Page 65 - MetalForming October 2013

eral Motors and its spinoff company Delphi. Armed with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engi- neering from Purdue, Farrer advanced from the role of industrial engineer at GM to a supervisory role, and then to plant manager for a four-plant Delphi operation in Mexico.
“At that time (1998-2003),” she says, “I was one of only a handful of women running manufacturing plants in Mexico.”
Today, Farrer, based in Indianapolis, IN, oversees Ingersoll Rand’s four U.S. manufacturing plants as well as plants in Mexico and Canada, as vice presi- dent of operations. At the core of her management philosophy:
“Lead calmly and with a sense of urgency,” she says. “Early in my career I had a role model and mentor who led this way. I learned from her, and watched how she conducted herself. And to this day I still consult with her, as a friend and a mentor. She taught me to focus on the five ‘whys’ of prob-

lem solving rather than the ‘five whos.’ Don’t ask who is responsible for a prob- lem; find out why it happened and how the process can be revised to prevent future occurences.”
Farrer, who has engineering in her blood (her father was a chemical engi- neer) and always was strong in math and science courses as a young woman, expresses concern over the fact that the number of women engineering graduates is on the decline, even as men continue to flock to the profes- sion. Only 10.7 percent of engineering jobs are held by women, she says, and that “without more women in the pipeline, efforts to increase women’s participation and influence in tech- nology and manufacturing companies won’t become any easier.”
Attracted to, and
Up to, the Challenge
As a young woman entering college and considering career choices, Farrer selected industrial engineering
because it was “challenging, technical and tied closely to manufacturing,” she recalls. It’s not difficult to get Far- rer to identify and share particularly challenging—and rewarding—times in her career. For example, as Del- phi’s global quality director she was responsible for resolving any quality issues quickly, so as to not hold up assembly operations at automotive OEM facilities.
“In one case we had eight assembly plants waiting for one of our assem- blies,” she shares. “We worked through the weekend, day and night, to resolve the problem and avoid delays. That was the high-pressure cooker I lived in.
“That’s an example of how fast paced and exciting manufacturing can be,” Farrer continues, “with opportunities for interpersonal communication, engage- ment and personal development.”
Those types of job descriptions also attracted Jada Dressler to the engineering profession, now two years into her career as a chemical and

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