TED Magazine - June 2017

Would you recommend
a career in the electri-
cal industry to young
females? Why? Our industry provides a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities with purpose. Millennials want to work for organizations that make an impact. We play an important and meaningful role in the supply chain and posi- tively impact quality of life, safety, and productivity.
Looking ahead 10 years,
how do you see the role
of women in the electri-
cal industry changing? With aging Baby Boom- ers, talent shortages, new product innovation, nontraditional channels, renewables, and the Internet of Things, there will continue to be unlim- ited and exciting opportu- nities in our industry; I hope more women will capitalize on them.
What could be done to
encourage more women
to enter this industry? In many ways, our indus- try is invisible. Most people never think about the products and services we provide. We need to let young women know about the fabulous careers avail- able in our industry. That includes plug- ging into the K- 12 education system, expand- ing our recruit- ing efforts and scope, and making sure we are inclusive employers of choice.

For many years electri-
cal distribution has
been thought of as a
“male-dominated indus-
try.” Do you think that
is still true? If you looked at the statis- tics on employees in electrical distribution, I
think it would prove that we are in a white, male-dominated industry. Regardless of gender, if you’re smart, work hard, and deliver value, you can be successful. We are facing a global talent shortage— the best will be successful in any industry.

What hurdles
do females
still have to
overcome to
succeed in
electrical
distribution? Women need to get out of their com- fort zone and take some risk. We have unlimited opportunities and women need to be more assertive in pur- suit of their career goals. They need to make it happen instead of waiting for someone to make it happen for them. ;