Meet Joanne Funyak
Manager, Sales Support & MSVD Products, Vitro Architectural Glass
For Joanne Funyak, Manager of Sales Support & MSVD 
Products for Vitro Architectural Glass, her team is doing its best job when it is building person-to-person relationships. As part of a customer-focused organization, she understands that her staff is the first line in resolving issues, and that knowing customers on a personal level helps her team to get it right.
“Building trustful relationships is the focal point for improving not just customer service, but enhancing the whole fulfillment process,” she says. “Interpersonal skills and problem-solving are key attributes for our team. Industry knowledge can be taught. The skill in providing service for our customers is gained through our ability to grow and nurture relationships.”
Joanne has a broad perspective on the industry, having worked in a host of positions at PPG and Vitro. She started with PPG immediately out of college, doing shift work as a quality supervisor at the coatings facility in Springdale.
The glass industry nearly missed out on a great people-focused leader, as her background and a degree in Chemistry from Slippery Rock University almost led her to an entirely different career.
Joanne’s first interview was for a position as a research chemist at PPG’s Allison Park coatings research facility. As she progressed through the interview process, it became clear to her potential employer that her interpersonal skills were better-suited for a public-facing position rather than being tucked away in a research lab.
“After the interview process ended, I was told that I was too people-oriented and that I would not be happy in a research lab,” Joanne said. “It was the best thing, I think, that happened to me.”
While working at PPG’s Springdale coatings plant, Joanne obtained a master’s degree from Duquesne University. That led to several increasingly responsible posts within PPG, from Product Manager in the company’s Chlor-Alkali’s Calcium Hypochlorite business to Global Market Manager for Building Products in the Industrial Coatings business.
Honing her interpersonal skills over the years has enabled Joanne to shape the personal customer service approach that she uses to guide her staff. “Our team needs to handle fast-paced inquiries and react to challenging situations,” she explained. “In those circumstances, communications and interpersonal skills are critical to assuring our customers that we are responding quickly to their needs.”
Joanne stresses that having customer relationships is more than just good business, it also makes her department operate more efficiently. “Every direct customer interaction is an opportunity to improve responsiveness and eliminate unnecessary steps,” she explains.
“I could not be prouder of my team,” she adds. “The range of challenges they have to face, especially when we’re so busy, changes all the time, but they’re always focused on putting the customer first. Plus, day-in and day-out, they’re just great people to work with.”
Joanne’s work is not limited to managing her sales support team. She also maintains her leadership role as product manager for Vitro’s tempered and MSVD-coated products.
“It’s something new every day. It’s fun,” she said. “[The two jobs] keep me going and focused on whichever hat I’m wearing at the moment. Communication and feedback are how we bring them all together and improve systemwide.”
The bottom line is this: Whether you need to check on the delivery of a shipment or get technical guidance on the use of an MSVD-coated Vitro Glass product, Joanne Funyak is the right person to contact.
As a decades-long Pittsburgh Penguins season ticket holder, she’s also ready to talk power plays and penalty kills at the drop of a puck.
To reach Joanne, email jfunyak@vitro.com or call (412) 820-8018. She’s always ready to help.
