Research & Insights

By: Michele Zeitz – VP of IT

Michele Zeitz – Vice President of IT; Haley Coppes – Market Director; Aidan Jantz – Talent Solutions Manager; and Josh Healan – President of Wright Technical Services – all had the pleasure of attending the WIM Summit at the McCormick Center in Chicago last week. You likely met one of us at our booth if you found a gold or silver ticket in your welcome bag.

Wright Technical Services has been a member of the Ohio Chapter of Women in Manufacturing since 2023. Michele Zeitz attended the Leadership Conference in Clearwater, Florida in 2024, but this was Wright’s first time attending the Summit. We were optimistic that this would be a great event, but we didn’t truly know what to expect.

It’s difficult to put our experience over the course of three days into words, but we wanted to try and give you a recap of not only our highlights from the event, but also share a bit about the intangible takeaways – the new friendships, the camaraderie, the inspiration, and the culmination of everything we shared with you and others.

From the first keynote given by Allison Roberts Grealis, our team knew the Summit was something very special. This wasn’t your ordinary manufacturing event or tradeshow – no. This was 3,000 people – women and their allies – who care very deeply about manufacturing and its place in our global economy. The advancement of women in manufacturing was the common thread that knitted all aspects of the Summit together; however, Josh and Aidan never felt out of place.

In fact, Josh was asked several times throughout the event, “What does it feel like being a man at such a large women’s event?” Josh’s sentiment was that men were welcomed with open arms, that 95% of the event could apply to any manufacturing professional regardless of gender, and that while it is an event focused on women, to Josh, the Summit is an event focused on manufacturing excellence.

All of that said, the Summit is definitely designed for women. It is their forum to shine brightly in an industry that is still very much dominated by men. The Summit celebrates the progress that’s been made but also reminds us of the opportunities that still exist to continue to increase the population of women working across all levels of manufacturing.

As for the speakers and panelists, we had the privilege of learning from some of the smartest minds in manufacturing.

On day one, Caroline Wanga stressed the importance of communicating our “shoe size” and being intentional about our careers. She emphasized that if we want to fulfill the career roadmaps we design for ourselves, women must be vocal about their aspirations with the leaders they work for.

Jennifer Mason from the Disney Institute shared leadership lessons developed by the great Walt Disney himself – lessons that focused on values and vision, and the sometimes unnoticed but hugely important details that go into fulfilling those values and vision.

During the breakout sessions, we heard from experts in their fields from companies including Boeing, John Deere, Molson Coors, Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Toyota, PepsiCo, Amazon, and AMGEN – we could go on. It was basically the who’s who of every manufacturing company you could want to learn from.

Speaking of Boeing, we developed an odd fascination with the large manufacturers and how many women they sent to Chicago for the event. Boeing alone sent nearly 150 women. Their presence was felt – and seen – everywhere throughout the event. A historic manufacturer that truly celebrates women throughout their ranks. It was awesome.

Our team was able to attend panels on topics such as supply chain negotiations, steps to purposefully move into leadership roles, professional communication, strategies for offsetting tariff expenses, mentorship, digital transformation in manufacturing, confident decision-making and of course AI in manufacturing. Any one of those sessions was worth the price of admission.

Lastly, the final keynote from Becky Crane of General Mills was both inspiring and somewhat emotional. Becky stressed the importance of challenging ourselves to take advantage of new opportunities and even move into new roles that might be outside of our comfort zones. She shared stories of her experiences and roles globally with General Mills, and how the community and cultures of each individual manufacturing site are what truly drive success. Becky emphasized how important it is for leaders to truly get to know their people and understand what motivates them.

Over the course of three days, our team was invited to attend multiple after-hours events. We visited with our friends from the Ohio chapter during their happy hour, and we made new friends at the Great Lakes Region happy hour. We may have even enjoyed some post–happy hour food and adult beverages with some new friends at venues that were not on the official Summit agenda.

We left Chicago exhausted and grateful. Wright Technical Services is not a manufacturer; however, we serve manufacturers every day. Our business is to help manufacturers grow and be successful through the acquisition of truly outstanding technical talent. We know the impact a high-performing engineer or technology professional can have on a manufacturer. Our team left exhausted because it was three long days that we chose to prolong into the evenings with our newfound friends. Our team left grateful because you let us into your world for a moment in time. Most days, we work for you. For those three days, we were able to work alongside you. Thank you, Women in Manufacturing, for the experience. We’ll see you in Las Vegas in 2026!

Our team would very much like to continue to work alongside you – and for you. You met us: Michele, Haley, Aidan, and Josh, along with some others, are the face of Wright. If you enjoyed meeting us as much as we enjoyed meeting you, let us know. We love what we do, and we’d love to do what we do for you. If you are a manufacturer and you’re struggling to find that special someone to join your team, send us an email. All of our contact information is below.

If you’re a job seeker looking for that special place to call home, we represent great manufacturing clients all over the United States. Our team may be able to help you take that next step in your manufacturing career.

Either way, let’s stay in touch and work to keep the spirit of the Summit alive until we meet again next year. Here’s to #WIMSummit2026!

Michele Zeitz – michele.zeitz@workwithwright.com

Haley Coppes – haley.coppes@workwithwright.com

Aidan Jantz – aidan.jantz@workwithwright.com

Josh Healan – josh.healan@workwithwright.com