Joan Neville

Joan Neville brings nearly two decades of expertise to her role in heavy industry mining at Caterpillar. With a background that spans construction, agriculture, and mining, she currently specializes in category strategy under procurement, emphasizing negotiation, long-term strategic partnerships, and supplier alignment rather than transactional buying. Her typical day involves managing global requests for hydraulics components, including sourcing recommendations, pricing projects, and cost optimization initiatives that foster win-win outcomes with engineering, sales, and marketing teams.

Neville's educational foundation includes an undergraduate degree in international business and diplomacy completed in the Philippines, followed by an MBA in international supply chain and international development in the United States. This academic path, combined with her fascination for global connections and economics, led her from logistics and trade research into procurement and sourcing roles. She attributes her success to the strong support of her husband, family, and friends, which enables her to thrive in a demanding position that involves significant travel.

Beyond her professional achievements in driving cost reductions and optimizations, Neville values honesty, transparency, and accountability in both her work and personal life. She actively supports St. Jude and enjoys reading, attending book clubs, camping, fishing, visiting museums, and exploring new restaurants with her husband. Her advice to young women entering heavy industries highlights the importance of trying different opportunities, being open to learning, exercising patience and dedication, educating oneself, and building plans with small, consistent steps while reaching out with questions.