Anna Holder, 37

Anna Holder never expected her high school gig to become her future career.

But with an unceasing drive to excel in everything she does, her coworkers and mentors say they knew from the minute she took an entry level position at FrankCrum, a Clearwater-based Professional Employer Organization, that Holder had a bright future ahead of her in the industry.

Photo by Mark Wemple

Holder didn't waste any time working her way up at FrankCrum, leading four major business areas in 19 years. Now, as senior vice president of client services and operations, Holder oversees client experience, benefits, product management and revenue operations. 

In the past year alone, Holder led the company's Product Roadmap project, delivering four major technological upgrades that pushed client retention to 91% — the highest the company has ever seen. She also completely restructured the company's onboarding process, speeding up the entire process by 30%, her coworkers say. 

And she completed the LeadForward Executive Leadership program, sharpening her skills in strategic communication, mentorship and emotional intelligence.

"Anna's always been willing to take on challenges that would intimidate others," says coworker Devon Murray. "She earned her master's degree while working full-time and jumping between different departments to learn the business inside and out. When hurricanes hit our community, she didn't wait for someone else to step up, she organized volunteers and got meals to families who needed help."

Her many years at FrankCrum have allowed Holder to gain hands-on experience across payroll, accounting, compliance and client experience. In that time, she managed to earn both her bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration, funded through FrankCrum's employee education benefit program. 

Since joining the company in 2006, Holder says the opportunity to grow her career organically within one company has allowed her to build deep relationships and institutional knowledge in a relatively short period of time. 

It's also allowed her to grow deep relationships with mentors like Angie Garcia, vice president of marketing at FrankCrum, whom Holder says consistently challenges her to think bigger, refine her leadership skills and navigate complex situations with clarity and confidence. 

"She’s shown me that leadership is rooted in purpose, and that when I’m clear on my 'why,' I can navigate challenges with both strength and grace," Holder says. 

Garcia says Holder embodies those lessons in her day-to-day work, and has become a go-to mentor for other employees at FrankCrum — helping other young employees become rising leaders and grow their career just as she has. 

"She's just somebody who really sets an intention and makes it happen for herself," Garcia says.