Mastering Engineering Leadership

In this episode, I speak with Jari Navarro Salas, Founder and President of Inventio, a manufacturing technology and consulting company that helps manufacturers improve productivity by combining analytics software, operational expertise, and data-driven decision-making.  Jari shares how he entered engineering unexpectedly after an arts-focused high school education. A single physics course revealed...

In this episode, I speak with Tyler Vassar, Managing Partner at Ascent Ridge Partners, a consulting group that focuses on helping teams and organizations improve their performance. Tyler shares how he grew up on a small farm in rural New York and became the first person in his family to attend a four-year university. Although he initially planned to study business, a chance hallway conversation wi...

In this episode, I speak with Ben Gassman. Assistant Plant Manager of the Kentucky Battery Plant at Ford Motor Company. Ben shares how he entered engineering through an unconventional path, starting on the front lines in manufacturing and later moving into industrial engineering. A promise to his grandfather and strong mentorship helped guide his transition into earning an engineering degree later...

In this episode, I speak with Yasmine King, Corporate Vice President and Head of the Automotive Business Unit at Analog Devices Inc. Yasmine started as a classically trained pianist who became curious about how to capture live sound. That curiosity led her to electrical engineering and eventually into audio-focused software roles. Over time, she transitioned from engineering into customer-facing r...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Mandy Youker, Operations Officer for the Advanced Energy Technologies Directorate at Argonne National Lab. Mandy shares how her interest in chemistry began in high school and deepened through hands-on experiences like working in a crime lab. She discovered early on that she loved solving problems, especially when she could see the real-world impact of her work. He...

In this episode, I speak with Paul Faronbi, Regional Senior R&D Process Engineer at Mars and founder of IncrediPaul, whose mission is to empower young professionals in STEM to become the most incredible versions of themselves. Paul started out determined to become a doctor because he wanted to help people. Along the way, a conversation with his father and exposure to research shifted his path...

In this episode, I speak with Erin Gulden, a senior executive leader, engineer, and mentor with experience guiding complex, high-impact programs in the national security and space domains. Erin started out thinking she would become an architect, but an early bridge design project helped her realize she was wired for function over aesthetics. She switched from civil to electrical engineering, kept...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. John Farrell, Associate Laboratory Director for the National Laboratory of the Rockies Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences Directorate. John’s path into chemistry was anything but linear. A high school friend and an inspiring freshman professor opened his eyes to science, eventually leading him to earn a PhD in physical chemistry. After 15 years in corpora...

In this episode, I speak with François Payen, Supply Aftermarket Leader for Master Data Management at Trane Technologies. François discovered engineering early, encouraged by a father who pushed him ahead in math and science. He chose chemical engineering for both passion and opportunity, then launched his career at Alcoa before moving across industries from metals to aerospace to lithium and now...

In this episode, I speak with Doctor Rahul Maharsia, Senior Vice President of R&D and Engineering at Insulation Technology Group. Rahul did not grow up knowing he wanted to be an engineer and spent years searching for direction. His parents recognized his natural problem-solving ability before he did and encouraged him toward engineering, which ultimately gave him clarity, purpose, and momentu...

In this episode, I speak with Darshan Deshmukh, president at ProcureAbility, a Jabil company, delivering an industry-leading suite of procurement and supply chain services to global organizations. Darshan grew up in India with strong influences in engineering and math, which naturally drew him toward a technical career. He studied mechanical engineering, worked briefly in software, and then realiz...

In this episode, I speak with Cathy Toth, founder, president, and CEO of Acato Information Management, a software quality assurance company located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Cathy grew up in a family full of engineers, started in biomechanical engineering, and ultimately finished an electrical engineering degree for practicality and momentum toward graduation.  She moved quickly into software, late...

As we reach the end of the year, I wanted to share a more personal episode. This is the story behind the Mastering Engineering Leadership podcast. Why it exists, what I learned along the way, and how it has shaped, why it exists, what I learned along the way, and how it has shaped my approach to teaching and supporting engineers. Explore the full episode summary, including transcript, and recommen...

Hi, everyone! Angelique here. As we wrap up the year, I want to look back at some of the conversations that shaped the first season of the Mastering Engineering Leadership podcast. The themes were powerful on their own, but they become even richer when we anchor them in the voices of the leaders who shared their stories. Let me walk you through some of the patterns that stood out and the episodes...

In this episode, I speak with Sherry Browder, CEO and president of Pro2Serve, an employee-owned company founded in 1995 with the primary purpose of providing critical mission support services to strengthen our nation's defensive posture. Sherry shares how a simple eighth-grade declaration that she wanted to be an engineer, plus parents who were lifelong educators, set her on a winding path to...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Andria Yates, a leadership coach in the executive MBA programs at the Haslam College of Business and startup coach for the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  Andria started as a first-generation college student from a small West Tennessee high school, drawn into materials engineering by her love of math...

In this episode, I speak with James Hanley, Senior Director at CBRE, where he leads a global team of engineers and program managers shaping the future of real estate through strategic innovation, talent development, and technology integration. A love of roller coasters inspired James to study mechanical engineering at Loyola University, where he then went, as he calls it, full nerd by adding math...

In this episode, I speak with Sears Merritt, Head of Enterprise Technology and Experience at MassMutual, where he is responsible for the company's technology, cybersecurity, data, and artificial intelligence strategy and vision. Sears started as a curious kid who loved building radios, Lego creations, and computers, which led him to study electrical engineering. His early career moved from tel...

In this episode, I speak with Greivin Chavarria, Global Quality Strategy and Innovation Director at Medtronic. Greivin grew up in Costa Rica, where he discovered chemical engineering by asking questions at a sugar mill. He launched his career in process optimization through a rotational program at CEMEX where he built global experience and led major manufacturing operations. After completing an ex...

In this episode, I speak with Mel Kirk, an award-winning business leader who is renowned for re-engineering or transforming business operations at some of America's most admired corporations.  Mel discovered engineering through a summer STEM enrichment program and chose industrial engineering for its blend of people, process, and performance. Early co-ops and a cohort-based engineering program...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Claus Daniel, Associate Director for Advanced Energy Technologies at Argonne National Laboratory. Born into a family of carpenters in Germany, Claus was the first in his family to finish high school and attend college. Encouraged by an observant elementary teacher, he pursued material science after discovering a passion for physics and chemistry and a childhood en...

In this episode, I speak with Barbie Bigelow, CEO of Emerald Growth Partners and an independent board director, strategist, and digital expert. Barbie is a first-generation college student who pivoted from pre-med to chemical engineering, then discovered a love for computing during an internship at a paper mill. During her internship, she saved the company millions of dollars and was offered a ful...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Zach Sims with Small Business Consulting Corporation. He is a Technical Director of Laboratory Capability Integration and Transition with Air Force Global Strike Command. Zach followed an early inspiration from his engineer father, studied physics, then pivoted to applied materials and energy engineering. He worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, completed a PhD...

In this episode, I speak with Chris Whaley, founder and principal consultant of Escape to Expand, where he brings together people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to unlock their full potential. Chris fell in love with engineering after seeing Star Wars. He started his engineering journey in aerospace at UT Knoxville, pivoted to industrial engineering, and developed leadership through a de...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Srijib Mukherjee, senior scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Srijib entered engineering as an accidental tourist, switching from physics to electrical engineering in India before earning a master's and PhD in the United States. He built a career across utility operations, trading, consulting, and...