Profiles in Manufacturing
Michelle Bernson, LFM '04
By Amy MacMillan, LFM-SDM Communications Assistant
March 6, 2006
Profiles in Manufacturing is a new feature that will focus on LFM alumni, and their careers in manufacturing and operations. We'll take a look at how their LFM education helped them advance in their respective companies. In this profile, we had a conversation with Michelle Bernson, Foreman, Wing Line Position 4 and 5 in the F/A-22 Assembly Center at the Boeing Company.
Bernson was a recipient of the Charles "Harrison" Smith III Award, and graduated from LFM in 2004.
1. What's so appealing about manufacturing or operations as a career?
I like the fact that I get to come in each day and see the progress that my team has made on creating a part of an airplane. Whether in my current position as a factory supervisor on the F-22, or in previous positions supporting manufacturing, the here-and-now environment that manufacturing provides is meaningful and challenging.
2. What have been the steps on your career path? What do you do now?
I have been working at The Boeing Company for the last nine years. I started at the company as a systems engineer on one of our developmental airplanes. After eight months in that department, I decided I wanted a job closer to the product and transferred into a position in our commercial airplanes delivery center. Here, I worked with our mechanics, commercial airplane customers, and pilots to resolve issues that came up during the build and flight-test parts of our program.
After five years of work experience, I was selected to attend the LFM program at MIT as a Boeing-sponsored student. During the LFM internship, I spent seven months working in Italy and Spain implementing lean manufacturing principles in distribution transformer factories for ABB Limited. In 2004, I graduated and took a job as the manager of the 737 Program Lean Office at Boeing. I spent 18 months in this position implementing high-level cross-functional lean improvements for the site. I have recently taken a new position and am now working on the military side of Boeing as a manager in the F/A-22 Assembly Center.
3. How has LFM contributed to your success?
LFM has helped me become a better leader, sharpened my problem solving skills, and provided me with the international exposure to understand the context in which these will be applied. Let me mention some of the particulars in each area:
Better Leader: One of the greatest appeals of the LFM program has been the opportunity to learn by doing. Throughout my education at MIT I was able to engage in hands-on activities to improve my leadership skills. The LFM program helped to identify leadership strengths and enhance areas of weakness. Through experiences such as the LFM internship, Tiger Team consulting projects, and my involvement working on teams and committees, I was able to further develop my leadership skills in a real world setting.
Sharpened Problem Solving Skills: The LFM program provided me with a solid background in areas that are important to Boeing’s success, such as manufacturing processes, supply chain management, leadership, change management, and project design and development. Through the case studies and academic frameworks used in these classes I have been able to bring forward examples of how issues in each of these areas have been solved by other world class companies or provide examples of ways to evaluate the situation.
International exposure: One of the most valuable parts of the LFM education was the opportunity to travel around the world and work with people from a wide range of cultures. During my two years at LFM, I participated in a two-week LFM plant tour in China, worked on a Sloan School consulting project in Cambodia (which included a 10-day site visit), and spent seven months working on an internship in Italy and Spain.
4. What are some of the challenges you face in your career, and how does LFM help? (courses, alumni network, etc.)
The biggest challenge I face in my career is engaging and empowering the people with whom I work. I am constantly looking for better ways to help set a compelling vision for my area of responsibility and inspire people to play a part. These are tough problems without easy answers. In dealing with these challenges, the LFM alumni network has been one of the most valuable aspects of my LFM education. I have a network of leaders in a wide range of industries around the world I can call on for advice, best practices, and alternative solutions.
5. What career opportunities do you see in the coming decades for managers with strong engineering backgrounds?
Over the years, companies have done a good job of optimizing individual areas such as engineering and manufacturing, but in the future, the focus will be on how we integrate all of the areas of our business including working with our suppliers. Managers with backgrounds that are strong in engineering, manufacturing and supply chain operations will be key to helping identify the disconnects and leading the change.
6. What advice would you have for prospective LFM applicants?
The LFM program is the most incredible way to spend two years of your life. You will get to learn from top academics from MIT Sloan about business and leadership and sharpen your technical skills at the world’s best engineering school. You will have the opportunity to talk with manufacturing leaders from global companies during the on-campus pro-seminar series and the U.S. and international plant tours. Most importantly, you will get to work with future leaders – i.e. your LFM classmates -- to tackle real world problems. Apply to the program and if you are accepted, don’t pass up the opportunity!