Barbra Moran is the Senior Corporate Counsel at Caterpillar Inc. She was with Farrell Fritz from 1996 to 1999. Barbra and her husband, Andy, have two sons, Drew and Riley. They live in Peoria, IL.
What have you been up to since you left Farrell Fritz?
I went to work for Fortune 50, Caterpillar Inc. in 2000. Earned my MBA from Bradley University in 2003. For Caterpillar, I have held numerous roles in Illinois, Michigan and Singapore, supporting all areas of the business including logistics, procurement, distribution, sales & marketing and serving as the Enterprise Risk Owners for Antitrust. Some significant transactions have been the $1.6B acquisition of Caterpillar’s majority interest in its 50+ year JV with Mitsubishi in Japan and serving as in-house Antitrust counsel for Caterpillar’s $8.6 B acquisition of Bucyrus.
I’ve had the good fortune to be able to travel quite a bit for work and pleasure, especially when living in Asia.
What do you do in your down time?
Serve on the Board of Directors of Neighborhood House Association of Peoria and the Board of Elders at Northminster Presbyterian Church. Attend swim meets, ballroom dance events, and robotics tournaments in support of my children and their activities. I also like to dance and read
Share one fun fact about yourself that your fellow alums may not know about you.
Before going to law school, I tried my hand at acting and modeling. My biggest claim to fame is that I was the face on the box of a make-up mirror back in the late 80s.
What are three things on your bucket list?
1. I would like to be a Disney character when I retire…or a social director at a retirement community.
2. Travel through more of Europe
3. Live in a state where I can own and use a convertible all year round.
What was your most unusual job?
When I was a young teenager my dad had a backhoe. One summer a local village hired him to dig trenches for new sewer pipes. He “hired” me and my cousin to push the pipes into the trenches, then get down in the trenches and line the pipes up so they could be connected. It was hot and dirty. We got paid in pizza, soda and candy.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Raising teenage boys who are respectful, reasonably hard-working, appreciative of their blessings and committed to using their gifts and talents to help others.
What would you most like to be remembered for?
Helping others. Whether it be coaching and helping others develop and grow at work, or through volunteering and supporting charitable organizations, I would like to be known as someone who put others first.
Name your favorite travel destination.
I’ve had the good fortune to travel many beautiful places throughout Europe, Asia and North America. I’ve loved Italy, the Maldives, Thailand and Australia at New Year’s. However, my favorite vacation destination is Disney World because it is my kids’ favorite place, and we have so many great memories there. One of my boys has life-threatening food allergies, and feeding him while traveling can be challenging. Disney takes care of people with special dietary restrictions so well. That makes our trips there much more relaxing and enjoyable than other locations.
Do you have any pets? If so, what are their names?
We have 2 cats – Snickers and Remi, and an Australian labradoodle named Sammy.
Favorite:
TV show: Dancing with the Stars
Sports Team(s): My son’s swim team(s)
Movie: Grease (I like musicals and dance movies.)
Book: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
You can e-mail Barbra at Moran_Barbra_J@cat.com.