Women in Leadership with Birgit Fuchs, VP, Supply Chain, Automotive at Infineon [Speaker Spotlight]

In this Speaker Spotlight, Birgit Fuchs, VP of Supply Chain and Automotive at Infineon, will preview her upcoming panel discussion at the European Manufacturing Summit titled "Women in Leadership."

Birgit, one of the esteemed panelists, will join this insightful session to share her transformative leadership lessons, personal experiences in overcoming significant career challenges, and impactful strategies for empowering the next generation of skilled professionals. Alongside other industry leaders, she will offer invaluable advice and wisdom for aspiring leaders looking to navigate their own paths to success.

Introduce yourself and describe your role and responsibilities as the VP of Supply Chain and Automotive at Infineon, as well as your journey into manufacturing.

Let’s start with a brief company introduction: Infineon is a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. With our products and solutions, we are driving decarbonization and digitalization in various markets. The company has around 58,600 employees worldwide and generated revenue of about €16.3 billion in the 2023 fiscal year.

I am responsible within Infineon Automotive Operations for overarching Supply & Production Management topics, from Revenue Management through Premium Customer Services to Transfer & Conversions and Digitalization. My background: I studied Business Administration at the Justus-Liebig-University in Gießen and spent my professional career at Infineon in multiple roles along the supply chain.

I started in procurement, where I gained a good insight into the material and equipment suppliers for our production. An example of a steep learning curve was the time when I headed Production Planning Integration after an acquisition and afterwards as Process Owner for Supply Chain. To me, Supply Chain & Manufacturing is exciting because it is tangible, value-creating, and integrated!

In what ways can organizations in the manufacturing sector create more inclusive environments that encourage diversity in leadership roles?

When we develop and manufacture products and solutions to make life easier, safer, and greener for generations to come, we need as many perspectives as possible because no one person has all the answers. Promoting the representation of differences and being inclusive allows us to exchange perspectives to unlock opportunities.

​​​An environment where everyone can thrive is good for everyone. People who are accepted at work and who have a sense of belonging are happier and feel more comfortable in engaging. This is exactly the type of atmosphere it takes to drive innovation, which is essential to being and staying successful in the manufacturing sector.​

Therefore, it is, to me, key for organizations to develop inclusive leaders who enable such an environment, e.g., through gender-diverse hiring, development, and promotion or by supporting muti-generational teams.

"People who are accepted at work and who have a sense of belonging are happier and feel more comfortable in engaging."

In the traditionally male-dominated manufacturing sector, what has been the most significant barrier you've faced as a leader?

Especially during my first leadership positions, I felt different from peers on the same hierarchy level and above. I realized that in some situations, I had to behave differently than I was used to; I had to be bolder and more direct.

With this approach, it was easier to integrate, for example, into a leadership team or be recognized. This was not always easy and required a lot of my energy and self-motivation to get it done – luckily, with the help of colleagues and mentors.

I’m happy that embracing equal rights and providing a supportive environment for all individuals are central to Infineon – because that aligns with my leadership core values.

Infineon is committed to the development of quantum computing technologies and, together with research institutes and industry partners, is conducting research on a variety of approaches. The picture shows a Quantum Computing Chip based on trapped-ion technology.

What strategies would you recommend for aspiring leaders to build resilience and confidence in environments where they may be in the minority?

Team up with others. Just one example which most probably a lot of women in business experienced: You may remember meetings or workshops where women were clearly in the minority. When you or another woman raised an issue or presented a solution, the male audience seemed not to really listen. When a male colleague expressed the same idea shortly afterward, he received a lot of applause and supportive comments.

For such cases, you can agree with the other female leaders in advance that in such a situation, one of them will intervene by pointing out who had the idea before and thus "directing" the conversation and interest back to you.

And in everyday working life relevant: Building a network with an open and honest feedback culture and supporting a culture of trust that gives everyone the opportunity to take on responsibility and speak their minds.

In your experience, how has the perception of women in leadership roles within the manufacturing industry changed over the years?

Women in leadership positions in the manufacturing industry are no longer isolated cases but normal.

Also, women are quite successful in their positions. In the past, there were stronger stereotypes and biases existed that led to women's abilities in this field being underestimated.

A main lever for bringing more and more women into such leadership positions is role models who motivate and guide young women to take on such exciting roles.

Also important is to be open to being a mentor and share your experience with our junior leaders.

Which aspects of the European Manufacturing Summit are you most eager to experience?

Topics that are important to me are inspiration, learning from others, and exchange. Major interests from my side are process optimization, digital transformation, and, of course, talent development. Really looking forward to the upcoming insights & discussions!

We sincerely appreciate Birgit Fuchs's valuable insights in this blog post. Her expertise will greatly enhance our discussions at the European Manufacturing Summit. We are eagerly anticipating her upcoming panel discussion, "Women in Leadership," which will take place on 12-13 November 2024 in Düsseldorf, Germany.