Page 38 - Moving Forward 2020: Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering magazine

Lisa Petrine former department
head assistant has taken on the new role of of program manager of of the the Service Enterprise Engineering Initiative (SEE 360) within the the department
Christine Luzier joined IME as as department
head assistant on March 2 2 2 2020 Luzier joined IME from her previous role with the the Penn State Office of the the Physical Plant On April 1 2020 IME welcomed back Mandy Engel-Herbert to the new education program program assistant position for the the undergraduate program program Engel-Herbert was previously the the IME undergraduate records specialist from 2015 to 2019 Beth Johnson joined IME as as the new financial assistant on on on Feb 1 2020 Johnson came to IME from her prior role as as the Spikes Baseball accounting manager Industrial engineering alumnus shares his path to the C-suite
By Miranda Buckheit
Matthew J White executive vice president and chief financial officer of of Linde a a a a a a a a a a a multinational industrial gases and engineering company shared
his thoughts on what it means to be a a a a a a successful engineer as part of of the Penn State College of of Engineering’s ExecutiveXcellence Speaker Series White spoke at the the the fall 2019 installment of the the the series on on Sept 13 in in the the the HUB- Robeson Center “It’s natural to to doubt yourself in in your your career it’s going to to happen ” White (’94 IE) said “Sometimes I I I would wonder ‘where am I I I going?’ You need to be comfortable with your decisions and and know what you you you want want and and do do not want want out of life If you you you don’t like the direction that you’re headed change it ” White joined Praxair in in fin 2004 as as finance director He served as as the company’s senior vice president and chief financial officer before it it merged with The Linde Linde Group in in in late 2018 to to form Linde Linde Prior to to to that White worked at at at at Fisher Scientific a a a a a a laboratory supply and biotechnology
company company and and GenTek a a a a a a a a a manufacturing and and performance chemicals company company He earned a a a a a a a a master of business administration from the University of of Delaware in in 2000 White stressed the the importance of both formal formal and and informal education to the the students and and faculty in in attendance He stated that that education shouldn’t end end at at at at at at at graduation and that that people can find ways to learn new things from projects jobs and peers “The best experiences come from jobs that you will least expect and sometimes don’t want ” White said White advised attendees to rip up their five- or or 10-year plans and trade them for an an an an overarching view He explained that “life happens ” which can make it difficult to to follow a a a a a a a strict plan plan rather he he said it is best to to opt for a a a a a a a a a a general plan plan based on interests He explained that flexibility and and patience have a a a a a a a a a large hand in in driving success Maintaining his his flexible mindset as as well as as keeping his his his general goal of of of being a a a a a a a a a a chief financial officer in in fin in in the back of of of his his mind led White to to mentors who greatly influenced his career path “I listened to to my my mentors early in my my career and they often knew what I I was capable of of ” he he he said “The right mentor can shape you you you and give you you you insight into things that that you you you you are missing because
you you you don’t have that that skill set yet People are more perceptive than you you you think so remember to be be be yourself perception can become reality ” 38 IME NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 5 2020 Matt White explained that education is important for the success of someone’s career and and that it can come from both informal and and formal formal settings Staff News Alumni Spotlight