Az Business and AZRE magazines announced the publications’ lists of the Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2020, including Kathleen Duffy Ybarra, president and CEO of the Duffy Group. Each day, azbigmedia.com is profiling one of the Most Influential Women of 2020.

Here are the Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2020

Here are the Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate for 2020

The Most Influential Women for 2020 will be honored at a reception at a date TBD. For sponsorship information, click here or email Aseret.Arroyo@azbigmedia.com or call (602) 277-6045.

To buy copies of the Most Influential Women in Arizona issue, click here.

Today’s spotlight: Kathleen Duffy Ybarra

President and CEO

Duffy Group 

Background: In 1991, Duffy Ybarra founded Duffy Group Inc. with a single-minded mission of helping people find joy in their work. Using an innovative model called recruitment research, the firm matches top talent with companies that need them at about half the cost of traditional recruitment firms.

Professional advice: “There is a lot of ‘noise’ in the recruitment industry. As such, up-and-coming leaders must master the art of building trust. To be successful, clients must know that their recruitment partner is working in their best interest. It’s all about doing the right thing.”

Lesson learned in 2020: “Navigating a global pandemic is not for the faint of heart; it has presented new and unforeseen challenges for all leaders. For me, the ability to ask Socratic questions and the patience to listen carefully to the answers are pillars of great leadership. These are things I work on every day.”

Surprising fact: “I began demonstrating my leadership prowess at the tender age of 5, with my brother, Pat, who was 3 at the time. I assured him that I would take him to a stream where we could catch tadpoles. (What’s more fun than that?) Five hours later, the Boy Scouts came to our rescue and returned us safely back home.”