As general manager at IDC Engineering, Ali Sours directs all operational business needs for the firm, which specializes in the dynamic simulation of mechanical systems. Among her many varied duties, she focuses on production management, marketing and research, financial oversight, human relations, customer relations and IT infrastructure.
In the wake of a sluggish market, Sours led a wave of significant changes to protect the firm’s financial health, including a revised employee benefits plan and a financial plan that reduced expenses, mitigated strain on cash reserves, and secured employment for current staff. Faced with cash flow constraints and challenges receiving payments, she led a financial process review, working with her team to identify areas for improvement and creating a plan to address delinquent accounts and a purchase order backlog. She also led a workflow efficiency study and guided staff through its implementation. Through all of these initiatives, she provided consistent, transparent updates to employees and was able to retain all staff members, production levels, and the close-knit atmosphere on which the company thrived.
A graduate of Bradley University’s EMBA program, Sours serves as vice president of the Bradley EMBA Alumni Alliance and director of the Bradley EMBA Alliance Philanthropic Counsel, an initiative she started to improve alumni engagement while helping not-for-profits and small businesses overcome strategic challenges.
Outside of her professional career, Sours is treasurer of the Pekin Amateur Hockey Association and vice president of the Morton Lacrosse Board. She is the founder and a former teacher in the Tremont Park District Dance Program, and founder and director of the Tremont to Peoria St. Jude Run, which she developed when one of her students was diagnosed with cancer. After seven successful runs, her small-town team has raised well over $100,000 for the families of St. Jude. She has also served on the St. Joseph Parish Spring Festival Committee and the St. Joseph School Education Commission. iBi
