Accounting/Finance

As manager of Corporate Payroll Services, Mike Beaty oversees all payroll processing, payroll accounting/taxes, and mileage capture for Con-way’s North American operations. Despite this massive responsibility, it’s being part of one big team, striving for the same goal, that Mike finds most rewarding.

Mike enjoys being part of a winning team in work as well as time away from the office through his passion for football. Since 2006, Mike has played with the Oregon Monarchs, a semi-pro team in the Oregon Football League (OFL). He treasures the challenge of facing down opponents and having to out think and out last them. Mike recently joined the North American Football League to be able extend his passion for the game to play year-round. Always looking for ways to use the knowledge he has gained in business over the years, Mike has sought out opportunities to support his team’s business strategies as well.

To Mike, football is a game of strategy and endurance. On occasion, he’s been seen around Con-way’s Portland campus with a cast or brace of some sort, but the injuries only make him work harder. During the Monarch’s championship game, Mike went in for a play with a broken right leg. As he limped back off the field, the crowd erupted in a standing ovation. That was the most emotional moment he said he’s ever experienced in football.

Playing through pain and injury is a huge test of perseverance, which also drives Mike’s success at Con-way. Throughout his career, he has been a key contributor in several transition and integration projects. Inevitably there would be times when the projects would encounter roadblocks. But with Mike’s leadership and good old fashioned stick-to-itiveness, the teams found solutions to achieve their objectives. 

In addition to his management duties, Mike serves on several oversight and steering committees. He is also an active member of the National Payroll Association.  Mike takes great pride in his accomplishments both on and off the field being selected for the ALPHA program, Con-way’s training academy for advanced leadership preparation, in 2007 and taking his football team to the OFL and Northwest championships in the spring of 2008.

Mike credits the superior support he receives from management. As he puts it, “Con-way provides employees with what they need to succeed in their jobs and grow as professionals and individuals.” He also believes leadership by example is most important, which is why he strives to get better, stronger, faster, and more knowledgeable on and off the field. “No matter how good a team gets, it can always get better,” says Mike. “As soon as a team becomes overconfident and doesn’t think it needs to improve, it will be primed for an upset. I have always taken the same approach to growth here at Con-way.”