Our Stories: Women @MBRDNA, Part One

Mercedes-Benz, a name synonymous with luxury, innovation, and automotive excellence, owes much of its historical success to the pioneering spirit of women who have played a vital role in shaping its history. One such remarkable woman is Bertha Benz, a name often overshadowed by her husband, automobile inventor, Karl Benz. In the late 19th century, Bertha was the first person to drive an internal-combustion-engine automobile over a long distance, field testing the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, inventing brake lining and solving several practical issues during the journey of 105 km (65 miles). In doing so, she brought the Patent-Motorwagen worldwide attention and got Mercedes-Benz its first sales.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we want to recognize some of the amazing female colleagues doing this great work at MBRDNA, from engineering to automotive, business partner and executive assistant, they embody our core mission at MBRDNA – pioneer the most desirable technologies from North America for Mercedes-Benz.

Here’s part one of our two-part Women@MBRDNA’s (Our) Story series, in which we’ll hear from a total of ten women at MBRDNA.

Q: Tell us a bit about your professional journey and what do you work on at MBRDNA.
From since I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor, specifically a pediatric oncologist. During the summer of my senior year of high school, I got the opportunity to mentor and shadow an oncologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. I soon realized that although I loved the field, I was not capable of handing the emotional turmoil of seeing and treating kids with Cancer. I did know however, that my passion was helping people. I realized that I could still fulfill my passion through technology. I studied Human Centered Design & Engineering at UW with a focus of Human-Computer Interaction. Since graduating college, I worked at Adobe, T-Mobile, MBRDNA, Amazon and now back to MBRDNA. I am a Product Owner for the MIC PE (Mercedes Intelligent Cloud Platform Engineering) team. I love that the work we do impacts every single Mercedes vehicle on the road in our quest to build safe, secure, and sustainable luxury vehicles.

Q: What makes a good leader and how can women better empower one another?
In my opinion, a strong leader possesses clear vision, effective communication skills, empathy, integrity, adaptability, decisiveness, and resilience. They inspire and motivate others, communicate their vision clearly, empathize with team members, act with honesty and consistency, adapt to change, make timely decisions, and bounce back from setbacks. In my role as a product owner, I strive to embody these qualities by providing accurate and helpful responses, being attentive to users’ needs, maintaining integrity, communicating effectively, and continuously improving to deliver the best products possible.

To foster collaboration within my team or across departments, I ensure to prioritize clear communication, establish cross-functional teams, identify common goals, cultivate a collaborative culture, facilitate interdepartmental communication, empower team members, and address conflicts constructively. These strategies encourage teamwork, align efforts with the product vision, and drive success across departments.

Q: Tell us a bit about your professional journey and what do you work on at MBRDNA.
During college and graduate school, I was a bit torn on my career path. I knew that I enjoyed being of service and often pursued positions that allowed me to explore that interest. I worked in retail, and as an elementary school teacher. I participated in and led community service projects and held various roles on my Black Student Union’s executive board. I knew that I wanted a career that allowed me to have an impact on people and drive change. During graduate school, I realized that a career in human resources was the perfect marriage of my interests in service and business. After graduate school, I interviewed for a position in retail operations. When I met with the organization’s Human Resources Director, I took a chance and used the opportunity to speak to my career aspirations in HR. While I did not have direct HR experience, I highlighted my HR related experience such as leading organizational consulting projects in graduate school, maintaining poise and professionalism during very challenging employee related matters and working calmly under pressure and multitasking while working full time and attending graduate school in-person in the evenings. At the end of the interview, the HR Director offered me a contract position in Employee Relations. Speaking up about what I wanted and taking a risk led me to where I am today.

Q: On mentorship and networking. How do you approach networking, and do you have any tips for building strong professional relationships?
No matter your personality type, networking can be challenging. My best advice is to find a networking style that you are comfortable in and use that to build your network. Personally, I thrive in 1:1 relationships and smaller groups. I build my strongest relationships while working side by side with colleagues and partners on tasks and projects because it allows the opportunity to maintain contact and bond through a shared experience.

Q: Have you had mentors who played a significant role in your career, and how did they impact your growth?
I have never sought out a mentor. Instead, I have naturally gravitated toward leaders that I share values with, and the professional relationship naturally evolved into a mentor/mentee relationship. My mentors have been diverse in age, national origin, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Their experiences and influence have helped change the way I think and see opportunities and challenges from differing perspectives. Overall, they have helped me become a more empathetic leader and really see the human in all of us.

Q: Have you read a book recently that left a lasting impression on you?

“Minority Leader” by Stacey Abrams

“The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama

Q: Tell us a bit about your professional journey and what do you work on at MBRDNA.
I had a couple of detours while segueing back to the OEM industry. I landed a position in a consultant firm working on projects geared towards Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), V2X, and infrastructure advancements that would assist in future automotive tech, but something was missing. Before applying to MBRDNA, I remember taking a random quiz that provided potential career paths that could be of interest to me based on my responses. I did it to pass the time, but I specifically remember the analysis generating words such as safety and human factors. When the opportunity presented itself (via LinkedIn a few months later), I applied and hoped for the best. Now, I’m not saying the quiz predicted my future, but timing and having patience certainly worked out in my favor.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in your field?
Since I was young, I’ve been interested in vehicles, specifically the infotainment system and how humans interact with its functions. I always credit my dad for bringing me to car shows as a child, pointing out the latest technology and what he deemed was cool. From the various papers I’ve written on vehicles (dating back to the 5th grade) to my first internship with an OEM, somehow, I always knew this was the industry I wanted to be in.

Q: Have you had mentors who played a significant role in your career, and how did they impact your growth?
Apart from the mentors I currently have, the two mentors whose advice and leadership stayed with me throughout the years are my graduate school professors. Dr. Maranda McBride and Dr. Tonya Smith-Jackson from North Carolina A&T State University were more than just my thesis advisors. The critiques, reviews, and suggestions on how to showcase my thesis carried over into how I write and express myself throughout my professional and personal life. Nearly two years ago, I ran into one of my advisors at a conference. It was touching to hear her viewpoint of me as a college student and how I stood out as the first to leave a lasting impression based on my work ethic and drive. It meant a lot to hear that from someone I still think highly of.

Q: How do you build and maintain confidence in a corporate environment?
Constantly learning, asking questions, reading, and sitting in on meetings that may not directly tie into my projects but provide an opportunity for me to retain knowledge all contribute to building confidence at work. Aside from the efforts I practice on my end, having an active boss who supports and challenges me is an additional component that helps maintain my confidence in a corporate environment.

Q: Tell us a bit about your professional journey and what do you work on at MBRDNA.
A: I started my career as an Executive Assistant over 13 years ago. Prior to coming to MBRDNA I worked at ZF Group, Lear Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Sachse Construction. Before I started my career as an Executive Assistant, I was in the law enforcement industry for several years. I hold a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Walsh College.

Q: Can you tell us about a project or accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of?
A: I love planning events, so two accomplishments I’m really proud of since being here at MBRDNA would be the first Kids@Work Day in our Farmington Hills Office and our giving back project to the Michigan Foster kids.

Q: Tell us a bit about your professional journey and what do you work on at MBRDNA.
I started at Mercedes-Benz in Germany with a dual studies program in Industrial Engineering. I worked in vehicle strategy for three years, afterwards I worked in eDrive development. I joined MBRDNA in October 2022.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in your field?
My parents are both mechanical engineers, and I inherited their technical understanding and organizational skills.

Q: How do you approach networking, and do you have any tips for building strong professional relationships?
Be yourself. Be honest, open and approach every opportunity with ease.

Q: Have you had mentors who played a significant role in your career, and how did they impact your growth?
My first manager in the vehicle strategy department significantly supported me in strengthening my abilities to lead meetings, speak up, and handle difficult situations.

Q: How do you build and maintain confidence in a corporate environment?
I am honest about which results and expectations are realistic. I celebrate success. I see mistakes and difficult situations as a possibility to grow.

Check back in later this month part 2 of the Women@MBRDNA’s (Our) story Series.

Interested in applying for MBRDNA open positions? Check out here: https://jobs.lever.co/MBRDNA