Profiles in Leadership – Mary Frontczak

The FBA is powerfully situated—and bears critical responsibility—to ensure that federal practice and federal courts truly reflect the rich diversity of the nation we serve. The FBA’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion was established to lead the organization in fulfilling this responsibility by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, both within the organization, and in the broader legal community. A core component of the Committee’s work involves ongoing guidance from and partnership with Advisory Boards composed of national D&I leaders. By learning from and collaborating with these leaders from around the country, our collective effort toward true diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal legal community is critically strengthened.

We welcome and encourage you to share these profiles and to join in the work of the FBA D&I Committee.  Learn more about our ongoing work here. 

Tara Norgard

Chair, FBA Diversity & Inclusion Committee

I was fortunate to get to interview Mary about diversity and inclusion. During the conversation, I learned about Compass Minerals and its business operations in the COVID-19 era. Mary also spoke on why she values diversity and inclusion, how it has shaped her career, and what steps can be taken to advance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. And spoiler alert: the most surprising thing she shared was her response to being asked how outside counsel can help Compass Minerals with its diversity and inclusion goals. Read on to see her answer to that question, as well as her many other insights.

Mary Frontczak         Kiera Murphy

Kiera: What first interested you in the mining and agribusiness fields?

Mary: The people in the industries tend to be very down to earth and genuine. They are incredibly hardworking. As far as the industries themselves, salt mining and plant nutrition are essential to all we do. These industries help keep people fed and keep the world safely going.

Kiera: Is it correct that Compass Minerals owns the largest salt mine in the world?

Mary: Yes, the largest underground salt mine in the world is a Compass Minerals’ facility in Goderich, Ontario, Canada.

Kiera: What kinds of legal issues arise in mining?

Mary: Literally anything that comes to mind when operating a large company. We deal with issues in mergers and acquisitions, contracts, employment, and regulations from the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Because we operate in four countries, those being the U.S., Canada, Brazil and the U.K., many legal issues can also arise from having industrial operations in different countries. Logistics can likewise be challenging. For example, we have to consider how to get the salt from point A to point B, where to store it, how long it can be stored, and aligning production levels to sales demand.

Kiera: How has Compass Minerals been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Mary: Compass Minerals was deemed an essential business and has not to date been impacted in a material way. Our mines and manufacturing operations are running at, or near, usual levels. I know I have also been busier than ever, as have many in our company headquarters, supporting our 21 production and packaging sites. On top of becoming Chief Legal Officer in November 2019, I started managing the company’s human resources division in February 2020. And legal and human resources issues have been closely related throughout the pandemic. As mentioned, we are navigating the current landscape in four countries, with each country responding to the pandemic very differently.

Kiera: Why is diversity important to you?

Mary: Beyond simply being the right thing to do for our people, it is simply smart for business and the legal profession. We need the best talent and will benefit greatly from many different perspectives. The legal profession will not be as good as it could be if it does not work to include diverse attorneys. At Compass Minerals, we know that diverse experiences and thinking styles help us build an inclusive culture and achieve good business results – both within our legal team and the organization as a whole.

Kiera: What has your own experience been like as a woman in the legal profession?

Mary: I graduated law school in 1991. As a woman, I was definitely a minority in my law school class. But it wasn’t until I started working full time and moving through different stages of life that I saw how women were at a disadvantage. For example, the rigid law firm system made it incredibly hard for many of the women I know to keep working and progressing professionally after having children. There were no different levels of law firm partnership. You were either an equity partner or an associate. There was no flex time or remote working. So these smart, talented women opted out because it was too hard on their families, and their husbands were the ones earning a larger income. Then, because these women opted out, the law firms were not getting the best talent or benefiting from different ideas.

I’ve also seen this play out in settings outside the legal profession. When I was earning my MBA at Washington University in St. Louis, I was the only woman on my team for my marketing class. For one of our projects, we had to develop a plan to market women’s face cream. I was the only who said that we could charge much more if we convince the customers that the product would keep them from aging, which is just something the men never considered. So having diversity and including diverse voices in the conversation will yield new and stronger ideas. We should not have a homogenous work force that yields only the same ideas and perspectives.

Kiera: How did you keep working after having a family and not opt out like some of the other women?

Mary: I was driven by being a wife and mother. It really motivated me because I earned my family’s primary income. So much of what I did was for the sake of my family. I wanted to pay for my son’s college and graduate school. I am incredibly proud of him. He went to the University of Chicago and later earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He is now a wealth advisor, a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a Certified Financial Planner.

Kiera: Was there something in particular that motivated you to get involved with the Federal Bar Association’s diversity and inclusion efforts?

Mary: I first received an invitation to get involved from Tara Norgard, the chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, to join the Committee’s Corporate Counsel Advisory Board.  I saw the work the Committee was doing and loved the idea of collective forces working towards one common goal. A lot of what we do in the legal profession is competitive, like law firms competing against law firms, but the Committee’s work is 100 percent collaboration. It is very important for federal practitioners to really understand differences and have a variety of perspectives.

Kiera: What do you see as the biggest “roadblock” to increasing diversity in the legal profession?

Mary: Most of all, change has to be intentional. Achieving diversity and inclusion won’t magically happen, especially because many in the profession need to recognize that there is a problem that needs to be fixed. Then we need to figure out how to do something about it. I feel very optimistic about the recent changes I’ve seen because so many attorneys are becoming aware of unconscious bias. Awareness is such a big step towards correcting the problem.

Law firms must likewise be intentional in promoting and developing diverse candidates, such as helping them build a book of business. They must put diverse candidates in front of decision makers and have them deal directly with clients to build relationships.

Kiera: Are there things you are doing at Compass Minerals to advance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, like in evaluating and hiring outside counsel?

Mary: We’re currently going through a request for proposal process for outside legal services with Compass Mineral’s procurement group. I insisted on having questions on diversity initiatives at the different law firms. I made clear to all of them that it is an expectation. I asked for specifics, like the race, gender, or LGBTQ status of the attorneys who would work on the matter. I additionally wanted to see diverse equity and non-equity partners, because many diverse attorneys experience challenges when trying to make the transition to a senior role. If a law firm wants to do business with Compass Minerals, it needs to walk the talk.

Kiera: Are there things outside counsel can do better to partner with you in achieving your diversity and inclusion goals?

Mary: For one thing, people could ask: what are our goals and how can we help you achieve them?  I’ve never actually been asked this question and it would say a lot if someone did ask it. I know that there can be fear around conversations like this, so an attorney could simply say, “Help me understand your diversity and inclusion goals.”

Kiera: The number of diverse attorneys retained in the legal profession is much lower than the number that enters the profession. How can we improve retention?

Mary: Policies must change to accommodate different needs. We need flexibility around different issues. For example, a person shouldn’t have to be an equity partner right away. There should be flexibility around when it happens. We should make policies like parental leave gender neutral and make sure that it is widely accepted to take parental leave. Both women and men should be able to go part time or accept of-counsel status without judgment. When we make that change, decision-makers won’t subconsciously think that a big project should be given to a man because he’ll be less likely to take time off for the birth of a child, etc.

Kiera: Lastly, how can bar associations help achieve your diversity and inclusion goals?

Mary: Diversity is important, but inclusion is just as important. Bar associations and their members can help ensure all members feel respected and valued as attorneys in the legal profession.

About Mary Frontczak

Mary Frontczak has multiple roles in life. She is a mother. She is a businesswoman. She is the Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary for Compass Minerals, a leading provider of essential minerals focused on safely delivering where and when it matters to help solve nature’s challenges for customers and communities. Furthermore, Mary has learned through these roles and throughout her career that promoting diversity and inclusion is not only a smart business decision, but one that allows people to embrace each role they have.

About the Author:

Kiera Murphy is an associate in the business litigation practice group at the law firm of Faegre, Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP.  She is a member of the MN Chapter Membership Committee and the Membership and Diversity & Inclusion Committees of the national Federal Bar Association.  Kiera’s practice focuses on business and white collar litigation.

About the FBA

Founded in 1920, the Federal Bar Association is dedicated to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence and to promoting the welfare, interests, education, and professional development of all attorneys involved in federal law. Our more than 16,000 members run the gamut of federal practice: attorneys practicing in small to large legal firms, attorneys in corporations and federal agencies, and members of the judiciary. The FBA is the catalyst for communication between the bar and the bench, as well as the private and public sectors. Visit us at fedbar.org to learn more.