Her Story
About Kimberly
Kimberly Wilks serves as an engineering program manager at Apple within the machine learning operations team, a role she has held for one year. Her team focuses on delivering high-quality data to research and development partners. Her career path began with military service in logistics, followed by a management training program at Chewy that included rotations in warehouse operations and merchandising analysis, leveraging her business analytics degree. She advanced to demand planner at Chewy before moving to Facebook as an analyst, where she was reorganized into project management. After completing a coding boot camp, she transitioned into product management and technical program management, leading to her current position at Apple. Wilks attributes her drive to her immigrant parents, who emphasized education and supported her college studies despite financial challenges. She engages in personal charity work, such as raising funds and delivering supplies after a hurricane in Jamaica, and plans to eventually branch into entrepreneurship. In her advice to young women entering technology, she emphasizes not letting others define limitations and pursuing goals on one's own terms.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kimberly
01What do you attribute your success to?
My parents are immigrants who came to the U.S. in search of better opportunity and put everything into raising me with a heavy emphasis on schoolwork. They borrowed money to help pay for my college education beyond my scholarship. I want to build a legacy and reverse generational patterns by taking care of the next generation instead of the other way around.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Do not let anyone tell you what you can't do. We have huge aspirations and big dreams, and people might try to make them smaller or give you a plan B because of their own path. Let the decision be yours so you don't regret not following through. Even if it doesn't work out exactly as planned, pursuing it on your own terms leads to outcomes you're happy with.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.