Her Story
About Rebecca
Rebecca Davis serves as Director of Materials for a multinational worldwide company operating in the manufacturing sector. Since beginning her career in 1992, she has accumulated more than three decades of experience progressing through roles including long-haul dispatcher, supply chain director, manufacturing vice president, and chief operating officer. Her primary expertise lies in leadership, with responsibilities centered on supply chain and material management functions, and she currently emphasizes developing leaders within her teams. Davis holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in organizational psychology, and she is lean certified. She is a member of the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association, known as ARMA, and supports the Horse Boy Foundation. She attributes her success to accepting roles that initially seemed too large and recognizing that mistakes are part of the process. Among the values she holds most dear are integrity, brutal honesty, and empathy. Davis advises young professionals, especially women entering manufacturing, that they can achieve what seems impossible by taking action, learning from errors, and persisting forward.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rebecca
01What do you attribute your success to?
I believe it's two things. One is always accepting a role that I think is too big for me. And the other one is knowing I'm going to fall and make mistakes, but that's okay.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was, you think you can't do it, but you can. It came from my mentor Marsha Os when I was considering a VP role.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You think you can't do it, but you can. On the big scary difficult projects, all you have to do is follow the steps. Just take action. If you make a mistake, learn from it. Don't make the same one twice, but keep moving forward. Just keep moving and you'll get there.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
It's both a challenge and an opportunity, especially in manufacturing. The challenge and the opportunity is to seek diversity. You need opinions and thoughts from every walk of life, different experiences, different ages, different cultures. Incorporate that in your decision making. Don't always seek out people that agree with you.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity. Honesty, brutal honesty. And empathy.
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