putman media’s influential women in manufacturing...putman media is proud and honored to present...
TRANSCRIPT
2018Putman Media’s
Influential Women in Manufacturing
Sponsored by
Introduction p.3
Eleni Antoniadou, UCL p.5
Jolene Baker, Logical Systems Inc. p.7
Marie-Pierre Bélanger, BlueCrest p.9
Mary Bunzel, Intel p.11
Lisa Caton LaBean, Dow Chemical p.13
Nancy Corriveau, Blentech Corp. p.15
Kelly Finch, O-AT-KA Milk Products Coop. p.17
Linda Freeman, Rockwell Automation p.19
Andrea Funk, Crown Holdings and TouchPoint p.21
Marie Getsug, Jacobs Engineering Group p.23
Peggy Gulick, AGCO Corp. p.25
Rebecca Holland New, Thermo Fisher Scientific p.27
Rachelle Howard, Vertex Pharmaceuticals p.29
Jan Lindsey, Children’s GMP LLC p.31
Anne Lucietto, Purdue Polytechnic Institute p.33
Brianne Murphy, Longterm Technology Services p.35
Carol Ptak, Demand Driven Institute p.37
Miranda Shope, Avid Solutions p.39
Elizabeth Taylor, Eastern Oil Co. p.41
Dona Tseng, Shire PLC p.43
Lisa Webb, Gorton’s Inc. p.45
Rendela Wenzel, Eli Lilly and Co. p.47
A note from our IWiM 2018 sponsor, Rockwell Automation p.49
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Contents
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Greetings-
Putman Media is proud and honored to present in the pages that fol-
low the inaugural class of Influential Women in Manufacturing.
The 22 women profiled here, nominated by their peers in industry and
voted as IWiM by an eight-member team of Putman editors, represent
a wide range of industry verticals – from pharmaceutical production
to oil & gas to academia to industrial automation and intelligence.
All, however, share a passion for driving the manufacturing industry
forward and for showing the next generation the exciting, innovation-
fueled opportunities that a career in manufacturing offers.
We launched Influential Women in Manufacturing at the beginning
of 2018 to recognize women who are effecting change in manufactur-
ing and industrial production. While women make up approximately
47% of the U.S. labor force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
they make up only 29% of the U.S. manufacturing workforce. Fur-
thermore, in a 2017 survey of more than 600 women in manufactur-
ing (survey conducted by Deloitte, the Manufacturing Institute and
APICS), more than 70% of respondents said they believe women are
underrepresented in their organization’s leadership team. And that’s
as the U.S. manufacturing industry – undergoing critical shifts in
business models, process management and workforce roles – faces a
projected shortfall of 2 million workers by 2025 (source: Deloitte and
the Manufacturing Institute)
Against that backdrop, we sought to spotlight women who are leading
the charge to spur change in what gets done and how in manufactur-
ing organizations today. Several of our 2018 IWiM honorees are refin-
ing their companies’ or their clients’ approach to asset management,
achieving and sustaining vital process improvement gains, and/or
helping realize major efficiencies and cost savings for their organiza-
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tions. The IWiM Class of 2018 also includes women pursuing cutting-
edge entrepreneurial ventures and instructional roles to educate and
support tomorrow’s manufacturing leaders.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce you to the inaugural class
of Putman Media’s Influential Women in Manufacturing. Our sincere
thanks goes out to Putman CEO John Cappelletti for his ardent sup-
port of this grassroots initiative from Day 1, and to Rockwell Automa-
tion for its sponsorship of this IWiM eBook and IWiM webinar.
More than anything, we hope that this eBook and the Influential
Women in Manufacturing program as a whole serves as inspiration
for readers to recognize their own achievements, celebrate the ac-
complishments of their peers, and seek ways to support young people
exploring a career in today’s dynamic manufacturing industry. If you
know a woman who deserves to be in the IWiM Class of 2019, you can
nominate her beginning in January at influentialwomeninmanufac-
turing.com. We’re proud to note that in this program’s first year, we
received 100 nominations.
Congrats, IWiM honorees. Onward.
Erin Hallstrom,
Alexis Gajewski,
Christine LaFave Grace
IWiM founders
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Eleni AntoniadouClinical trials scientist, the University College of London, and
founder, Transplants Without Donors, www.ucl.ac.uk
ELENI Antoniadou wants to make individualized stem-cell therapies
and artificial organs a reality for patients in need around the world.
Antoniadou, a multidisciplinary translational researcher in the fields
of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and bioastronautics,
has worked as a clinical trials scientist for hospitals in U.K. and the
U.S. as well as at NASA and the European
Space Agency (ESA). She is a graduate of
NASA’s Academy for Space Exploration, where
she conducted research on the impact of
radiation on the central nervous system and
the effects of microgravity in stem cell differ-
entiation. In addition, Antoniadou’s academic
background includes degrees in computer
science, biomedical informatics, bioengineering, and nanotechnol-
ogy and regenerative medicine. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in
regenerative medicine and stem-cell therapies.
Beyond her research, Antoniadou founded a startup, Transplants
Without Donors, to, in her words, “produce off-the-shelf technologies
of stem-cell therapeutics and tissue-engineered organs customizable
for each patient.” Notes fellow UCL researcher Lukas Lindenroth, who
nominated Antoniado, “Her efforts in attempting to connect the dots
between research, technology policies, and entrepreneurship have
been recognized with several academic and industrial distinctions.”
Among these, Antoniadou was recognized as a Young Global Leader
for 2016 by the World Economic Forum, a 30 Under 30 by Forbes
USA, and one of the 100 Most Powerful Women by the BBC. In 2016,
she was elected president of the European Health Parliament, which
seeks to create a blueprint for better, more-efficient delivery of
healthcare to EU residents. Says Lindenroth: “I firmly believe that
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she will grow into one of the leading figures in medicinal manufac-
turing and will continue to be as productive, resourceful and cre-
ative in the years to come and transmit her passion and talent for
research to young scientists.”
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“During my medical volunteering missions in Latin America, several
courageous patients who have been victims of the illegal organ trade
have made an indelible impression on me. Through their perseverance
and audacity to overcome the cruelties that they have faced, they have
motivated me and have also set the bar for my own introspection. I have
encountered human tragedy in its brutal form, and many times I’m
searching those memories for guidance in order to tackle new challenges.
My greatest personal influence has been my father, who has shaped my
own moral compass through his example of living his life with integrity
and compassion, by choosing courage over comfort, choosing what is
right over what is convenient, and choosing to practice his values over
professing them. These influences, through their determination to pursue
a life of purpose, have galvanized me into living in a constant reboot
phase, where I don’t stay idle in my successes or failures and always
strive to develop a spirit of altruism.”Eleni Antoniadou
Clinical trials scientist,
the University College of London, and founder,
Transplants Without Donors
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Jolene BakerSenior Manufacturing Intelligence Specialist, LSI - Logical Systems Inc.
www.logicalsysinc.com
JOLENE Baker is a senior manufacturing intelligence specialist with
systems integrator and engineering consulting firm Logical Sys-
tems Inc. (LSI). Before joining Golden, CO-based LSI in April 2018,
Baker was SMART Plant Lead and IT application specialist at Ciner
Resources, an ore mine and soda ash production facility in Green
River, WY. In her work with Ciner,
Baker was “a pioneer in applying pat-
tern analysis to manufacturing opti-
mization,” says Nikunj Mehta, founder
and CEO of pattern recognition software
company Falkonry. “She was able to
effectively connect the hard problems
in ore processing to SCADA data from
process equipment through pattern analysis,” Mehta noted in nomi-
nating Baker. “She worked diligently through solution development
and validation with both interns and veteran staff. She developed
end-to-end operational systems for long-term use.”
Praised for her skill in bringing together multiple stakeholder
groups, including IT team members, the plant operations depart-
ment and plant management, to successfully implement new tech-
nologies and processes for smarter, more-automated data collection
and analysis, Baker was able to generate “substantial value for her
company,” Mehta says.
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“I asked some industry-entering ‘next-generation’ members their thoughts
about my mentorship influence. They liked that I emphasized the im-
portance of learning to code, was welcoming, encouraged questions, and
cultivated an enjoyable environment with good advice and unexpected
challenges. Their responses generally reflected that they gained intelligence
and enjoyed learning! I mentor using the ideas that curiosity keeps it fun;
communication is key; and always surprise yourself intelligently. I was
fortunate to learn about curiosity, communication and surprise from my
influencers, and now I pass it on.”Jolene Baker
Senior Manufacturing Intelligence Specialist
LSI - Logical Systems Inc.
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Marie-Pierre Bélanger
VP of Digital Solutions and Product Manager for the Industrial Internet
at BlueCrest, formerly a division of Pitney Bowes, www.bluecrestinc.com
WHEN Marie-Pierre Bélanger joined Pitney Bowes’ document mes-
saging technology division, which is now BlueCrest, three years
ago, she was tasked with helping reinvent “a very traditional mail
manufacturing industry,” says her colleague Shemin Nurmohamed.
“In our industry, there is an intense focus on security, speed, accu-
racy and precision,” Nurmohamed notes. “Our
machines process billions of pieces of mail
each year, and our industry is measured in
tenths-of-pennies and fractions-of-seconds.”
Bélanger defined, engineered, designed and
successfully launched Pitney Bowes’ first in-
dustrial internet solution, Clarity. As a new of-
fering for Pitney Bowes systems that leverages
data analytics to increase productivity and lower operations costs,
Clarity collects, integrates and organizes sensor data from remote
systems to support real-time insight, predictive analytics and pre-
scriptive maintenance.
Beyond engineering the system itself, Bélanger was instrumental in
helping Pitney Bowes clients recognize and understand the value of
the new Clarity offering, Nurmohamed adds. “The market started
perceiving Pitney Bowes as a leader,” she says. An internal evange-
list for everyone from sales and service staff to technicians, Bélanger
also, through her efforts, enabled a key partnership with GE. “By tak-
ing an ecosystem-of-data approach and harnessing the power of the
industrial internet and ‘industrial data science,’ she brought Pitney
Bowes to smart manufacturing,” says Nurmohamed.
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“In two ways: First, I am an influencer throughout the print and mail
industry as I truly embrace the workforce-culture shift required to apply
the usage of data for greater machine efficiencies. In my product we use
the industrial internet of things to stream data to create predictive mainte-
nance and observe how operators are running systems. Younger leaders are
more familiar with how to use data, but there is still a large community of
experienced service technicians who are not. Educating them to become data
consultants instead of just doing break/fix is key. I help the younger genera-
tion to respect the experienced workforce and the value they bring to this
new process. Maintaining a good sense of humor helps. Second, there are
so many creative ways for more women to work in manufacturing. Women
are very intuitive and more in tune with design, which makes them perfect
for workflow optimization. As I say in presentations I give: ‘Don’t be afraid
to take a risk. Women are typically very good planners and organizers, and
that makes us forward thinkers.’”Marie-Pierre Bélanger
VP of Digital Solutions and Product Manager
for the Industrial Internet at BlueCrest, formerly a division of
Pitney Bowes
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Mary BunzelGeneral Manager and Industry Leader, Manufacturing
Industry Solutions Group, Intel, www.intel.com
MARY Bunzel has the IWiM distinction of having been nominated by
not just one or two but 12 individuals, both within and outside In-
tel. Colleagues past and present laud her leadership in helping guide
individual organizations and the manufacturing industry as a whole
through a digital evolution. “She is a tireless advocate for technology
adoption in manufacturing operations,” says
Matthew Bellias, who worked with Bunzel at
IBM. “I’ve seen first-hand the impact she’s had
on massive operations, such as Toyota, Honda,
etc.—she knows practically everyone in the re-
liability/EAM industry.” Bellias adds: “She was
one of the first people at IBM to evangelize IoT
to the EAM discipline. And on a personal level,
she taught me this industry when I joined IBM to lead our movement
to IoT and remains a mentor to me in the industry.” Intel’s Natalie Mc-
Millen echoes the praise: “She has become a manufacturing mentor to
me and shown me how exciting manufacturing is,” she says. “She has
fostered my growth as a woman in the manufacturing world.”
In a 10-year career at IBM, Bunzel held roles including portfolio man-
ager for Maximo and global business services development executive.
She was the face to market for IBM’s asset management, IoT and pre-
dictive analytics solutions, managing voice-of-customer forums and
representing the interests of customers to IBM product design groups.
In the past two years at Intel, says Jose Monroy, Bunzel “is leading the
transformation of Intel as a thought leader in IoT (and) Big Data, and
in the process she has built a strong pipeline of women to help as-
sist the manufacturing industry as they go through their own digital
transformation.” Finally, adds ARC Advisory Group’s Paula Hollywood,
“I love spending time with Mary because I generally learn something
from her.”
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How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“Influence is like a ripple in a pond: You never know how far it will go or
the effect it will have. You have to throw your stones as far and wide as
possible and let the effects take hold where they will. In my efforts, I have
sought to
• Amplify: For example, a young female engineer participated in a planning
meeting with an IoT engineering group in China, implementing smart-city
solutions. I was able to place her as corporate liaison for the project. She
now has an opportunity to shine on her own.
• Mentor: For example, a young woman’s Georgia Tech graduate thesis is
focused on AI for robots. Periodically we meet. I’m able to advise her on
use cases, business drivers and industry trends so she can create impor-
tant solutions for industry.
• Inspire: I recently spoke to a group of freshman girls at Neenah High
School about IoT in manufacturing. I shared my excitement about the
world they will contribute to and was impressed by the kinds of questions
they were asking and the world they envision for themselves.
Each of us women who has paved the way in manufacturing has a respon-
sibility to lift up those who follow.”Mary Bunzel
General Manager and Industry Leader,
manufacturing industry solutions group, Intel
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A 26-year veteran of Dow Chemical, Caton LaBean directs the business
manufacturing and technology center for Dow’s Food, Pharma & Medi-
cal and Home & Personal Care businesses. Previously, she held a vari-
ety of positions in Dow AgroSciences, including production engineer,
manufacturing representative on capital projects, project manager and
molecule technology leader. Early in her career,
she established the Women’s Network at Dow’s
Pittsburg, CA, site. Explains her colleague Rich-
ard Donovan, “This diversity network’s purpose
was to connect young female professionals with
senior leadership to provide mentorship and
broaden their perspective of career opportuni-
ties.” Caton LaBean also led the North American
Women’s Innovation Network Implementation Leaders collabora-
tive, where she helped connect and support other Women’s Networks
across North America. As a member of the North American WIN Steer-
ing team, she created the first WIN speed-networking events across
North America and became a sponsor for the WIN network in at Dow’s
largest manufacturing site in Freeport, TX.
Throughout her career, says Donovan, Caton LaBean has helped dozens
of young men and women navigate their careers and be their best at
what they do while maintaining a work-life balance. In 2017, Donovan
notes, Caton LaBean interviewed candidates for a production leader
opening only to find that all of the candidates who put themselves
forward for the job didn’t seem to be the right fit. “Lisa sought out and
encouraged a young female leader to apply,” says Donovan. “She did,
and (she) was by far the most talented applicant. Nine months later,
Lisa checked in with the young leader, who thanked Lisa for believing
in her an encouraging her to apply. (The production leader’s) feedback
to Lisa: ‘You make me brave.’”
Lisa Caton LaBean Business Manufacturing and Technology Center Director
Dow Chemical, www.dow.com/en-us
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“In 1995, I was a newly married engineer at a small manufacturing site. I
enjoyed my job and was interested in leadership. However, the site’s few
woman leaders did not have children. Thus, when I had children, I planned
to quit my job and become a teacher. Then, I was invited to a workshop
sponsored by the Women’s Network at company headquarters. After the
first day, I found myself in a common area with a bottle of wine and three
other ladies. One was Liz Walzel, a plant production leader. As we chatted
about our careers, I declared my plan to quit. Liz looked at me in surprise.
‘Why would you do that?’ she asked. ‘I have children in daycare and they
are doing great!’ That simple statement shook my foundation. I can have
kids and a leadership career? I completely changed my direction. I went
home and started a local Women’s Network. I invited every senior female
leader who passed through to have lunch with us and share her story.
Twenty years later our paths crossed again as we spoke on a leadership
panel in front of 300 young engineers. I thanked her publicly for her brief
but life-changing mentorship.”Lisa Caton LaBean
Business Manufacturing and Technology Center Director
Dow Chemical
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Nancy Corriveau Director of Operations, Blentech Corp.
https://blentech.com
BLENTECH Corp.’s Nancy Corriveau “is one of those leaders who has a
steady and continuous pulse on the details of the business,” says Blen-
tech CEO Daniel Voit. Starting her journey at Bay Area-based food tech-
nology company Blentech in 1987, Corriveau climbed through the com-
pany’s ranks from parts sales and through accounting into operations
management and service oversight. In those 31
years, Blentech’s sales climbed from around $1
million annually to $22 million; Corriveau was
instrumental in helping the company build the
infrastructure needed to scale to that level, Voit
says. “(She) has been an important enabler of
the innovation that propelled our growth,” he
says. “Not only can she anticipate challenges,
but also she develops strategies for avoiding them altogether.” In her
role as operations director, Corriveau has guided the integration of
Blentech’s operations with those of service providers recently acquired
by Blentech, “(laying) the foundation for the company to grow from
being an equipment supplier to being a full-service projects company
with integrated advanced automation,” Voit continues.
He praises Corriveau additionally for her many and varied contribu-
tions to her community – from helping create jobs in Sonoma County
(in the past 10 years alone, Blentech has grown from 34 to 84 employ-
ees) to being an active, involved member of her church community
and supporting efforts to help those affected by last year’s Northern
California wildfires, even as her own home, too, was destroyed. “The
strength required to continue effectively supporting your company,
your teammates, your family and your community in the wake of so
much personal loss is an inspiration to those in her orbit and to me,”
Voit comments.
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“My personal and professional influence has been my late parents. My fa-
ther, Jesse Tapscott, taught me the benefit of family, working hard, loyalty
and respect. I could always count on him to help me with my homework,
compliment me when I dressed up, and listen when I needed to talk. My
mother, Vera Tapscott, was my best friend. She taught me to be genuine
and kind. My father was a self-made man. He went to night school when
we were young, studying engineering. Yearning to be an entrepreneur, he
started his own food processing equipment business. He was an innovator
with a vision to manufacture machines that improved food quality consis-
tency and food safety. He patented a mixer with ribbon agitators containing
scrapers for cooking food products.
I carried this experience to Blentech, where I’ve worked for 32 years, cur-
rently in the role of director of operations. My passion for the food process-
ing equipment manufacturing industry continues today. To witness raw
stock stainless-steel sheet, bar and plate transformed into equipment is a
remarkable manufacturing marvel. Blentech creatively blends simplicity
with technology in its designs and manufacturing. To work here provides
me more than employment – they are my extended family.”Nancy Corriveau
Director of Operations
Blentech Corp.
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Adds Blentech President Darrell Horn: “Nancy and a number of other
committed employees have become the assets that have helped to
grow Blentech into a major international manufacturer of complex
food processing systems that process famous brands of food products
from companies such as Campbell Soup, Nestle, HJ Heinz, Tyson, Sara
Lee and many others. Blentech is very proud of Nancy’s management
success as well as the future prospects for Blentech with leaders like
Nancy at the helm.”
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Kelly Finch Director of Technology
O-AT-KA Milk Products Coop. Inc, http://www.oatkamilk.com
KELLY Finch creates success for O-AT-KA Milk by seizing on technol-
ogy as an enabler of business process improvements and workforce
optimization, according to Jill Smith, senior director at ERP provider
Aptean. “She looks at a process in manufacturing and can envision
ways of layering in traditional information technology with manufac-
turing processes to deliver a more integrated,
automated, optimized, and user-friendly
approach,” Smith says. Working with plant
equipment and application vendors to suc-
cessfully source and implement solutions
that will advance O-AT-KA Milk’s objectives,
Finch “has been instrumental in the selection,
implementation and upgrades for the enter-
prise technology systems at the core of the manufacturing facility,”
says Smith, who adds, “Her leadership has resulted in many techno-
logical advancements that emphasize the company’s commitment to
delivering a safe and quality product to consumers.”
Finch began her career at O-AT-KA in 1992 as assistant to the CEO and
quickly found a passion for manufacturing, Smith notes. By 1994, she
was named systems administrator within the newly formed IT depart-
ment – a role in which she laid the groundwork for O-AT-KA’s first net-
work, says Smith. In 2009, she went back to school full-time while also
balancing her full-time career and family life; she earned her bachelor’s
degree in 2011, graduating with a 3.98 GPA. “On a larger scale,” Smith
says, “Kelly’s passion for process design and improvement have com-
plemented the technological applications that Kelly has put in place.
These changes have replaced many of the non-value-added tasks with
automated solutions, ultimately creating efficiencies and optimization
within the manufacturing plant. This gives workers the opportunity
to pursue a more fulfilling role within the plant.” Continues Smith:
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“I have been lucky enough to have had numerous people positively influ-
ence my professional career. Contemplating who had the greatest impact,
I reviewed my career and which area I felt I developed the most. I have
always prided myself on the idea that I can do whatever I set my mind to,
and over time I realized, ‘You cannot do it alone.’ I am honored and grate-
ful to say that my greatest professional influence is my team.
I have developed and grown over my 26-year career in manufacturing,
and the last few years have been the most significant, thanks to my
team. Each person has different strengths and unique backgrounds, and
each challenges me in different ways to be a better leader. Their trust
in me, their openness to challenge me with their independent thinking,
their dedication to their own growth, their loyalty to the company, and
their commitment to accept and evolve with the ever-changing world of
manufacturing constantly reminds me that I must continue to evolve as
a leader. When I feel discouraged, I see their strength, which is conta-
gious, and I keep driving forward. They inspire me to be a better leader.
As leaders, one of our jobs is to develop our teams. Little did I know how
much they would influence my development.”Kelly Finch
Director of Technology
O-AT-KA Milk Products Coop Inc.
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“One software solution that Kelly introduced focuses on continuous
improvement on the shop floor, empowering employees to make the
best decisions they can by giving them real-time visibility and metrics
within the facility … I am proud to work alongside Kelly Finch as she
continues to advance the interests of her company, while upholding its
commitment to the local farmers and customers it serves.”
NameTitle, company
website
19 | IWiM
SINCE starting her manufacturing career with an internship at a
consumer products manufacturing plant, Freeman has accumulated
experience in the food and beverage, forest-products, and pharmaceu-
tical sectors. In her current role as business development manager at
Rockwell Automation, Freeman works with multiple product groups to
develop new products and features that meet
the unique automation application needs of
customers in the entertainment and theme-
park industry. Says Rockwell Automation’s Kris-
ten Crump, who nominated Freeman: “Linda
has advocated new methods of conducting
business, developed business plans to expand
into new market opportunities, and coached up,
across and down the Rockwell Automation organization on how to suc-
ceed in new industry applications while winning the loyalty of our cus-
tomers. Her methods are used by other teams to replicate successes.”
A subject-matter expert in industrial cybersecurity, Freeman created a
class on cybersecurity for safety-rated control systems and has taught
that class for the past five years. She recently was nominated to the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions’ (IAAPA)
global security committee to be the thought leader for cybersecurity
education; she is the only manufacturing representative on the com-
mittee.
Freeman “has been a positive influence for women in manufacturing
throughout her career,” says Crump. She is a life member and volun-
teer for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and was a key devel-
oper of the Rockwell Automation Society of Women Engineers (RASWE)
employee resource group, which looks to help women attain technical
and leadership skills that can prepare them for promotions and suc-
Linda FreemanBusiness Development Manager, Rockwell Automation
www.rockwellautomation.com
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“The young generation today has many choices for technology careers, so
earning mindshare about fun and fulfilling opportunities in manufacturing
is key. Future leaders often chose career paths based on their experiences
when younger, so those of us working in manufacturing need to engage
with students pre-high school graduation and during post-secondary educa-
tion to share our stories. Manufacturing is a mystery to many, while others
think of old stereotypes. Education about the impact manufacturing has in
the world, how high-tech skills are utilized to solve a wide array of chal-
lenges, and the multitude of career opportunities for people of any education
level can build a future pipeline. I am active in the FIRST Robotics program,
where teams of students in grades K-12 build robots for competition, and
with Society of Women Engineers and ASTM International. In addition, I
lead student workshops about the varied career options in manufacturing
and mentor students about career path choices.”Linda Freeman
Business Development Manager, Rockwell Automation
20 | IWiM
cess in their careers. Freeman “led communications with upper man-
agement about the value of this professional organization to individual
members and to the company, inviting the executives to attend SWE
events so they could see the benefits first-hand,” Crump adds. “Her
strategic thinking and determination to inspire greater involvement
and support has driven more value out of the partnership for both
organizations, Rockwell Automation and SWE.”
Now, RASWE presents annually at professional conferences and con-
ducts precollege outreach activities to educate students about STEM
careers in manufacturing. Involvement in the company’s employee
resource group (ERG) has grown from 10 female engineers in the U.S. to
more than 500 worldwide, and group members score higher on em-
ployee engagement surveys, Crump notes.
Recently, Freeman earned the Pioneer Award from RAWifi – Rock-
well Automation Women in the Field, a second ERG that was created
from RASWE.
21 | IWiM
ANDREA Funk departed Cambridge-Lee Industries, a global player
in the copper tubing industry, in March, but in her four years as
CEO, she left an indelible mark, according to colleague Michele
Blood. Talking to employees and being transparent, congratulat-
ing employees on achieving milestones, getting her hands dirty
and being on the shop floor” all contributed to
Funk’s keen understanding of not only what is
needed to create a better, more cost-efficient
product but also what team members need to
thrive. “Some CEOs say they have an open-
door policy; however, it’s only open when
they choose it to be,” Blood says. “Not in the
case of Andi. There are no curtains or walls
that you need to break down to have your voice heard.” During her
tenure, Funk rolled out or provided needed structure to initiatives
related to data-driven decision making, operational excellence, and
employee engagement, Blood notes. Use of data analytics to reduce
costs and pursue new sales opportunities expanded under Funk’s
leadership, says Blood.
As a member of the board of directors of the Copper Development
Association, Funk played a key role in advocating for the industry,
working to support job creation and striving to shield the sector
from international instability. In 2012, Funk, then CFO of CLI, led a
successful effort to persuade CLI leadership from Mexico to build
a new production facility in Berks County. Funk’s strategic vision
and comprehensive business plan, along with working with local
organizations and state government officials, helped keep 450 jobs
in Berks County and laid the groundwork for an additional 250 jobs
to be brought to the area, Blood says. Among numerous philan-
thropic roles she has held, Funk serves on the board of directors of
Andrea FunkDirector, Crown Holdings Inc. and TouchPoint Inc.
Previously CEO, Cambridge-Lee Industries, http://www.camlee.com
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“One of the major milestones in my life was the decision to work for my
father. At the time, I wondered, ‘How fun could manufacturing be?’ It’s
been more than 15 years since I made one of the best decisions of my life.
Through my father and our family business, American Crane and Equip-
ment Corp., I found my passion for manufacturing. My father has been a
constant mentor and role model. I am very fortunate to have his influence
on my life, both personally and professionally. I am a better person and
business leader because of his guidance.”Andrea Funk
Director, Crown Holdings Inc. and TouchPoint Inc.
Previously CEO, Cambridge-Lee Industries
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United Way of Berks (PA) County and as a member of the President’s
Advisory Council for Alvernia University. She is a 2014 recipient of
the Manufacturing Institute’s National STEP Award.
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Marie GetsugProgram Manager, Strategic Consulting–Asset Management
Jacobs Engineering Group, http://www.jacobs.com
MARIE Getsug, a highly respected industry leader in asset manage-
ment best practices and design for reliability, currently serves as
program manager of strategic consulting for asset management
at Dallas-based Jacobs Engineering Group. Getsug has 30 years
of experience in several industrial sectors and has served as the
maintenance and reliability manager for four
Fortune 100 companies. Trained and certified
in reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), ISO
55000 standards, vibration analysis, ultra-
sound, lubrication, thermography and root-
cause analysis, she is sought out as a teacher
and speaker by industry groups nationwide. In
addition, she was the founder and past chair
of the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals’ (SMRP)
Pharma & Biotech Shared Interest Group.
Says Getsug of the concept of design for reliability: “Design for reli-
ability is about looking at a project and the assets from an entire
lifecycle approach and honoring the perspective of stakeholders
from each phase of the asset lifecycle. Three ways DfR can improve
the value proposition are by designing out failure modes; ensuring
the design is maintainable, reliable, accessible, cleanable, oper-
able, etc.; and facilitating input to reflect best practices from the
stakeholders who operate and maintain the assets.” ARC Advisory
Group’s Paula Hollywood, who nominated Getsug, says: “She demon-
strates thought leadership gleaned from practical experience … Ma-
rie has moved her team forward based on practical lessons learned
in her work. I have the utmost respect for Marie and her intimate
knowledge of asset management best practice.”
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“I like to share my perspective with the ‘next generation of manufacturing
leaders’ to help them have the insight to navigate their own path. Having
30 years of experience, and not one year of experience 30 times, provides
me with a vast number of stories, perspectives, and examples to share with
those seeking to understand their options for which career path to pursue.
Sheri Tickner, for whom I work at Jacobs, nicknamed me ‘The Bridge.’
Benefiting from Sheri’s leadership, insights, and support to launch a new
practice has proved to be one of the most empowering, inspiring and moti-
vating experiences of my career. As ‘The Bridge,’ I work to bring different
perspectives to others to help them discover that they don’t know what they
don’t know and provide new viewpoints for them to consider. My hope is
that in sharing my experience (wins, successes, failures, insights, perspec-
tives, learnings, stories, etc.) with the next generation of manufacturing
leaders, they may be able to avoid having to experience each of these things
for themselves. If someone asks me to discuss their career ambitions with
them, I make it a point to connect and provide perspectives they wouldn’t
otherwise consider. I typically entertain a few calls a month. The Bridge in
me aspires to make connections among people.”Marie Getsug
Program Manager, Strategic Consulting–Asset Management
Jacobs Engineering Group
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Peggy GulickDirector of Digital Transformation for Global Manufacturing,
AGCO Corp., http://www.agcocorp.com
SOME manufacturers struggle with both the will and the resources
to seize upon and successfully implement new technologies de-
signed to increase efficiency. But under Peggy Gulick’s leadership,
agricultural equipment maker AGCO has created “a culture of in-
novation and learning and a culture that also embraces technology,”
says Gulick’s colleague Eric Fisher.
“Peggy was a pioneer for AGCO, the
first to lead both IT resources and tra-
ditional lean efforts,” Fisher says. “The
entire culture has evolved under her
leadership to seek to ‘pioneer’ technol-
ogy in the operation,” he adds, whether
that’s in, for example, the implementa-
tion of virtual reality for training, the introduction of 3D printing, or
the use of wearables on the shop floor to track ergonomic data and
support real-time communication.
Now, Fisher notes, Gulick is leading AGCO’s tech-forward effort world-
wide, including in the company’s South American and European
plants, where the recent addition of wearables on the plant floor is
producing substantial results. Gulick “was the initiator in mentoring
our up-and-coming women and involving the entire organization in de-
veloping a women’s network (AGWN, the AGCO Global Women’s Net-
work),” Fisher says. He adds: “I started as Peg’s boss, and now we are
peers, and Peg is one of those rare individuals who is very passionate,
professional, and extremely driven to make a difference beyond just a
plant – she is driven to also make a difference in a corporation and the
entire industry. For me personally, this tenacity in how she approaches
her work pushes her leaders and peers to perform at a higher level.”
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“I have had so many great mentors in my life who have shared with me
the leadership characteristics, traits, skills, and styles that led to their
successes. Influencing our future generation of leaders in manufacturing
requires building trust, embracing authenticity, and remaining consistent
with expectations and rewards. Expectations need to include the ability to
fail fast, learn, and grow and should be in response to problem-solving and
not merely related to task-assignment. We must encourage employees to
stay true to themselves while giving them the tools and confidence to chal-
lenge the status quo. AGCO allows me to commit to employees’ growth and
continuous learning to help them better understand the value that they offer
to the overall organization. Employee-suggestion programs have delivered
wearable technology and 3D-printing solutions. It is our duty to show the
younger generations that manufacturing is a career – it is highly advanced
and technical – not just a job. Inviting high school students to partner in
projects like Google Glass, additive manufacturing, collaborative robots and
autonomous vehicles has advanced the local understanding of the skills
necessary to work in manufacturing today.”Peggy Gulick
Director of Digital Transformation
for Global Manufacturing
AGCO Corp.
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Rebecca Holland NewGroup Vice President
Thermo Fisher Scientific, www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home.html
REBECCA Holland New became part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific
team in 2017 as part of Thermo Fisher’s acquisition of Patheon, a North
Carolina-based pharmaceutical contractor specializing in drug develop-
ment and delivery. Her legacy at Patheon, says colleague Mari Mans-
field, includes an overhaul of the company’s organizational culture and
business strategy, which helped drive revenue
from $650 million to $1.5 billion in five years.
“In 2011, Patheon had a good reputation, but it
lacked a unifying culture and strategy,” Man-
sfield says. “Rebecca’s first task was to trans-
form Patheon’s culture. A true thought leader,
Rebecca was the catalyst behind creating the
Patheon One Company Culture and working
with CEO James Mullen to establish the company’s five guiding com-
mitments that drive the culture.” Holland New, who holds a bachelor’s
degree in economics, marketing and finance and a master’s degree in
industrial and labor relations from Cornell University, “built expec-
tations for leaders and selected talent based upon their willingness
to support the strategy and be a fit with the newly formed culture,”
continues Mansfield. “During her first 18 months, 75% of the company’s
top 200 leaders were changed; placed were people in roles where they
could scale and add value; (and) ‘diamonds’ were pulled to the top.”
New training that emphasized driving change and enabling employees
to identify process improvements was implemented. Holland New also
led the creation of a repeatable, simple “playbook” for M&A diligence
and successful integration, Mansfield says, which allowed for seam-
less and quick (90-day) integrations of Patheon’s five acquisitions in
the past four years. Holland New “came into her role aiming to triple
Patheon’s size and change how the industry operates – specifically
focusing on building a sustainable culture of performance,” says Mans-
field. “On this, she has not wavered.”
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“Large- and small-molecule solutions treat patients and provide hope for
families; growth in medical need fuels the need for STEM talent pipelines.
Talent and innovation is in high demand; it’s our future and necessary for
our continued success accelerating more than 4,000 clinical programs to
market. I have been personally involved in tripling headcount and build-
ing the industry’s first end-to-end supply chain in contract development
and manufacturing, enabling our No. 1 market position – we launched
two times more drugs than our competitors over the last decade. I actively
support STEM education; it is essential to demonstrate the exciting role that
science plays in students’ lives and their potential to become involved in ad-
vancing new discoveries. I partnered with North Carolina State University
on designing education programs focused on women in technology, financial
training for supply-chain leaders and biomanufacturing. I expanded co-op/
intern programs globally and serve on panels/advisory boards with COIN,
BIO, PBOA, Life Sciences and the NC Research Triangle. Mentoring has been
a ‘given’ throughout my career, and I am proud to provide advisory support
to programs and students. The students of today will lead future innovation
and the next wave of technical advances in our industry.”Rebecca Holland New
Group Vice President
Thermo Fisher Scientific
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Rachelle HowardSenior Process Control Engineer
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, http://www.vrtx.com
RACHELLE Howard, who holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and
process control, “brings a highly innovative mindset to the field of
pharmaceutical manufacturing,” says Dennis Nash, president and
CEO of industrial technology and training services provider Control
Station. Currently, Howard is applying her process expertise and
innovation-focused approach as the automa-
tion lead in the development, implementation
and continuous improvement of the indus-
try’s first commercially approved continuous
manufacturing process, Nash notes. He adds:
“In each of her manufacturing-related assign-
ments, she lends a deep understanding of
manufacturing processes that has facilitated
the successful application of software-based solutions to a range
of complex production challenges.” While pursuing her doctoral
degree at the University of Connecticut, Howard developed a novel
method for assessing control-loop performance. “The research she
performed and the subsequent publication of her findings helped to
advance the state of plantwide process monitoring and diagnostic
technologies,” Nash says – and it helped spur Control Station’s entry
into that market. Working for Genzyme, Howard leveraged her Ph.D.
thesis to successfully design an automated technology that analyzed
plant data and identified underperforming control loops.
Today, as senior process control engineer at Vertex Pharmaceuti-
cals, Howard leads oversight and administration of the company’s
manufacturing automation infrastructure. She also is active in a
company-sponsored Women in Leadership initiative, serves as an
informal mentor to other female engineers, and has volunteered for
STEM and reading outreach programs at local grade schools. Praises
Nash: “From the procurement and successful implementation of
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“As a female engineer in an industry dominated by men, I’ve felt the need
to work harder to prove my strengths and dedication. I’ve also felt the
need to work harder to demonstrate that my thoughts are worth hearing.
After graduate school, I met my greatest professional influence, Bill, who
had more than 25 years’ experience in industry. He took time to teach me,
and he was also eager to learn from my experiences. Working with Bill, I
saw how his knowledge engendered respect from his co-workers and how
that respect provided a solid framework from which to positively influence
their decisions. His willingness to listen gave me the confidence to voice my
recommendations and demonstrate my knowledge, which opened oppor-
tunities to take on new challenges. One new challenge was joining Vertex
Pharmaceuticals, where I was the first in-house automation engineer. To be
successful in this role, I needed to not only understand the technical details
but also be able to teach the concepts to others and earn their respect. Ver-
tex is an exciting, forward-thinking company, and my being able to further
influence our advances in manufacturing is incredibly rewarding. I still feel
I need to work harder as a woman to prove myself, but I am fortunate to
have gained the confidence to make my voice heard.”Rachelle Howard
Senior Process Control Engineer
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
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new production automation solutions, such as data-historian and
control-system technologies, to the development and adoption of
customized automation and controls procedures, Dr. Howard has
played an essential role in the evolution of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’
core manufacturing business.”
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“SUPERVISOR of validation” perhaps doesn’t convey the enormity of
being the individual accountable for the maintenance of more than
2,000 active pieces of equipment, but Jan Lindsey has tackled the
role with a focus on maintaining impeccable standards and promot-
ing the integral value of the validation team’s
work throughout the Children’s GMP organiza-
tion, suggests her colleague James Knight. And
it’s critically important work: Children’s GMP
is the Good Manufacturing Practice facility that
operates on-site at St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital in Memphis, TN. The facility “plays
a critical role in moving promising discover-
ies from St. Jude laboratories into our clinics,
ensuring that biopharmaceuticals and other biological products
for patient use are manufactured in accordance with strict federal
regulations,” St. Jude’s website notes.
Knight, director of quality assurance, says of Lindsey: “She has
directed equipment validation projects, process validation proj-
ects and hardware/software validation projects. Always willing to
step up, she has filled in as manager of our deviation management
program and served as an auditor for our vendor audit program.
Through her unique style of leadership, she has been able to guide
and influence our entire organization to (prioritize) compliance.”
Further, Lindsey’s work has inspired and helped open doors for
other women within the department and throughout Children’s
GMP as a whole, he says. “What a mentor she has become!” Knight
lauds, adding: “As her past director, I can tell you that she has made
my career easier and much more enjoyable. Because her work is
always near-perfect, she has made my oversight easy.”
Jan LindseySupervisor of Validation,
Children’s GMP LLC, http://www.stjude.org
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“In 1955, a young man lost his father. To help his mother, he began, at 16,
driving a school bus. In those days, all of the drivers were students and
received a free lunch along with their driving salary. In 1962, when he was
married and had a pregnant wife, he quit college just one semester short of
earning his engineering degree so that he could work full time for his fam-
ily. After that baby was born, he worked two jobs to support his family. In
1969, to give his children additional educational opportunities, he moved
his family from Winston-Salem to Atlanta, where he worked his regular
job and cut firewood on the weekends. This man, now 78 years old and
retired, continues to work for others. He makes and donates chairs, swings,
and toys used by occupational therapists to help mentally and physically
challenged children at the Signal Center in Chattanooga, TN. He serves as a
church trustee to ensure others have a safe place to worship.
I have seen this man work and help others all my life. He is my father, Ed-
ward Green, and he continues to be my greatest personal influence.”Jan Lindsey
Supervisor of Validation,
Children’s GMP LLC
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Anne LuciettoAssistant Professor, Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s
School of Engineering Technology, https://polytechnic.purdue.edu
ANNE Lucietto, a mechanical engineer by training, worked in indus-
try for the likes of Caterpillar and Fermi National Accelerator Labo-
ratory before starting her “second career” as an assistant professor
at Purdue University in 2014. She obtained a Ph.D. in engineering
education from Purdue in 2014 and has spent the past several years
pursuing a passion for helping ensure that
today’s engineering students are sufficiently
prepared for their careers. Lucietto says she
aims to provide students “with the means to
launch into their first position with confi-
dence and a high level of practical knowl-
edge” – things she hadn’t always seen in her
years of hiring and training recent gradu-
ates. Says one of Lucietto’s recent students: “Prof. Lucietto is real-
world. That’s a refreshing thing because a lot of other teachers are
obsessed with grades, books and school. She’s obsessed with helping
us learn what to expect post-grad.” Adds another: “(She) does not
make her knowledge of the content the focus. She encourages ques-
tions and discussions and even contributes to the questions to make
us think on a deeper level to connect different ideas.”
Lucietto is a life member and fellow in the Society of Women Engi-
neers (SWE) and has served as the organization’s national treasurer
and as a section president; she recently was named chair-elect of the
organization’s Women in Academia committee. In addition, beyond
contributing leadership and mentorship at the national level with
SWE and within the Purdue Polytechnic Institute community, Lucietto
advocates for STEM outreach locally by serving on the board of direc-
tors at Imagination Station, a science center in Lafayette, IN.
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“As an engineering professional in industry/manufacturing for nearly three
decades, I witnessed new graduates’ successes and shortcomings. Far too
often, incoming new professionals were well-educated but lacked the ability
to articulate their thoughts or apply the things they had learned and were
ineffective in team interaction. As one who learned and practiced the skills
required to be successful, I wanted to teach and help these students launch
into professional situations with ease. While my colleagues chose to discuss
retirement, I considered my next step. That was to change my career in
leadership roles to academia. After researching the best place to go, I real-
ized a terminal degree was required to obtain the positions I had identified
as supportive of my goals. In the academic setting, I have had the opportu-
nity to coach, mentor and influence senior students as they make their leap
into lifelong careers.”Anne Lucietto
Assistant Professor, Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s
School of Engineering Technology
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Brianne MurphyMarketing and Media Specialist
Longterm Technology Services, http://www.longtermtec.com
BRIANNE Murphy is applying her experience in academia – she’s a
former college professor – to help bridge the gap between academ-
ics and industry at Longterm Technology Services in Ontario, Can-
ada. Her colleague Chetan Gautam, a technical support engineer
at Longterm, writes: “Brianne has been instrumental in setting up
academic initiatives to connect industry with
universities and colleges so students have ac-
cess to premium CAD/CAM/CAE software used
in the field, including robotics and plant simu-
lation.” LTS, an independent consultant firm
and Siemens channel partner, already has
partnered with Western University, Fanshawe
College and St. Clair College’s Skilled Trades
Regional Training Centre to provide software, training, and cer-
tification, with the aim of helping to ensure that students gradu-
ate with the advanced skills and tech-savvy that manufacturers
urgently need. LTS also collaborates with higher-education institu-
tions on research projects that focus on machining technology and
industrial innovation.
Now, says Gautam, “With the successful launch of these programs,
(Murphy) is expanding to the high-school level to increase positive
exposure for trades and enhance recruitment.” Murphy arranges
student tours of shop floors, Gautam notes, and organizes com-
pany visits to classrooms to demonstrate current industry projects
and expose students to cutting-edge technology and to the wide
range of opportunities available in industry. States Murphy her-
self: “Despite an immediate, critical need for technology-trained
professionals, our customers have difficulty finding qualified can-
didates … We’re helping prepare the next generation of engineers
for rewarding STEM careers.” Murphy, an active member of the
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“As a former educator, I’m able to bring my expertise to the manufactur-
ing industry to help fill the skills gap with a fresh perspective. My pas-
sion for the industry helps me promote Manufacturing Day to encourage
the public, governmental bodies, guidance counselors, students and
parents to reframe perceptions on manufacturing. I share my experience
by mentoring young people, and I encourage girls and women to pursue
careers in trades and manufacturing. I am eager to participate in the
2018 Build A Dream event, which connects parents and daughters with
female mentors in skilled trades and in careers where women are under-
represented. This also includes networking with manufacturing compa-
nies. Together, we can achieve the impossible.”Brianne Murphy
Marketing and Media Specialist
Longterm Technology Services
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Canadian Tooling & Mining Association (CTMA) and the Canadian
Association of Mold Makers (CAMM), recently received the Top Mar-
keting Program Award for the Siemens Americas partners.
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Carol PtakPartner, Demand Driven Institute
https://www.demanddriveninstitute.com
CAROL Ptak’s 40-plus-years career in manufacturing and supply
chain started with a minimum-wage role on the shop floor. Quickly
rising through a variety of roles with industrial heavyweights such
as IBM, she gained international recognition while working for Heath
Tecna, a Tier One supplier for Boeing, for successfully combining
Lean, Six Sigma and MRP in her facility; this
earned the Boeing Pride in Excellence Award.
Ptak is a longtime member of and active par-
ticipant in APICS, a supply-chain professional
society, and was selected president and CEO
of the society in 2000 – becoming the first and
so far only woman to hold those roles. As vice
president and global industry executive for
manufacturing and distribution industries at PeopleSoft, she devel-
oped the concept of demand-driven manufacturing; she and fellow
Demand Driven Institute partner Chad Smith then went on to articu-
late a Demand Driven Material Requirements Planning methodology
to help businesses better manage their supply chain and succeed in
enterprise resource planning.
Ptak now travels the world teaching this method, having trained busi-
nesses in Europe, South America, Australia and Russia in DDMRP. She
recently was a visiting professor and distinguished executive in resi-
dence at Pacific Lutheran University.
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“The greatest professional influence in my career was Dr. Elaine Jeveli,
who hired me at two different companies. She was emphatic that I had to
find my professional association and get involved. This led me to a 40-year
relationship with APICS. In the 1970s, when I joined the organization, the
opportunities for and acceptance of women in manufacturing was very
limited. However, the opportunity to network with fellow supply-chain pro-
fessionals leveraged and created opportunities that catapulted my entire ca-
reer. I can track every professional success I have had in my career to some
connection with APICS. My volunteer work at APICS led to my selection as
president and CEO of the organization – and I am still the only female ever
to hold that position. Dr. Jeveli’s advice and mentoring was absolutely the
leverage point to success.”Carol Ptak
Partner, Demand Driven Institute
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Miranda ShopeVP of Operations, Avid Solutions
http://www.avidsolutionsinc.com
IT’S often repeated that one of the keys to engaging Millennial
employees – and persuading them to stick with their employer – is
helping them understand how their role factors in to the company’s
overall objectives. In her current role as VP of operations for engi-
neering consulting firm Avid Solutions and previously as director of
global operations for Rockwell Automation, Mi-
randa Shope has done just that to great effect,
says Avid Solutions’ Lacy Veltmann. Shope
“has a unique way of making her team mem-
bers feel as though their role within the com-
pany is important and understands the infinite
details of their jobs and how each impacts
operational success of the business,” Veltmann
says. “Miranda actively listens and engages with colleagues and
staff, empowering them to do their best work and giving them the
confidence to achieve their goals.” Her supportive, strategic leader-
ship style, as characterized by Veltmann – defined by a willingness
to delegate authority and an insistence on accountability, as well as
by a commitment to using detailed analytics to inform decisions –
helped drive a nearly 50% reduction in turnover in a previous role.
Shope received a bachelor’s degree in Pulp and Paper Science and
Technology from North Carolina State University and went on to
obtain her MBA from Pfeiffer University. Aiming to support women
in engineering and especially those in the male-dominated pulp
and paper industry, she has participated in or led several women-
in-engineering panels. Helping in these panels remains a top prior-
ity for Shope, as the panel encourages women in the industry to
guide college-age engineers in better understanding and accessing
a network focused on helping them achieve success. Shope herself
has hired and mentored several female engineers in the pulp and
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“My greatest personal and professional influence is Gus Cottros. I met Gus
when I was a student at NCSU and he was general manager of the global
paper chemicals division at Rohm & Haas and a director of the NC State
Pulp & Paper Foundation. After graduation, when I joined the Pulp & Paper
Foundation, Gus became my sounding board, both personally and profes-
sionally. We have similar personalities and work styles – (I found that) Gus
had already worked through and learned from things that I was experienc-
ing. I would reach out to him to gain his perspective on tough situations,
like the day I decided to leave my first job. Gus had a way of telling me
what I needed to hear without allowing me to doubt myself – one thing he
gave me that no one had given me before. He made me realize that I should
always trust myself. Through that guidance, I knew that no matter how
many mistakes I made or feathers I ruffled, I was capable of anything. This
is what I focus on with students I meet, professionals I mentor, and people I
manage. It’s what builds strong leaders!”Miranda Shope
VP of Operations, Avid Solutions
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paper and industrial automation sectors. With the belief that “pro-
moting others’ success before your own makes you more accom-
plished,” Veltmann adds, Shope “has discovered ways to empower
each of her team members.”
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Elizabeth TaylorOperations Manager, Eastern Oil Co.
http://www.easternoil.com
ELIZABETH Taylor’s career-spanning commitment to helping com-
panies develop and implement strategic plans that are rooted in
world-class manufacturing principles is informed, in part, by global
experience. A passionate beer brewer – initially as a hobby – Taylor
took a pause from her role as an organizational development consul-
tant at DuPont in 2013 to complete the de-
manding WBA Master Brewer program at the
prestigious Siebel Institute of Technology &
Doemens Academy in Germany. Already a Six
Sigma green belt and a certified Lean practi-
tioner, Taylor went to work after her return to
the States applying the centuries-old process
control and root-cause analysis principles that
were a focus at Siebel in combination with modern digital data-analy-
sis tools as a brewer at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. There, she refined
data collection of yeast harvests to improve timing and yield, devel-
oped and implemented a process management system for updating
and reviewing standard operating procedures, and drove 5S improve-
ments for the fermentation cellars.
Later, at Axalta Coating Systems, Taylor helped create current and
future-state value-stream maps for production, in the process iden-
tifying 40 opportunities to maintain capacity with a 10% reduction in
product batch size. She also designed, coordinated and facilitated 5S
training to 600-plus employees and contractors, and developed Right
First Time metrics and standardized processes to improve operators’
knowledge base. A leader in coaching employees on collaboration and
skills development as well as Lean manufacturing principles, Taylor is
also a longtime Society of Women Engineers (SWE) member and cur-
rent director of local engagement on SWE’s board of directors.
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“My career path has been somewhat different from others’ within manu-
facturing: Many have an upward trajectory, whereas mine looks a bit like a
sine wave. I started as an engineer in manufacturing, moved into a first-line
manager role on shift, and then was a consultant to manufacturing. I then
chose to go to the floor as a brewer to learn the ropes and gain skills I knew
I would not get as a first-line, as well as to gain credibility. When you work
in manufacturing, I think a lot of the work you do is gaining credibility
with the team. How do they know they can rely on you and trust you? How
do they know you’re listening to their concerns and taking actions? There
have been a lot of things that I’ve done that many would consider ‘not my
job.’ I instead took them as an opportunity to gain credibility and better
understand the work that my peers had to do on a daily basis. My career at
DuPont gave me an incredible grounding in safety, and I was lucky to have
had a lot of fantastic mentors and coaches at all levels – production floor,
peers, management and upper leadership. I haven’t regretted any assign-
ment I’ve had; some I’ve liked more than others. All of them, I’ve found,
have built upon one another and provided me with new skill sets that have
influenced each subsequent role. How I am influencing the next generation
of manufacturing leaders is by not being afraid to take a risk and try new
experiences, even if it means a ‘demotion’ in the eyes of others. I do my best
to lead by example, and I think that when people hear my resume, they’re
both surprised and excited to think, ‘If she has done it, then I can, too.’”Elizabeth Taylor
Operations Manager, Eastern Oil Co.
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Dona TsengSenior Principal Engineer
Shire PLC, https://www.shire.com
DONA Huey Jie Tseng “is the most successful biopharm engineer
that no one knows about,” says Gary Riccio, president of biotech and
pharmaceutical consultancy GMR Engineering. Tseng, senior principal
engineer at Shire since 2016 and before that a leader in the same role at
Baxter International, “has successfully designed and managed the most
challenging manufacturing projects for compa-
nies such as Shire, Gilead, Baxter, Grifols and
others,” Riccio says. She has solved manufac-
turing-related FDA compliance issues for clients
under warning letter and consent decree, he
notes, and has a 100% first-time approval track
record on all of her FDA submissions in the past
20 years. Among her other accomplishments,
Riccio adds, Tseng created a fast-track methodology for developing and
implementing new drug processes and has designed and implemented
innovative processes for such critical tasks as sanitation and bioburden
reduction. “When engineering and quality groups cannot determine
root cause for FDA 483s and other compliance issues, they go to Huey
Jie for help,” he says. In 2011, he notes, Tseng took over a project that
Baxter had worked on without success for more than 10 years – tweak-
ing the viral reduction process for a nanofiltered drug that had an esti-
mated market value of $100 million a year – and successfully developed
and implemented a new process that passed conformance tests on the
first try. “Huey Jie has mentored me on drug manufacturing processes
and compliance solutions, and as an engineering contractor, I have
been able to take what I have learned fro her and provide unique solu-
tions for my clients,” Riccio says. In 2016, Tseng, who received her MS
in chemical engineering from National Taiwan University, served as
president of the Los Angeles chapter of ISPE, the International Society
for Pharmaceutical Engineering.
How are you influencing the next generation of manufacturing leaders?
“First, from factory floor to C-suite, my door is always open to anyone
looking for help, no matter your problem or experience level. Hav-
ing served in trade associations such as the International Society for
Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), my focus on training programs for
young professional and student members is their effectiveness. (Want to
increase your value and get connected? Join your local chapter!) Now I
want to go a step further: My current mission is to develop systems that
fast-track new clinical drugs from the laboratory to clinical doctors and
patients who are desperately waiting for new, life-saving treatments.
Having lost my husband and best friend to cancer, it is also a very
personal mission. But therein lies an opportunity that can impact our
industry, our universities, our next generation and the patients that we
serve. My plan forges a partnership between biopharm companies and
universities where, using single-use technology, we can speed new drugs
to market. It capitalizes on university research, provides students with
real-world training even before they leave the university, and brings
hope to patients and their families. Generating revenue for the univer-
sity is an additional side benefit. I know it’s doable. Care to join me in
this endeavor?”Dona Tseng
Senior Principal Engineer, Shire PLC
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Lisa WebbVP of Operations, Gorton’s Inc.
https://www.gortons.com
LISA Webb “plays a major role in ensuring optimization and effi-
ciency of our operations team,” says Donald Lynch, VP of research
and development and quality assurance at Gorton’s. “She brings
many excellent ideas to the organization to help us constantly im-
prove and grow, including providing leadership for the engineering
team to design more-efficient equipment.”
Webb has played a key role in helping Gor-
ton’s become more flexible and agile from an
operations standpoint, Lynch adds, leading
the remodeling of the company’s plants and
helping shape business strategy to position
Gorton’s well for the future. In 2016, while
Webb was VP of supply chain at the Glouces-
ter, MA-based company, Gorton’s won the inaugural AIM Sustain-
ability Award from the Associated Industries of Massachusetts for
excellence in managing environmental stewardship, social well-
being and economic prosperity.
“As a seafood industry leader located in America’s oldest seaport … we
recognize that preserving our natural resources is not merely an op-
tion, it is a mandate,” Webb said in a news release at the time. Beyond
her leadership and mentorship within Gorton’s, Lynch notes, Webb has
served on the board of the National Fisheries Institute to help the orga-
nization recruit, retain, and promote more women in seafood manage-
ment roles. “I admire her energy and strategic thought process, and she
has delivered great results for our company,” says Lynch.
.
Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“Two individuals come to mind who have had a significant influence on my
personal and professional development: my mother and Dave Weber, my
mentor and prior boss for 17 years. Both encouraged me to continuously
challenge myself. As a mother of four boys and in a career heavily dominat-
ed by males, it has not always been an easy path, but it has always been
extremely rewarding. My mother was a strong woman and a great leader,
ahead of her time, with a progressive mindset. She raised her family to be
educated, cultured and well-spoken. Not many women in the early ‘50s at-
tended college; she not only received her degree but also worked to help sup-
port my dad through college while raising a family of five children. She has
been a guiding force as a role model and helped me directionally with my
career path. Dave gave me industry insight into key job areas to advance
my career and helped me overcome some of the cultural barriers in the
manufacturing sector. He also gave me the wherewithal to manage a very
diverse supply chain/operations group, including managing Engineering,
Operations, Purchasing, Distribution, and Production Planning. (My mom
and Dave) always believed in me, with a supportive nature, motivating me
to strive for more and to be the best I could be. A key influence that drove
me to challenge myself and to continue to grow in my professional develop-
ment was the need to not let either of these individuals down. Both have
similar guiding principles: Lead with strength but above all else integrity.
Intellectual curiosity is a driver of successful leaders, both my mom and
Dave swore by this philosophy. (Now) I find mentoring to be one of the most
rewarding aspects of my career, and I will continue to be an ambassador to
bring the next generation of talent into manufacturing.”Lisa Webb
VP of Operations, Gorton’s Inc.
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Rendela WenzelGlobal Maintenance and Reliability Leader, Eli Lilly and Co.
www.lilly.com
Rendela Wenzel, a U.S. Army veteran and certified Green Belt and
RCM facilitator, currently travels across the country and around the
world as Eli Lilly’s global plant engineering, maintenance, and reli-
ability champion. Now in her 15th year with Eli Lilly, Wenzel designs
and implements reliability programs and then facilitates reliability
discussions and on-site failure analysis for
the company’s 21 manufacturing sites in 13
countries. In 2009, Rendela Wenzel took the
reins of Eli Lilly’s corporate lubrication tech-
nical team. She has continued to grow the
lubrication program and has recently taken
on a new role to further drive reliability. As
global process owner for reliability, Wenzel is
responsible for all of Lilly’s policies and direction for reliability and
predictive maintenance (PdM).
Wenzel also writes and implements policy and procedures that cre-
ate global quality standards and engineering functional standards.
In-depth analyses are performed at each site to ensure that global
guidance from corporate headquarters in Indianapolis is followed.
From the Global Center of Excellence, Wenzel’s group handles mate-
rials management, planning and scheduling, reliability, and mainte-
nance-management functions.
“What I love about what I do with reliability engineering is I can go
out and work with the crafts,” Wenzel says. “Then I can write the
report. I interface with higher levels of management, craftsmen, and
engineering personnel, and travel to different sites and help them
solve problems.”
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Who has been your greatest personal or professional influence?
“My mother has been the greatest influence in my life. She worked hard
all of her life. She didn’t have a college degree or any advanced school-
ing, but what she did have was an amazing work ethic, a down-to-earth
approach to life, and a willingness to give all of herself to help me be
successful. She taught me to think before I acted, stand up for what I
believe in, work hard and don’t expect anything to be given to you. She
said that if you’re knocked down, you get back up. Never give up. Rome
wasn’t built in a day, and you have to work hard to realize your dreams.
The sky is the limit.”Rendela Wenzel
Global Maintenance and Reliability Leader, Eli Lilly and Co.
As a woman in the historically male-dominated manufactur-
ing industry, “There can be a disparity…as you rise in the ranks,”
especially among engineers, she says. “The more experience I get
and the older I get, I find I’m held to a higher standard. It’s just
that much tougher, but it is an adjustment you make with time.
It becomes a part of your personality and a part of who you are. I
believe strongly that I should not be given a position because I am
a female. Give me the position because I’m qualified and the best
person for the position.”
Wenzel works to impart to junior engineers the critical role that
reliability plays in achieving business goals, and she mentors them
on how to sell this philosophy to senior management. She addi-
tionally is involved in the professional association WiRAM (Women
in Reliability and Maintenance) and has helped guide that organiza-
tion on proposal development.
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Talent shortage drives diversity initiativesRockwell Automation creates a culture of inclusion
By Rockwell Automation
The journey of Rockwell Automation to build an inclusive culture and a
more-diverse organization began long ago. Still a work in progress, the
automation giant’s transformation earned it the 2017 Catalyst Award,
which recognizes innovative organizational initiatives that address the
recruitment, development and advancement of women.
At Rockwell Automation, the push for inclusion and diversity began in
earnest almost 11 years ago, to address a growing shortage of workers
with necessary skills. “In order to attract the best talent, we need an
organizational culture that will support all employees – where every
employee feels they belong and can do their best work,” said Michele
Matthai, director, Culture of Inclusion.
Over the next decade there will be a billion new people in the middle
class, adding $8 trillion in consumer spending to the global economy,
said Matthai. Meanwhile, the war for talent will get even more chal-
lenging. Twenty-one percent of manufacturing workers, or 2.5 million
members of the manufacturing workforce, will retire in the next eight
years in the United States, according to ManpowerGroup, and 75% of
employers say new skills will be required over the next two years. Find-
ing great talent is one part of the equation, and a very important part.
“However, it is even more important to ensure we retain the talent we
have once they are here,” said Matthai. “Increasingly, we are finding
that culture is a currency to attract and retain talent.”
Diversity by the numbers
Women make up 47% of the population, but they comprise only 29%
of the manufacturing workforce, added Matthai. And only 23% of
senior roles are held by women. The same goes for underrepresented
minority groups.
A note from our IWiM 2018 sponsor
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“Research has shown that women and minorities in leadership roles
perform 35% better from a financial standpoint,” said Matthai.
With such sunny financial forecasts, what organization wouldn’t want
to break down the walls of boardrooms traditionally dominated by white
men? Matthai shared five compelling reasons to choose inclusion:
• Talent—employee attraction and retention
• Greater innovation and better decision-making
• Relevance—customers are becoming more diverse
• Greater productivity—if people don’t feel they have equal opportu-
nity, they’re not as productive
• Financial evidence—diverse teams outperform less-diverse teams
Let’s get to work
“Many companies are eager to create more diversity in their organiza-
tions,” Matthai explained. “And with the best of intentions, they may
be investing in programs that do not work, are not sustainable, or
worst yet, alienate the dominant group. White men are an important
part of the diversity equation. We must start the conversation there if
we want to create sustainable culture change.”
What works:
• Inclusion as a business imperative—it’s a talent agenda
• Understanding the dynamics of culture—dominant/subordinated/sys-
temic privilege
• Executives who personalize the work
• Critical dialogue and commitment to action
What does not work:
• Leaving white men out
• Lack of business ownership
• Viewing diversity as a problem
• Traditional programs; and
• Assimilation culture—changing who you are means you are not
bringing the best of yourself.
Rockwell Automation exit interviews of individuals leaving the orga-
nization revealed that the company had to do better, Matthai said.
“60% said it could have been prevented,” Matthai said. “Of under-
represented minorities, 48% said it could have been prevented.” That
meant opportunity.
“We brought in an outside company that did some amazing work to
help connect our heads and hearts to this work,” explained Matthai.
“We wanted to raise the level of understanding of the impact of group
dynamics. When we talk about diversity and inclusion, we talk about
the different groups, but we never talk about white men. They think
of themselves as individuals, not members of a group. But white men
are part of a group. It’s called the dominant group. When you under-
stand the dynamic between the dominant group and nondominant
groups, you understand the dominant group has access to privilege
and power.”
Roll out the program
“Over a four-year period, we talked to about 1,200 employees and got
an idea of what the barriers were,” Matthai said. “Then they created
inclusion change teams, and those groups were chartered with fixing
the barriers to inclusion.”
Many of the sales organization’s networking events, for example,
were similar, being centered around golf events or in sports bars.
With the new awareness, those events expanded to things such as
charity events or painting activities. “The more inclusive we are, the
more we can broaden our perspectives and get to better solutions,”
said Matthai.
The inclusion change teams started addressing barriers. “But it’s not
a one-time thing,” added Matthai. “It’s an ongoing willingness to ask
questions, be curious and connect with each other. Maybe it’s start-
ing a staff meeting with an inclusion moment. Over time, we real-
ized there were things we could do on a much broader basis. We’re
training managers on a daily basis, whether it’s hiring, coaching or
developing. We customize that training to make sure it’s relevant to
all of our leaders all over the world. We’ve seen a major transforma-
tion over the past 10 years, and now we’re looking for ways to make
inclusion part of our DNA.”
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