Finding a Second Chance and Success at Koch
3 MIN
Once barriers were removed, Richard McMichael was able to transform both himself and his career.
Richard McMichael is passionate about his job as an accounting automation analyst for Koch Minerals and Trading. “Three and half years ago, if you told me I was going to be here, I would have been the happiest guy in prison,” Richard said with certainty. Back then, Richard was serving a five-year sentence at a correctional facility in Winfield, Kansas, for attempting to sell drugs. The offense occurred while he was pursuing a college degree in petroleum engineering. His felony conviction derailed his career ambitions.
In prison, Richard read books written by successful entrepreneurs. Instead of living in regret, he wanted to understand how to build a better life. “I learned there are always opportunities out there, but you have to put in the effort to take advantage of them.” With that in mind, he enrolled in an online college program to earn an accounting degree before his release. Uncertain of whether employers would hire him, he was surprised to discover that Koch had “banned the box” on its job applications. In other words, felony convictions would no longer automatically disqualify job candidates. “Lots of companies had banned the box, but I now know that Koch’s decision to do it was principle-led. I could see a genuine intent to treat me as someone with the potential to contribute.”
“I could see a genuine intent to treat me as someone with the potential to contribute.”
On the prison work crew, Richard was required to pick up trash along Kansas highways. While doing this, he could see Koch headquarters in the distance and imagined working there. “I was 100% focused on getting my degree and a job at Koch.” Richard was still in prison when he graduated and applied for an entry-level accounting role.
Hiring manager Lynne Baker saw that Richard met all the role qualifications and had impressive technical and process improvement skills. Despite learning of his incarceration during the interview, Lynne was struck by his eagerness to contribute to Koch. Aware of the company's updated policies on second-chance employment, and with backing from her supervisor and HR, she decided to proceed with the hire.
Richard was determined to make the most of the opportunity. Restricted from driving, Richard rode a bicycle from the work-release facility to Koch every day, more than 16 miles roundtrip, rain or shine. Rather than limit Richard’s responsibilities to what was included in the job description, Lynne challenged him to also use his coding and automation skills. He was encouraged to automate any manual tasks that would give him more time for higher-value opportunities. “We had managed large transactions using spreadsheets for years. Because our processes were labor-intensive and susceptible to human error, he quickly started building a better system,” Lynne said.
Unfortunately, one of Richard’s earliest automations resulted in a massive overpayment to a financial institution. “When I realized it, my heart just sank,” he said. Fortunately, the money was returned the next day, minus an overnight interest fee. Even so, Richard was anxious about the consequences of such a significant error. His supervisor’s response surprised him. “Rather than penalize me for the coding error, she acknowledged that mistakes happen when you create something new—it’s an inevitable part of innovation.” Lynne then helped Richard fix the problem and introduced him to an automation leader who was able to further improve his programming skills.
“When I realized (my mistake), my heart just sank.”
The experience led Richard to develop a more efficient and reliable system, which saved the team many hours a day. Richard credited Lynne’s leadership: “If she had responded negatively to my mistake, I would not have continued to experiment so aggressively.” So far, Richard has automated more than 150 tasks, helping transform the ability of entry-level accountants to contribute.
After completing his work-release requirements, Richard continued to adjust to life out of prison. It took him some time to adapt to Koch’s open, knowledge-sharing environment. At first, when team members asked questions about his work, he acted defensively. But he came to realize that those challenges helped him succeed.
Richard’s next accomplishment was optimizing how Koch decides whether to use cash or treasury bills to fund exchange activities. The model he created now helps inform trading decisions and is generating more than $1.5 million of value annually.
Thanks to Richard’s contributions, others across Koch became more open to candidates with criminal histories. “Nearly one-third of Americans have a criminal record,” noted Cara Chennault-Reid, Koch’s vice president of human resources. “Companies that automatically exclude them miss out on a huge group who may have something positive to contribute.” Since 2021, Koch has partnered with Honest Jobs, a company that assists U.S. job seekers who were previously incarcerated. In the first few years of the partnership, Koch hired more than 120 individuals.
As Richard learned and grew, he transformed. As he put it, “This did not feel like work. For the first time in years, I actually got to do something productive. It’s awesome,” he said. “I’ve also developed better relationships in my personal life and place a lot more value on my time with friends and family.” He is eager to continue to develop and increase his contributions.
Give it a Try
The power of these principles happens through application. There’s no substitute for learning as you apply.
- List three ways you can help create an empowering environment for your team.
- Ask a co-worker for constructive feedback. Find ways to address it. Then follow-up with that same co-worker.
- What internal or external barriers are keeping you from realizing your potential?
- What’s the worst response you’ve seen to constructive feedback? What’s the best response?