Sheila LaMothe

Manager, Marketing & Public Relations North America, TRUMPF, Inc., USA
Country of Birth: USA

Educational Background: BA Hispanic Studies/Asian Studies, Connecticut College, USA

My grandfather once told me that of his four grandchildren he was never surprised by anything I did. He knew if I put my mind to something, I would make it happen. He likely had no idea how inspirational these words were to me. With each achievement in my career and personal life, I can hear him. I smile and think to myself that he would be proud, but not surprised. While my grandfather did not directly inspire my "science/engineering" career it is the perfect illustration of his inspirational words. With a double major in Hispanic and Asian Studies from a liberal arts college, who would guess that I would ever have a successful career with a world leading laser engineering and production company? Well why not? I like science and technology and consider myself to be an example that you do not necessarily have to be an engineer, physicist or mathematician to have a successful STEM related career.

As Manager, Marketing & Public Relations I am responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of the marketing and PR functions in North America for TRUMPF. Being a non-technical person in a very technically oriented company can be a challenge. In order to effectively promote and communicate about our products, I have to understand them. Through the combination of product training, immersion in product materials and articles, and the assistance of my more technical colleagues who take the time to explain their products and technology and answer my questions, I have built a solid foundation of laser technology knowledge.

Go for your dreams and goals no matter how unattainable they may seem. You are stronger than you think you are. You will make mistakes and hit bumps in the road, but learn from them and don't let them deter you. It is ok to be competitive and fight for your goals, but do it with professionalism and respect for others. And remember, nothing worth doing is easy, but the rewards make every challenging step worthwhile.