Kiersten Maertens 

Managing director, account strategy, Flynn Wright

Age: 38

Husband: Zach Maertens

Children: Hank (10) and Abbey (7)

Accomplishments that make you deserving of being a Forty Under 40: 

  • I lead a 28-person account management team at Flynn Wright, where, in 2014, I created the Flynn Wright Giving Back program to help engage and educate employees about community needs and supporting those needs. 

  • A 2013 graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, I supported the development and renovation of Amanda the Panda's on-site grief center and served on the marketing and graduation committees.

  • I served on the planning committees for: NAMI Iowa's NAMIWalks, the Festival of Trees and Lights Gala for UnityPoint Health – Blank Children's Hospital and the Komen Iowa Race for the Cure.

  • I am an active board member of Utility Communicators International, connecting and developing relationships with industry professionals. 

What's your biggest passion, and why?

My joy comes from helping others be successful. That's why I quickly found my passion for advertising and client services at Flynn Wright. For more than 17 years, I've helped Flynn Wright, our clients and my team achieve personal and professional goals. It's incredibly rewarding. 

What are your goals in your role at work?

As Flynn Wright continues to grow, my goal is to foster an exceptional service-minded culture that challenges the status quo. Everyone on my team is learning to lead with the head and the heart, finding new and better ways to deliver success for our clients while never losing the fun.

What are your goals in a role outside of work?

As my kids are growing, I'm finding ways to expose them to the needs of our community and get them involved with me. I want to encourage that spirit of giving and show them you don't have to have a lot of money or time to make a difference.

Tell us about an experience or memory that influenced how you see the world or what you want to do in life.

I had a kindergarten teacher who often praised my “sunny disposition.” Those words stuck. And leading with that optimism has influenced my life. I believe in the power of faith, a positive attitude and a cup of coffee. And that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

What are your aspirations for the future?

I'd like to create a space for Christian women business leaders to build community and support, inspire each other, and find opportunities to become positive forces for change in our homes, workplaces and the community at large.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to a young professional?

You can do hard things. Don't shy away from your challenges and challengers; address them head-on. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, ask all the questions and then decide what feels right in your gut. Then go for it. 

What is one thing you would like to see Central Iowa leaders address, and why?

This is not going to be a popular answer, but let's get more people back in the office. Back sitting across the table. Back to the vast and vibrant downtown lunch scene we had pre-COVID. We're better together. Our work, our teams, our companies, our community all need more of us to get in the game – not just watch from home.

What's one fun fact about you?

I am 25% Italian, but you'd think it was 100% by how much pasta my family consumes. Every year, we get together to make the family tortellini recipe handed down from my great-grandma Felice (we call it “toot-alini”). We can't just make a small batch; we always have to “go for the record.” At least now the next generation is becoming more helpful!

Hobbies:  Write and produce a home renovation and lifestyle blog with my husband at ForeverHomeFix.com; Civic Center Willis Broadway Series season ticket holder; fair-weather scuba diver.

One word that describes you: Servant.

What is your favorite local restaurant? Cancun Grill and Cantina in Urbandale.

Name one book, podcast, movie or show you love. “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott.

What is your go-to activity to do in Central Iowa in the evenings or during the weekend?

We live for the vibrant festival scene in Des Moines and particularly love the Arts Festival, CelebrAsian, Italian American Heritage Festival, Christkindlmarket and the National Balloon Classic.

Is there anything else people should know about you? 

Being a wife and active mother of two grade-school-aged children while leading a 28-person team and running a multimillion-dollar book of business is no small undertaking. I'm proud of my work and proud of my family for how we make it work. My village is large and the support I get from my husband, parents, family and friends is the only way it looks like we can “do it all.”