You benefit from the manufacturing space every day. You probably just don’t even think about it. 

Picture yourself: switching out your tires for the season, tapping your card at checkout, adjusting the thermostat, or hopping on a plane for an off-site. The manufacturing industry touches our daily lives and—just like everything else these days—it’s changing fast with AI.  Broader economic conversations about the environment and sustainability are also shifting a historically traditional industry. And in the C suite and boardrooms of major manufacturing and supply chain companies, we see brilliant  women making waves.  

In this special series from Wednesday Women, we’re shining a light on extraordinary leaders in manufacturing. These women lead teams in fields ranging from heavy equipment manufacturing to healthcare products to retail systems.

Why is this series important?

In an industry that consistently ranks among the nation’s top five employers, women make up less than 30% of the manufacturing workforce. And an even lower percentage at the leadership level. Fewer than 3.5 million women are working in an industry of nearly 12 million.

Amplifying awesome can make a difference. One featured leader summed it up by talking about the importance of “gaining perspective, building confidence, and creating meaningful connections.”

Additionally, we all know that many of these women are not getting the visibility or seat at the table that they deserve. Each spotlight series we run is a step toward addressing this gap in visibility – as well as a way to build community among the leaders themselves.

Whether you’re looking for your next keynote speaker, podcast guest, expert panelist, or simply want to diversify your network—these are women to watch, learn from, and be inspired by.

The series is made possible by our generous partner, BrandActive – brand implementation experts who help organizations forecast costs, map branded assets, and build scalable governance models.

(We’d love to introduce you, if that sounds like something you could use at your company!)

Meet some inspiring leaders changing the future of manufacturing - and doing so while bringing others up alongside them.

⚙️ Ester Codina - Business Unit President at Alfa Laval Inc.

⚙️ Mary Ann Gazich - Corporate Communications Director at Daikin Applied Americas

⚙️ Aujurée Forbes - Sr Operations Manager at Caterpillar

See more about Ester, Mary Ann, and Aujurée

🌟 Hannah Bolte - Director of Marketing and Communications at Lozier Corporation

🌟 Sapana Talwalkar - VP Hardware Operations at Toast

🌟 Heather Buchholz - Business Development Manager, Flexible Packaging at Sun Chemical

Celebrate Hannah, Sapana, and Heather

🚀 Megan Wichern - Director of Logistics, Americas at Christian Louboutin

🚀 Lori Conrad - Senior Director, Corporate Communications at Builders FirstSource

🚀 Meredith Sobieck - Manager, Brand and Business Communications at Graco

Read more about Megan, Lori, and Meredith

🔧 Andrea Rutherford - Director of Compensation and HR Programs at HP Hood

🔧 Crystal Harrington - Director of Operations at Troscriptions

🔧 Jamie Pickett - VP Global Manufacturing at Medtronic

🔧 Angela Lowe - VP and General Manager at Amcor

See what Andrea, Crystal, Jamie, and Angela are building…

Read even more about a few of these brilliant leaders in our special weekly features:

See Hilary’s feature post about a leader who firmly believes that a strong brand brings clarity to complexity, aligns people around a shared purpose, and gives customers, employees and investors a reason to believe in where a company is going. 

As Senior Director of Corporate Marketing & Brand at Solstice Advanced Materials, one piece of advice she has is:

Be willing to help others as much as you hope they will help you. And be curious, ask questions, follow up, and stay connected with people across different functions, levels and experiences.

See Arvis’s post to read about a leader who fell in love with automobiles in grade school long before she ever thought about a career in the automotive industry

Arvis is a VP of Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Program Management, OpEx, and PC&L at BorgWarner. 

She has an inspiring 37+ years of experience, and has left her leadership imprint in huge manufacturing companies like General Motors, Toyota, Chrysler, Dura Automotive, and BorgWarner.

Her stance on leadership?

The purpose of our leadership position is not about the power or pay - it’s using our positional power to impact people and their potential.

Read about Deanna, a global product management executive and business leader with 25+ of experience driving growth, innovation, and business transformation across the industrial manufacturing, automation, and technology sectors.

She’s the Chief Product Management Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd. She believes exceptional business results are achieved when teams unite around a shared vision, clear priorities, accountability, and relentless customer focus. 

Her advice for other women leaders?

As women and as leaders, we need to build and leverage a network of colleagues, mentors, and family as a strength and strategic advantage, not a weakness.

Meet Nikki, a dynamic leader with 20+ years of experience in industrial automation, data analytics, digitalization, and organizational leadership.

She is a VP Marketing and Experience for Life Sciences at Emerson who champions two topics: 1) Human-first leadership - and what it actually costs to do it. 2) Showing up as yourself - and why it matters.

Her advice for people starting in their career?

Raise your hand for the thing nobody has figured out yet.

We’re not done yet... Here are 13 more women leaders in Manufacturing making waves:

⭐ Amy Volz - Director Strategic Partnerships & Corporate Impact at Trane Technologies

⭐ Kristin Morris - Director, Transformation and Project Management, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Solventum

⭐ Tracy Daly - VP, BCA Supplier Quality at Boeing

⭐ Sasha Perkins-Schmitt - Americas Polymers Market Development Manager at ExxonMobil

⭐ Kathryn Kreitzer - VP Product Development at Regal Rexnord

⭐ Wendy Warner - Chief Commercial Officer at Genera

⭐ Nicole Lewis - VP, Global EHS at Orion S.A.

⭐ JD Marhevko - VP Quality at ZF Group

⭐ Katya Pruett - Global VP, Marketing & Communications at Lear Corporation

⭐ Cara Herzog - Strategic Talent & Inclusion Officer at Southwire Company

⭐ Joanna Cooper - Executive Committee & Board at Women in Manufacturing

⭐ Keli Turner - Sr Director, Supply Chain at Commonwealth Fusion Systems

⭐ Kimberly Windon - VP, Strategic Communications at Bridgestone

How You Can Support These Amazing Women Leaders 

One of the best ways to support executive women leading the way in manufacturing is by amplifying their voices. Here’s how:

• Follow these women on social platforms (just click their LinkedIn profiles above) and engage with their content

• Read their insights and interviews

• Invite them to speak on panels

• Advocate for diversity in leadership across all verticals

Learn More About Our Sponsor: BrandActive

This special series featuring extraordinary Women in Manufacturing is brought to you by our partner, BrandActive—the trusted rebrand implementation experts that deliver on budget, on time and across your entire organization. 

Interested in supporting Wednesday Women and seeing more executive women features?

To stay up-to-date with everything Wednesday Women, follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe to our monthly newsletter, and check out The Ripple—our podcast by and for executive women in leadership.