Leading towards greatness

Join this panel discussion with Women in Manufacturing's (WiM) chair, Karen Norheim, immediate past chair, Griselda Abousleman, and vice-chair, Lynn Kier, who will discuss women leadership in a manufacturing environment. The panel will discuss topics from developing effective leadership styles to having a voice at the table. Hear about advice, lessons learned, and successful strategies on how these three WiM executives have succeeded in their careers, and have your questions answered.

Women in Manufacturing (WiM) is the only national trade association dedicated to providing year-round support to women who have chosen a career in the manufacturing industry. At present, more than 2,500 individual members representing nearly 900 manufacturing companies have joined its growing ranks of industry professionals. WiM encompasses manufacturers of all types and welcomes individuals from every job function – from production to the C-Suite. Membership is available to women and men working within the manufacturing sector. www.womeninmanufacturing.org

Griselda Abousleman is immediate past chair for the Women in Manufacturing. She is currently Ingersoll Rand’s vice president of operational excellence for Transport Solutions NA/EMEA. Prior, she was integrated supply chain leader for fluid management, material handling and power tools. Prior to Ingersoll Rand, she was with Honeywell as director, global growth; Flowserve as a multi-site leader; Volvo-Novabus as senior manufacturing engineering manager; and AlliedSignal-Honeywell as lean supervisor and global transitions leader. Abousleman holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University, and a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University. She also earned her lean master certification from Shingijutsu and Honeywell, and is a member of Prospanica, the National Society for Hispanic MBA’s, a member of the Society of Women and Hispanic Professional Engineers. www.ingersollrand.com 

Lynn Kier currently serves as vice chair of Women in Manufacturing (WiM) and also serves on the board of directors for the WiM Educational Foundation. She is vice president, corporate communications, for Diebold Nixdorf. Previously, Kier served as vice president, communications and branding, for Schaeffler Group, USA Inc., and served as senior communications manager and as new business development manager for Delphi Automotive. She was also a senior research analyst for the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Kier holds master's degrees in economics from the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business and in human resource development from Oakland University. She is also a graduate of the International Business Consortia at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Lynn earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Allegheny College. www.dieboldnixdorf.com 

Karen Norheim is vice-president of Crane Manufacturers Association of America, Inc., and also serves as chair for the National Board of Women in Manufacturing (WiM). She is passionate about all things manufacturing. As the 2nd generation coming into the lead­ership role for her family’s company, American Crane & Equipment Corporation, she has sought to solidify the “Founder’s Legacy” while putting her own stamp on the company culture. She also sits on the boards of many industry leading organizations. Norheim received a dual bachelor of science degree in both marketing and international business and international studies from Pennsylvania State University, as well as a master’s degree in information science and an MBA. www.americancrane.com