Her Story
About Fatima
Fatima Abdelkafi is a program manager with more than 25 years of experience in the manufacturing and engineering fields. She began her career on the production floor as an electronic engineer before transitioning into program management, where her leadership skills were recognized by her boss. In her current role, she interfaces directly with customers on orders, ensures deadlines are met, solves problems, and facilitates internal communications. Fatima holds a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering from Nagpur University in India and a master's degree in computer science from Seattle University and City University in Seattle, along with some leadership development courses from Phoenix University. She attributes her success to being around successful people who provide constructive feedback. One of her notable achievements includes turning around a complex customer account that was at risk of leaving the company. Fatima is passionate about developing employees to the next phase of their careers and mentoring others, having seen several of her mentees promoted to director-level positions.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Fatima
01What do you attribute your success to?
Being around successful people is very important. It helps to get constructive feedback for things that I haven't been doing right, but it shaped me and helped me to succeed.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay focused, keep going, and never give up. Success doesn't come that easy, you have to work hard to earn that. In the beginning, it's going to be very difficult and challenging, but you have to keep working on it and keep working hard.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include long lead items for parts that are hard to find, impacting delivery dates, and new tariffs that customers struggle with. Opportunities include finding the right people who fit the program manager role, as it requires genuine interest and love for the work.
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