payers,” says Victoria. She’s as cool as they come, goes humbly about her business and commands respect wherever she goes.
