Leading Women - 30W

30W * NOVEMBER 9, 2020

10 0 L E A D I N G W O M E N

zobeida GUTIERREZ

 Group Quality Director, North America | Valeo | Troy, Mich.
| Age: 54 | Education: B.S., math and science, Autonomous
University of Tamaulipas

deirdre FULTZ

 Plant Manager, Indiana Transmission Plant
| Fiat Chrysler Automobiles | Kokomo, Ind.
| Age: 55 | B.S., mechanical engineering, Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis
What drew you to the auto industry? The auto industry kind of approached me. I was working in pharmaceuticals. I was approached by a senior director here
of quality and asked to interview because they didn't
have any women in skilled trades at that time, or very
little. I wouldn't say any. When I interviewed with the
plants, I just saw the adrenaline and that constant fast
pace and, quite honestly, ever since then I've just been
addicted to it.
First automotive job: It was in 1996, when I got recruited by Chrysler, and so I came from Indianapolis
and I went to Detroit and worked at a plant in the city.
Big break: I was a supervisor, then I went to a midlevel manager. That break really came when I went to what
they call a manufacturing manager because that's
when you're No. 2 to the plant manager. I got to see a
different part of the business: the financial part, the
productivity part, the quality part and all the different
parts of the organization.
What is the major challenge you've faced in your
career? Trying to manage in a COVID-19 pandemic
environment. It's beyond any of us; it's beyond our recognition that anything like this could have happened.
You prepare for tragedies, you prepare for fires, tornado
drills, shooters, but preparing for a pandemic takes the
cake. You're just kind of feeling your way in the dark.
We had to evaluate every workstation and make sure
we were following CDC guidelines. It's very serious because now you're talking about someone's life, someone's health. You're also talking about a potential of
that happening if a person contracts it inside work and
they take it back home, then you have all of that on your
shoulders. It's more than just the employee now, right?
It's their family, it's their community. We were all just
kind of feeling our way in the dark, the entire industry.
One good thing is that it kind of brought us a little bit
closer because we communicated, "Hey, we're doing
this. You guys need to be doing this," and vice versa.
That was difficult because people were genuinely
afraid, and this is day after day. You can be afraid if
there's a tornado coming through, you can be afraid if
there's an active shooter outside, but then it ends. This
doesn't end. So myself and my staff had to take it very,
very serious. I'm extremely proud of them because they
did. Our No. 1 job is to protect people inside this plant,
and whatever we need to do, we're going to do it.
You've been in the industry 24 years. What has
been the most important change you've seen? The
biggest impact was the bankruptcy. I was with Chrysler
and Chrysler was Chrysler, Chrysler was Cerberus,
Chrysler was DaimlerChrysler. We went through a lot of
owners, which wasn't good. But the biggest change is
when we paired up [and became FCA]. At that point, we
started setting direction to thrust us forward. We implemented world class manufacturing. We took seriously
the quality of our products, what the customer feedback was about our products. That was the biggest shift
because it's a company, really just striving, trying to stay
alive. So the concept was no, we're not going to just try
and stay alive, we're going to thrive. I saw that in the investment in the interiors of our vehicles. In just the
quality of our vehicles, in general, our warranty. It was
real.
What's the best part of your day? When I go out to
the floor and I just walk and observe. I just walk the
plant. That is absolutely the best part and I don't get to
do it every day, which is really disheartening.
What's your favorite weekend activity? We moved
on a lake, which I didn't think I would like, actually. But
I'm obsessed with it. Every weekend, I can't get home
quick enough on Friday to jump on the boat, especially
if it's nice weather, and just cruise. That's my favorite activity. And then we barbecue and family comes over, so
it's really fulfilling.
- Vince Bond Jr.

What drew you to the auto industry? I originally went to ITT
Automotive to cover for a friend who was on maternity leave for six
weeks, a temporary assignment. But when I found the dynamic innovation, the international exposure and the multicultural exposure, I really fell in love. This is the industry where I wanted to be.
First automotive job: That was in 1993. I started in the payroll and
administrative area.
Big break: I've had several. But maybe
the biggest is coming from an industry
that was very local to one that is very international. I joined ITT Automotive and
found that in the auto industry, I had to be
ready to interact with the international environment, ready to learn other cultures
and be ready to travel internationally.
What is the major challenge you've
faced in your career? My first job outside of my country. I was offered a job as
project manager in Michigan in 1997. I
had to launch five or six projects, mainly
switches, with an OEM and I was responsible for the P&L on each. The team was
multinational, from four countries. I was
responsible for delivering the projects on
time and achieving the customer's milestones. I say that is my biggest challenge,
but at the same time I consider that as
one of my biggest opportunities. I was able to interface with several
networks - finance, industrial, R&D, quality - all of the fields. I
keep sending this message to my colleagues, especially female engineers: Embrace the challenge. Embrace change because that is the
only constant. You need to take the challenge because that will help
you shape your career.
You've been in the industry 27 years. What has been the most
important change you've seen? We're migrating to electrification,
autonomous driving systems, and we are developing solutions that
are a shaping the future of mobility. We are no longer a mechanical
industry. It's a night-and-day comparison to where we were when I
started.
What work achievement are you most proud of? I have many.
But being able to balance my profession and personal life and being

able to successfully lead my kids to successful careers is one of my
biggest achievements.
Describe your leadership style. I am a very open-door kind of
manager. I always try make sure I don't see my colleagues from a hierarchical point of view. Teamwork and being close to your co-workers is key to being able to create a confident environment with open
dialogue that creates trust. We always discuss different points of
view.
What have you learned from the COVID-19 crisis? You need to
learn how to prioritize, to protect your employees and your families
and also secure the continuity of the business. It just reminded us
how important in life balance is.
Is there anything you wish you had done differently in your career? I have been able to learn three languages. I think I would have liked to
learn a fourth, Chinese Mandarin.
What should be done to encourage
women to enter the auto industry?
STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - and robotics. If you are
outside of the industry, that's the way to
do it. That's the way to inspire young talent
and build real passion for the industry.
What's the best part of your day?
The end of the day when I have dinner
with my family.
How do you bring your best self to
work? Always having a positive attitude.
From the time you step into the office
you are projecting a positiveness and it
cascades to your team.
Tell us about your family. I am a married engineer to another engineer, who
works in the diesel heavy-equipment industry. We have three boys, 27, 24 and 17.
Are you able to achieve work-life balance? I work by priority. I
try not to get immersed in too much detail; otherwise, you cannot
manage an agenda. I always try and organize my agenda. When you
are in a leadership position, it is expected you will be connected
24/7.
What's your favorite weekend activity? We love enjoying the nature here, bicycling and kayaking. We try to enjoy as much outdoor
activity. I think that helps mentally as well.
What's the best book you've read in the last year, and what did
you get out of it? Rise by Patty Azzarello. That in my view is a mental
recipe. It is very focused on real subjects that could help our young
female engineers understand how to navigate the world today.
- Richard Truett

corina DIEHL

 CEO | Diehl Automotive Group | Butler, Pa. | Age: 58
| Education: B.A., marketing, Rutgers University
What drew you to the auto industry? My husband died and I
chose to take over our existing dealership.
First automotive job: In 1989, I ran a leasing company. I exported
cars. I'm fluent in German. I stopped working with the company in
1994. But taking over [the dealership in 2007] after having not
worked for a period of time was brutal. At the time, my daughter was
12, and my son was 18. We had one location, two franchises. Matt
died in April of '07, so kind of floating along, getting myself integrated into the store with the team we had in place. I didn't get a lot of
respect from my co-workers. The franchises were really tough on
me. One of them did not want to give me the franchise because I was
someone's wife. And then the world fell apart [because of the financial crisis]. I don't know how I did it.
Big break: Probably getting a dealership that wasn't through my
husband's death. I've been lucky enough to have great relationships
with manufacturers, and the fact that I've worked really hard and all
my numbers can substantiate me wanting to buy a franchise that is
out of my current network. I've earned it. I worked for it. Is it a break?
I guess it is because I was given this opportunity to take over a store,
and I've rocked, and I've done everything I should have. I've treated
people right along the way. When I go to apply for a Ford store,
they're pretty welcoming.
What is the major challenge you've faced in your career? I
fought for years to keep my company alive. I fought with men in my
own organization who were very disrespectful. And then I was still a
mom. I had a son who was a freshman in undergrad, and I had this
little 12-year-old girl at home that lost her dad that still needed me to
come home and be her mom.
You've been in the industry 13 years. What has been the most
important change you've seen? The amount of younger people
that I am able to attract into the automotive space. I hear a lot about
[the industry] having a difficult time bringing in young blood. And
we've been very successful in every department. It goes back to the
way you treat people, what their expectations are and giving them a
quality of life and a great pay scale.
What have you learned from the COVID-19 crisis? The digital
world has always been very interesting to me. I thought in the next
two years we would shift a lot more. I think COVID forced that hand.
We shut down the state of Pennsylvania for two months. We couldn't
sell cars at all. Then we went online. We got really good at it. I think it
helps with work-life balance. If you're working five days a week, you

might have one day where you come in at 11 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
You're still, hopefully, sleeping in that day. But if you need to leave to
go get a haircut, just go do it. Most companies should have leeway.
Being stuck anywhere from 9 to 5, what are you going to accomplish
in 30 minutes for lunch? At the end of the day, if you're really good at
what you do, you're going to work 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. if it's a crazy day,
and the next day you're going to say you need to breathe a little bit.
Tell us about your family. I have two children; they're adults now.
My son's 32, and my daughter's 26. They both work with me. I have
five locations, nine rooftops, three collision centers. My son is truly
my right hand. He's vice president of the organization. He handles
the front side of the industry. My daughter is running an office right
now for me; she's on the back side. She's watching my money.
Are you able to achieve work-life balance? I'm single, so that
leaves a lot of time in between work. I enjoy my hobbies, and I make
sure to do them. I'll have dinner with family or dinner with friends.
I'll come home, kick off a few more emails. Weekends, I blow it out.
I'll go hang out with friends. In a normal year, we would go to concerts on Saturday nights. I putz around in the garden. I ride a motorcycle. I make time for cool stuff. We're in the car business; the last
week of the month, we need to be there, right? That's when we do the
bulk of our business. But they all need long weekends. I do the same
thing with my management team. They get at least one long weekend
a month to be human. That's not vacation time, that's head time.

- Jackie Charniga

Leading Women

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