I knew from a young age that working in a ‘typical office job’ was not something that would interest me. Instead, I pursued my inclination towards mechanical engineering, with the ultimate aim of finding a hands-on career in the realm of Operations.
I have worked in a number of different areas within mechanical engineering, from rails to turbines to automotives, advancing from Workshop Manager, to Supervisor, to Lean Projects Engineer.
My current role is in continuous improvement. I work at Smiths Interconnect as a Process Engineer at our site in Genoa, Italy. The main feature of my job is process improvement in order to maintain efficiency, reduce cost, improve sustainability and maximise profits. In my daily activities, I assess processes, take measurements and interpret data, develop best practices and find innovative solutions to improve production rates and the quality of output.
One of the highlights for me since joining in 2018 has been taking part in the Smiths Belted Programme at Oxford University. It was a great opportunity to learn valuable methodologies that help me with my role, and it gave me the chance to get to know colleagues from across the world in every Smiths Division. This is a great initiative and I’m grateful to Smiths Interconnect for enabling me to take part.
I went on to achieve a Green Belt certification by presenting an optimisation project for the semi-automatic machine used in socket production. I have subsequently worked on four more Green Belt Projects with cross-functional teams from around the world.
I’m very happy here in Genoa. The engineering team that I’m part of is wonderful - we are like a family and everyone is ready to listen to and help each other.
As a female engineer, I really value the importance of seeking out opportunities that genuinely interest you, rather than worrying out external perceptions. Smiths Interconnect continuously reinforces this and reminds me that aspirations don’t have a shape or gender. I am constantly pushed to pursue the learning and skills that are important to me through my employee development plan.
