Shaping Tomorrow’s History – Today: In Conversation with Jonna Gerken

For more than six decades, SWE has given women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry. It is an organization centred around a passion for members’ success and continues to evolve with the challenges and opportunities reflected in today’s exciting engineering and technology specialities.

Jonna Gerken is the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) FY18 President. In this capacity, she leads a 40,000-member international organization which encourages more women to enter and stay in engineering fields. She is also the manager for the Program Chief Manufacturing Engineering (PCME) team at Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corporation (UTC). Her team ensures all engine components meet manufacturing readiness levels appropriated to their lifelife–cyclege.

Jonna will be the Manufacturing Stream Chair at our upcoming 2018 American Aerospace & Defense Summit taking place December 12-13, 2018 in Glendale, AZ. We spoke with Jonna prior to the summit to learn more about her role at SWE and her thoughts on diversity in the workforce.

Questions explored:

• How significant is it to participate in organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers?
• How did you become President of SWE and what lead to this role?
• How do you balance being President of SWE and your role as a Manager for Program Chief Manufacturing Engineering at Pratt & Whitney?
• Why does a diverse workforce make for a better workforce?
• What advice do you have for women in engineering?

Click through to read the interview with Jonna Gerken.