#187 Steel Toes and Stilettos: A Conversation with Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels

What started as a simple borrowing of steel toe boots years ago has turned into a lifelong friendship and a published book between Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels. With their extensive backgrounds in manufacturing, leadership, and operations, Kathy and Shannon wanted to share their experiences with other women looking to pursue similar careers. This is how Steel Toes and Stilettos: A True Story of Women Manufacturing Leaders and Lean Transformation Success was born.

In today’s WAM podcast, host Lydia DiLiello sits down with Kathy and Shannon to discuss the book and their individual trials and triumphs working on opposite ends of the manufacturing spectrum. They also share their unique experiences working alongside and gaining knowledge from men in the field, as well as their beliefs that lean methodology and inclusive workplace culture are what will help drive competitiveness against foreign suppliers.

MEET YOUR HOST

Lydia Di Liello

Capital Pricing Consultants increases clients’ profitability through strategy monetization, operational, and tactical solutions.

Lydia M Di Liello, CEO and founder (with more than 25 years of business leadership, supply chain and global pricing expertise) delivers exceptional results through Strategy, Process, and Technology. Leveraging a career at General Motors and b to b manufacturing in Supply Chain and Pricing management, client profitability typically increases from 15%-300% in as little as six months. Client engagements range from global Fortune 500 to smaller privately held firms.

Starting with strategic overview through actionable specific directives, clients achieve significant profit increases. Executing widely respected trademarked methodology including Discovery, Assessment, and Recommendations, D.A.R. Ô delivers a comprehensive roadmap for clients’ corporate strategic goals through operational impact achieving strategy realization.

Lydia is a well-know and widely respected speaker leading executive forums, conferences, and workshops worldwide; she is published frequently in trade and professional journals. With an MBA from Youngstown State University Di Liello is repeatedly requested at corporate retreats and is a member of the Professional Pricing Society Board of Advisors.

Recently published In Manufacturing Today June 2021 https://manufacturing-today.com/news/seamless-connections/

Di Liello was just named as the only pricing consultant with the prestigious 2020 PROS to KNOW award for the second year in a row from Supply and Demand Chain Executive on March 17, 2021

Company Philosophy: Success starts with open and clear communication through every step of the client engagement process. Valuing clients’ time and commitment, Capital Pricing Consultants are dedicated to efficiency and demonstrable efficacy. Di Liello cultivates long-term relationships built one successful project at a time.

SPECIAL GUEST

Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels

Shannon Karels is a Senior Operations Manager who has led multiple lean transformations and run operations for two large publicly traded corporations across various industries and business models. She started her career in supply chain management and progressed through lean and operations leadership roles. Through this journey, Shannon has improved cultures in numerous manufacturing facilities by leading employee empowerment and engagement, and building highly successful teams, with a focus on business results. Shannon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management from Western Michigan University.

Kathy Miller is a Senior Operations Executive who has held numerous global vice president and director roles both in manufacturing and lean enterprise leadership. Kathy is a Shingo Prize Recipient for Large Businesses as a Plant Manager. She started her career in Operations as a 17-year-old co-op student at a vehicle assembly plant, and progressed through engineering, marketing, lean, and operations leadership roles, working for four large publicly traded corporations in executive roles. Kathy is a transformational leader who consistently delivers impressive business results through team development, process discipline, and continuous improvement. Kathy holds a Bachelor’s in Industrial Systems Engineering from Kettering University, MBA from Ball State University and a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Kathy was inducted into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2021.