Her Story
About Andrea
Andrea Spates serves as Quality Assurance Manager. She transitioned from a data analyst role with the guidance of her manager Philip Stevenson, who took her under his wing and taught her what it takes to become a great Quality Assurance Manager. Spates has had success training and teaching higher-level executives about Six Sigma and quality control. She describes her leadership style as that of a planner who ensures team effectiveness, a strong communicator who conveys the mission clearly, and a supportive listener who helps team members work through challenges while prioritizing their growth. Spates attributes her success to hard work, staying focused, prayer, and showing her children that anything is possible, noting that she was once homeless. She advises young women entering the field to be bold, trust in their knowledge and strength, and recognize the value of sharing their education with others. Among the values most important to her are integrity, trust, honesty, and accountability, with an emphasis on teamwork when addressing issues. Spates sees rapid changes in quality management driven by AI and updates to ISO standards as a key challenge, while noting vast opportunities in manufacturing, auditing, and aligning procedures with customer success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Andrea
01What do you attribute your success to?
Hard work, staying focused, prayer, and showing my children that anything is possible. I was once homeless, and now look at where I am today.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
It came from my manager Philip Stevenson. He said, you hold the key to your own future. It's up to you to go to the door, open it, and unlock what your potentials are. And I believe that's true for everyone.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be bold. Don't be afraid that you're the only one in the room. Know that you have the knowledge, you have the strength, and you have the fortitude to be in there. Be excited about the education that you have and that you're willing to share with others, and know that what you have is valuable enough to share with the world.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The changes in quality are moving fast with AI, the change of ISO 9000 to 2026 which is more AI-motivated. A lot of companies aren't really ready to support the new incoming procedures and processes. The opportunity is vast though - quality assurance is becoming a more needed role, especially in manufacturing and auditing. Quality assurance is the key to customer success.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity - you have to do the right thing even when no one's looking. Trust, honesty, and accountability. Being accountable over staff members, and when things go wrong, work together as a team to make it right without pointing fingers.
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