What made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in technology?
I grew up helping my dad with projects around the house and in the garage. He was an engineer for General Motors, where I also enjoyed visiting his office to see new technology being developed, including GM’s first electric vehicle in the '90s. I had a natural love for STEM in school and solving problems, so I pursed an engineering career.
What three adjectives would you use to describe your journey in the industry so far?
Diverse, educational, and dynamic.
What is your personal mantra?
Adapt, grow, and share your experiences.
Describe the highest point in your career so far and how you got there, including all the hurdles you had to jump (and the ones you tripped over and too).
My whole career has been with Eaton, and, looking at it holistically, I can slice it into two phases. In the first phase, I was in engineering or engineering management roles for 11 years. The second phase was a transition for me into sales and marketing. While I still get excited about the engineering side, the move to sales and marketing was the high point so far in my career, because I thought it would never happen.
Interestingly, when I was interviewing for jobs out of college, I had one company offer me a marketing role. I had no idea how my interview for an engineering position turned into an offer for a marketing role, but they saw something in me that I had yet to learn about myself. Fast-forward 10 years and several engineering roles later, and I applied internally for a product manager role. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I didn’t get that one. But, I did meet some great people, and I left a good impression, which helped me get that pivotal role as a product manager a year later.
All the experiences I’ve had, from designing equipment to quoting engineered solutions and managing turnkey mission critical projects, were building blocks of knowledge that uniquely prepared me for the sales and marketing transition.
What is your most admirable quality?
It’s hard to pick just one! Joking aside, I’m a people person, through and through. I've built relationships throughout my career that have enabled me to learn and add value in each role. As I gained experience, I was able to then share that knowledge with others, collaborate with diverse teams to accomplish goals in the most optimal way, and have fun with my colleagues. Last, I love being a mentor and working with students — especially young girls — to share my passion for STEM and hopefully inspire them to consider a future in a STEM career, like I did. We need more women in STEM careers!
