How she shines: Tammy Leger represents what it means to be a Woman of Clean because she genuinely cares about the people, businesses, and communities she serves. As a Sales Executive working with customers throughout the Eastern United States and Canada, Tammy leads with integrity. She listens first, asks thoughtful questions, and works to understand what a customer truly needs before recommending a solution. Her approach has helped her build lasting relationships based on trust, communication, and a shared desire to improve. Tammy is also an advocate for innovation and sustainability. She helps customers explore dispensing solutions that can improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support their sustainability goals. Rather than simply introducing a new product or technology, she takes the time to educate customers and help them understand how it can make a meaningful difference in their operations.
That same willingness to help others carries into her team and community. Tammy supports new hires by sharing her experience and knowledge, answering questions, and helping them find their footing. Outside of work, she gives back by volunteering with food pantries in West and South Omaha. She continues to invest in her own development as well, including learning Spanish to expand her communication skills and ability to connect with others. Whether she is helping a customer solve a challenge, mentoring a new teammate, supporting her community, or learning something new herself, Tammy leads by example. She proves that leadership in the cleaning industry isn't only about what you accomplish. It's also about the people you help and the positive impact you leave behind.
Years in the industry: 37 years
Job responsibilities: As Sales Executive, she works with sales and business development, territory and account management, technical selling, customer problem resolution, sales forecasting and reporting, and customer travel and in-person sales.
Career path: Tammy's career path has really been centered around sales, customer relationships, entrepreneurship, and the cleaning industry for most of her life.
Tammy's first job was in telemarketing, but her experience with sales and business started much earlier. Her family owned and operated vacuum stores, and she has been around that business since she was two years old. Growing up in a family business gave her an early understanding of customers, sales, service, and what it takes to run a business. Later in Tammy's career, she owned and operated her own vacuum store for 10 years. Being a business owner taught her a completely different side of sales. It wasn't just about selling a product—she was responsible for the entire business, including customers, employees, purchasing, inventory, vendors, finances, and making sure the business was successful.
From there, Tammy moved into the janitorial industry, which allowed her to take the experience she had gained through the vacuum business and apply it in a larger business-to-business (B2B) environment. Tammy developed a deeper understanding of the cleaning industry, the products and chemicals used in it, and the needs and challenges of professional cleaning companies. That experience eventually led Tammy to RD Industries (RDI). At RDI, her role has continued to evolve beyond traditional sales. Tammy works with customers to understand their applications and challenges, develop solutions with our Engineering team, identify new business opportunities, manage strategic accounts, and develop relationships with customers across the U.S. and internationally.
Looking at her career, there is a consistent thread. Tammy has always been involved in sales, customer relationships, and the cleaning industry—but each step has added another level of experience. Tammy went from learning the business through her family, to owning and running her own business, to learning the janitorial industry, and now works in a highly specialized B2B environment where she can combine her industry knowledge, sales experience, and entrepreneurial background. Tammy feels like she has reached a point in her career where her value is not just in selling RD Industries products. It is in understanding the customer, recognizing an opportunity, developing the relationship, finding the right solution, and bringing the right people at RDI together to make it happen.
Best advice received: Treat a small account the same as a large account…it’s a small world and you never know “who knows who!”
Fun fact: In 1993, Tammy participated in the commemoration of the Oregon Trail by traveling from Independence, Missouri, to Astoria, Oregon. She either drove a team of Belgian horses or rode horseback along the historic Oregon Trail route. It was an incredible experience and definitely not something most people would expect to hear about her! It took a lot of time, endurance, and patience, but it gave Tammy the opportunity to experience a piece of history in a very unique way. It is still one of the most memorable things Tammy has ever done.