“Having grown up in Germany, it is required to do an apprenticeship as part of our schooling. I chose a technical draftsman route,” said Susanne Lauda of AGCO. She continued, “I spent half of this program working on the shop floor and I became enamored with manufacturing and earned a degree in production engineering.”
Upon graduation Susanne took a job in the United States, working on the external tank of the space shuttle. She later became a naturalized citizen and moved to Georgia, where she began her career at AGCO.
“Today I lead a team across three continents, helping implement new manufacturing processes and tools.” She said, “I am also globally implementing a product lifecycle management program and leading cross-functional team to develop a strategy for Smart Factory operations across AGCO.
Susanne said, “What we are doing internally is a huge undertaking and I encourage my team to embrace challenges and not fear obstacles.”
“In addition to what I do in the office, I’ve gotten very involved in the women in manufacturing networking groups, helping to be a role model to young girls in STEM programs. I was recently named a 2017 STEP Award Honoree to honor my work in attracting women to industry.”