Fast 15: Daisy Soriano

Daisy Soriano started as a warehouse account manager with CaseStack in November 2008, just a few months after graduating from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Today, as an operations manager with the national logistics outsourcing company, much of her time is spent managing several high-volume and growth category clients in the consumer goods business.

Soriano heads a team of seven warehouse account managers — five in the Fayetteville office and two in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The two offices combined manage half of CaseStack’s accounts.

“I’ve been lucky with the team and the management that I report to,” she said. “They’ve taken the time to mentor me and develop me and give me an opportunity to grow here.”

Soriano also designed a new training manual for her department. Her young age could make for some interoffice resentment, but she said showing respect goes a long way to bridging the generational gap.

“It’s important that they see respect and know that my end goal is to make them successful, if not more than me,” she said. “You want to get them trained and have them one day be able to have an impact on the company.”

Soriano, who moved to Northwest Arkansas as a fifth-grader and graduated from Bentonville High School, also earned an associate’s degree from Northwest Arkansas Community College.

She held a full-time job as a customer relations representative for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. during all four years of college, and rose to a team leadership position there as well.

She credits the experience with developing her strong work ethic and discipline.

“I’m big into the work-life balance,” she said. “I try to be as efficient as possible so that when I’m home, I’m home.”

Having a supportive fiancé has been helpful, too, Soriano said, noting her upcoming wedding this summer.

As for what motivates her, Soriano points to her parents, the first generation of the family to be born in the United States.

“My dad worked really hard to help get us where we are today,” she said, including two older sisters and a younger brother. “Anything I do, I want to make him proud.”

— Paul Gatling