Winette Williams, supervisor at Safran Electrical & Power

How long have you been working at Safran Electrical & Power?

16 years, 8 months.

How would you describe your role?

My role is to lead a successful manufacturing production team by planning, motivating, and supporting. To build a great team environment.

What are you passionate about?

Meeting customer demands, scoring as a team, recognizing success.

What is your proudest professional moment?

My proudest moment was in 2012 when I took the initiative to share a cell ideal that turned into going to Green Belt training and receiving my Green Belt certification after completing two successful Bell flow lines. The result: taking the efficiency from 30% to over 100% and saving the company around 500K within the first 6 months.

Have you been inspired by any women in your life? Please name them and briefly describe how they have impacted you.

My mother - she is my biggest inspiration. She had eight children and even after becoming a single mom, she never let it hold her back. She managed to raise us and work a full-time job. After we got older, she went into her career as a caregiver - something she always wanted to do. Because she loved taking care of people, her drive, determination and never giving up attitude are what encouraged me to always strive for more.

Does working at Safran, which is a truly international organization, make your job more interesting?

Yes, there are always new projects, new customer packages. Working in an aerospace environment, you get to be involved and see a lot of different aircraft harnesses which all have different designs. That is really cool to see, especially when they are complete, and you get to see them installed in the actual aircraft.

What can your career progress at Safran teach us about women’s leadership?

Women can be successful leaders. My personal achievements can show other women that if you stay focused on your goals and continue to be driven, you can do anything.