2010 Automotive News 100 Leading Women

Why did you want to work in the auto industry? Going through school, I would not have picked the auto industry. Both of my parents were teachers. There was no compelling reason. I actually had 15 or 16 job offers when I graduated. Three-quarters of those were on the West Coast, maybe 15 percent here in Michigan and 10 percent on the East Coast, and they were primarily with electronics companies.I selected Ford because at the time automotive electronics was moving from $200 content in a vehicle to $600 to $1,000 to $1,200 in a five-year period. Auto electronics were now taking over engine controls and vehicle controls and moving much beyond. It was just a great area. And looking at various companies, it was a young, dynamic team. When you get out of school, you look at who are you going to work with, and not only is it going to be challenging work, but is it going to be a fun environment. And I came to Ford. Haven’t regretted it.