Paola Velazquez

Paola Lugo Velazquez is a Senior Project Manager in Engineering at Solidify Manufacturing in Rogers, Minnesota, with 15 years of experience in manufacturing and engineering. She began her career as a Process Engineer in Mexico, where she contributed to manufacturing plant design and startup, machinery installation, process development, and operational improvements. Her career has since progressed through technical writing, quality systems, and engineering project management roles, giving her a broad understanding of manufacturing operations and project execution. In her current role, Paola leads engineering and manufacturing projects with a focus on coordinating cross-functional teams, managing project timelines, and supporting successful production launches. Her experience includes automotive manufacturing, tooling validation, APQP, PPAP, quality management systems, ISO 9001 compliance, document control, change management, and customer design reviews. Previously, as an Engineering Project Manager at ALUDEC SA, she managed automotive badging programs from award through full production launch, working closely with engineering, tooling, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams. Paola combines her technical background with a strong commitment to continuous learning and professional development. She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in Environmental and Sustainability Management, complemented by studies in Operations Management at IESE Business School and a certification in GenAI applications. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and has also volunteered as a Spanish interpreter at a free clinic in Minnesota. Her areas of specialization include project management, process engineering, technical documentation, quality systems, manufacturing operations, and cross-functional project coordination.