Education: B.S., honors chemistry, University of Western Ontario; M.B.A., Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario

First automotive job: Machinist, Linamar, 1990

Proudest achievement: "The launch of the Comtech facility: I put the team together, and I'm proud that it was a smooth launch and has been a successful plant since its inception. This had been my first stint running my own plant."

On being successful: "The most important thing to me is to be in a position where I am always challenged, and I certainly get that opportunity with this position. Balancing customer, employee and financial satisfaction in a demanding industry such as the automotive world constantly presents challenges and opportunities which make my job exciting."

On being a woman in the industry: "The way I've always approached this is not to think about men or women, but interactions with people on an individual level. I never let it become an issue. If you ignore the whole issue, and you are competent at your job, know what you are doing, can interact with your peers successfully, the issue goes away very quickly. If you go into that situation thinking differently, you are creating a problem for yourself."

Career highlights:

• 1997-98 COO, Linamar Corp.
• 1997 General Manager, Comtech Manufacturing and Vehcom Manufacturing (Linamar subsidiaries)