For over 27 years, Walter Yonkaitis has been much more than Midtronics Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He’s the person who has built a legacy around showing up early, staying late, taking responsibility, and caring for people. This month, Walter’s retirement was celebrated with a heartfelt company sendoff, and the impact he is leaving behind says everything about what kind of leader and person he is.
The Early Years
Walter started as Director of Finance in a department of two and a half people. He spent his early years building local and global teams and unifying the company into one business system. Additionally, he led company expansions from the US headquarters to new offices in the Netherlands, China, and, most recently, Mexico.
“It Isn’t About You. It’s About Those Around You.”
Ask Walter what changed most over 27 years, and he points to a shift in how he saw his job. “Early on, it was look what I did,” he says. “When you mature as a leader, you realize it isn’t about you. It’s about those around you.” As a result, Walter assumed additionalresponsibilities throughout his career, including information technology, supply chain, production, shipping, receiving, and warehousing. His caring and mentoring approach created a family atmosphere throughout the entire company. One of the first to arrive at the office every morning, Walter is known for walking the shop floor and saying good morning to everyone.
He leaned into that same instinct during challenging periods throughout his 27 years, recognizing the importance of differentiated perspectives and seeing the positive changes that were made by relying on the expertise of those around him.
Family, First and Always
Midtronics has never just been Walter’s job — it’s been his family’s life. His wife started the tradition of Friday breakfasts; his daughters grew up in the building, from coloring expo metrics as kids to helping get orders out the door to assisting in countless other projects. And despite the long hours the job demanded, Walter never missed being there for his daughters – always in attendance for their games and school events – something that resonated in his daughter’s retirement speech at his sendoff. His mantra, passed down to his daughters: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Passing the Torch
Walter’s advice to his successor is simple: “Take time to be a people guy. You don’t have to be the numbers guy all the time.” As Walter put it in his retirement remarks: “I am filled with a mix of emotions. Excitement for the new adventures that await, sadness at leaving behind a place I’ve called home for so long, and gratitude for all the wonderful people I’ve worked with.”
Congratulations, Walter, from all of us at Midtronics! Thank you for building the infrastructure, systems, and above all, the culture that make Midtronics a great place to work.