SWE - Winter 2008 - (Page 54)

In a captivating presentation, Adriane M. Brown shared tales and insights from her personal and professional journeys, from a childhood rooted in the civil rights movement to her status as one of the leading women in the North American automotive industry. Conference Highlights • Keynote Breakfast Address “Through My Looking Glass” A “I’ve remained true to those same values from my days on the shop floor all the way to my current work in the board room.” Adriane M. Brown, president and CEO of Honeywell Transportation Systems s a leader in a company with technology at its core, Adriane M. Brown’s keynote address stressed the importance of supporting and inspiring the next generation of technical talent, especially women and minorities. She encouraged the audience to focus attention on helping girls and young women to “catch the enthusiasm and the passion” to enter this exciting field. Brown began by alluding to the Lewis Carroll children’s classic, Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to Alice in Wonderland. She compared the rigid rules Alice follows on her journey with the obstacles that people, especially women, must navigate to succeed. Born in Richmond, Va., in 1958, Brown grew up during the civil rights movement. Her father was a high school teacher, and her mother, a school bus driver. Each morning, as Brown was leaving for school, her mother would say to her, “Be nice!” These words have had a lifelong impact on Brown, in both her personal and professional lives. In 1966, Bellwood Elementary School in Richmond became integrated. Brown’s parents made the difficult decision to send Brown and her brother as part of the first group of African-Americans to attend the school. It meant leaving behind many of her friends and classmates at her old school. It was the first time she had to step out of her “comfort zone.” Brown spoke of the importance of mentoring and reflected on a woman whose presence in her childhood made a lasting impression. When she was growing up, Brown’s father, like many teachers, had a second job. His was in real estate, and the owner of the realty company was an African-American woman named Mrs. Madison. She always wore a business suit and carried a briefcase. Brown was so fascinated with her that she decided that someday, she, too, would wear business suits and carry a briefcase. Mrs. Madison became her first professional role model. Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental health from Old Dominion University and a master’s in management, as a Sloan Fellow, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She recalled her first job on the manufacturing floor of an electronics plant in North Carolina. At 22, she was the boss and had the opportunity to get a “big head.” Instead, Brown remembered her mom’s directive to “be nice,” and chose to respect those she supervised. The response was immediate and long-lasting. She credited her parents with instilling a value system of dignity, respect, education, and integrity, which has carried her throughout her life and career. “I’ve remained true to those same values from my days on the shop floor all the way to my current work in the board room,” she said. “No matter what one is faced with, those fundamental values cannot waver.” B efore joining Honeywell, Brown spent 19 successful years with Corning Inc., the last five managing its automotive products division. One day, she received an offer to make a major change in her career. Again, she faced the challenge of leaving her comfort zone, this time to a new company. Weighing the decision, she thought back to 1966 and Bellwood Elementary. She had seen segregation evolve into integration, conflict turn into possibilities, and riots replaced with rights. Could it be time to embark on a new phase of growth? In reaching her decision to join Honeywell, she made an important realization: that something doesn’t have to be wrong for something else to be possible. Brown offered an engaging combination of personal insight, wit, and wisdom, plus this advice: • Whether serving as a role model in your community, or formally mentoring, take the time to serve the next generation. You never know how much of an impact you can have. • To be successful and move forward, you need to embrace the idea of being uncomfortable at times. • Choose to learn something from everyone. And never stop striving to gain and share knowledge. I Adriane M. Brown’s address struck a responsive chord with the audience. 54 SWE WINTER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Winter 2008

SWE - Winter 2008 Heritage Club President’s Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Readers’ Forum EWeek 2008 New Faces of Engineering The Leaky Science and Engineering Pipeline Why Do Women Leave the Engineering Work Force? A Greener America = New Growth Fields for Engineers The Off-On Ramp Revolution Recognizing the Historic Contributions of African-Americans Membership Information & Calendar A&B Women in Tune with Technology: SWE 2007 Conference Overview Keynote Address Achievement Award Region, Section, and Collegiate Awards SME Bowl and SWE Anniversaries Engineering World: Point of View: Why I Blog Career Toolbox Book Review SWE Smiles Opportunity Index SWE Scrapbook

SWE - Winter 2008

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