An Interview With CI’s Owner and Manufacturing’s Leading Lady, Christina March

At the helm of Cincinnati Incorporated stands a fourth-generation leader who blends tradition, resilience, and quiet confidence. As Chairman of the Board and majority owner, Christina March carries forward more than a century of manufacturing excellence while shaping its future with intention.

In this exclusive interview, Christina reflects on family legacy, leadership, and what it means to steward an American manufacturing icon.

A Legacy Rooted in Storytelling

For Christina March, inheriting leadership at Cincinnati Incorporated was never a question. From childhood, her father, Perrin March III, shared daily stories about the company—its triumphs, its challenges, and its people. Those conversations shaped not only her understanding of the business but her sense of responsibility to it.

“I’ve always known that I was going to be responsible for the company in the future,” she says.

That understanding influenced her educational path, as March attended Babson College in Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies and Marketing, with a minor in Business Communications.

Before formally stepping into the family business, she built a successful career of her own, founding Christina Perrin Inc., a New York–based fashion design house and member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. After nearly a decade of success, she retired shortly after the events of September 11, 2001.

Though her journey to becoming Chairman and majority owner “didn’t quite happen the way I had envisioned it,” she considers herself blessed to serve in the role today.

Bridging Generations

As a fourth-generation leader raising the fifth, March sees herself as a bridge between the company’s storied past and its evolving future.

“I always knew that I would be the bridge between my father’s unbelievable, historical tenure with the Company and whatever the long-term future might be.”

After carefully considering every option for CI’s future, a defining moment came during a family dinner. When March asked her children who would carry the responsibility forward, her sons pointed to her daughter, Augustine. Without hesitation, Augustine accepted the challenge.

“That moment solidified that Cincinnati Inc. will be in the March family for at least another 60-plus years,” March says.

Her son Bastiaan added another layer of meaning: large-scale manufacturing is rarely led by women. Continuing that tradition, he noted, is something worth protecting.

Leading Without Labels

As a woman leading a major manufacturing company, March is often asked what that means to her. Her response is candid: it rarely crosses her mind.

She credits her father’s example. He never treated her differently than her brother or anyone else. To him, capability, not gender, mattered. She often recalls a story from World War II, when the CI shop floor was composed of nearly 90 percent women. According to her father, it was one of the most productive periods in company history. 

“I never realized being a girl was a disadvantage,” she says. “I suppose because my father’s attitude towards me, my entire life, was the same as it was towards my brother or any other person he came across.”

Today, she carries that mindset forward, raising her daughter with the same expectations and opportunities as her sons.

Protecting Tradition While Embracing Change

Founded in 1898 by her great-grandfather, Cincinnati Incorporated has endured for more than 128 years because its core beliefs have never wavered. Several years ago, as leadership worked to formally document the company’s core values, they discovered a 1950s document written by her father outlining nearly identical principles. More recently, updated “How and Why” surveys confirmed the same consistency.

At CI, the guiding belief is simple but powerful: serve your coworkers, customers, and business partners. From that foundation flows accountability, pride, grit, and a commitment to family.

“When your core belief is serving others,” March explains, “no change—even over 128 years—can deter you.”

That clarity of purpose enables the company to embrace technological advancement and industry evolution without losing its identity.

Pride in the People

When asked what she is most proud of during her 15 years leading Cincinnati Incorporated, March doesn’t hesitate.

“The employees.”

From the shop floor to sales and service, to executive leadership, she continually witnesses acts of ingenuity, resilience, and problem-solving that inspire her. Cincinnati Incorporated—and the March family legacy—stands on the shoulders of more than 400 dedicated employees who make it happen every day.

Inspired by Strength

March cites two women who have influenced her leadership approach: Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher. She admired Queen Elizabeth II’s consistency, composure, and decades-long steadiness in leadership. Margaret Thatcher’s strength, reserve, and commanding delivery also left a lasting impression.

Both women led in environments dominated by men—yet their authority was never defined by that fact.

“Their position as the only woman in the room didn’t seem to matter,” March reflects. “Likewise, it has never mattered to me.”

A Legacy of Feeling Valued

When considering the legacy she hopes to leave, March turns to a quote from Maya Angelou:

“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said, they won’t remember what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Her hope is simple and profound: That employees feel valued and safe, that families are supported with dignity and joy, and that customers receive machines that perform at the highest level for decades.

Advice to the Next Generation

For young women aspiring to leadership roles—especially in manufacturing or engineering—March’s advice is direct:

“You know what you’re doing. Don’t let anybody tell you differently. Don’t ever give up. Keep carrying on when everybody tells you that you have no chance left. Don’t take no for an answer. You know what you’re doing—surprise them all.”

It is advice rooted in confidence, perseverance, and belief…Principles that have guided not only her own path, but the enduring success of Cincinnati Incorporated.