Jen Cobb

There are so many things that have contributed to my success. Part of it is my personality and my personal drive - wanting to do everything that my older brothers did, and do it better. They had very different interests, so I think that's been a big part of it. But I've also had so many mentors along the way who have helped me look at things from a different angle. So it's really a combination of my personal drive as well as those mentors and supporters I've had, whether they're professional mentors, or my parents when I was younger (they've been gone for a while), and even just supervisors and leaders who have guided me throughout my career.

This was very difficult for me because I'm a very stable person - that's part of my personality. After I didn't get a promotion I applied for, I spoke with the interviewers just to get some suggestions on what I could do to help me grow or be a better candidate. One of them told me, 'don't be afraid to look outside the organization.' That advice led me to where I am now. I didn't realize how kind of stuck I was in that previous role - I apparently had a bit of a blocker, and I didn't realize this until later. But switching organizations has really helped me thrive. I feel like I got my wings since I made that move.

Over my 25-year engineering career, I have found the greatest resource is my network and relationships with others. One such form is finding a mentor and making yourself available to mentor others that have less or different experiences. Take the opportunity to collaborate and share stories with people outside your normal team, whether it's someone in a different division, department, or organization, while connecting at an industry-specific event. This type of connection resulted in me gaining knowledge that saved my previous workplace millions of dollars. As much as I want to, and I thought I did in my younger days, I will never have all the answers.

Workforce is probably the biggest one right now. We just redid our strategic plan and workforce is at the top of the list. It's engaging with the younger generation, getting them excited about our industry. But it's also the biggest challenge as well - keeping them engaged. We're in the middle of the silver tsunami, so workforce would be the biggest challenge as well as the biggest opportunity.

Integrity and respect are at the core of what I value most. I also place tremendous importance on effective communication, which includes listening a lot. Being able to truly hear what others are saying and communicate clearly has been essential to my success both professionally and personally.