Women MAKE Awards Recognize DENSO Engineer for Excellence in Manufacturing

The Manufacturing Institute will honor DENSO’s Hannah Pearl in the Emerging Leader category of the Women MAKE Awards

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers—announced that DENSO Industrial Engineer Hannah Pearl has been recognized as a 2023 Women MAKE Awards Emerging Leader. This annual national awards program honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite. As an Emerging Leader, Pearl joins 100 women leaders and 30 other women under the age of 30 who have achieved unique accomplishments early in their careers.

After multiple internships at DENSO’s thermal manufacturing facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, Pearl was hired in 2021 at the site as a full-time engineer, a role in which she improves manufacturing processes, teaches other groups about lean manufacturing and makes teammates’ jobs safer. Beyond her daily responsibilities, she launched the first formal mentor program at her location, helping new and future DENSO team members receive in-depth and ongoing career support. She is also chair of the DENSO Women’s Network, a business resource group at the Battle Creek site focused on supporting and creating community among women colleagues.

Outside DENSO, she and her DENSO Women’s Network team are involved in several impactful projects, including raising funds to support a local domestic violence shelter and leading manufacturing workshops with organizations like Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan to spark young women’s interest in STEM.

“I’m so honored to be recognized as a 2023 Emerging Leader,” said Pearl. “DENSO has given me the opportunity to successfully contribute in my engineering job and also foster my love for people as DENSO Women’s Network chair. In joining this accomplished group of nominees, it only strengthens my passion for continuing to help make DENSO an inclusive place for all and to bring more women into the manufacturing space.”

The Women MAKE Awards are part of the MI’s Women MAKE America initiative, which is the nation’s marquee program to close the gender gap in manufacturing. Women account for about half of the U.S. labor force but represent less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce. Women MAKE America aims to create a 21st-century manufacturing workforce by empowering and inspiring women in the industry.

“There is no doubt that the 2023 Women MAKE Awards Honorees and Emerging Leaders are immensely talented and accomplished,” said Cornerstone Building Brands President and CEO Rose Lee. “They serve as excellent role models committed to inspiring and supporting women and girls of all ages. Their example is how we will create an industry that is as diverse as the communities we serve.”

The Women MAKE Awards honor exceptional women in manufacturing and motivate them to mentor the next generation through an annual awards gala and associated leadership training program. The stories of these women and the leadership they exemplify will help inspire the next generation of women leaders in manufacturing and support talent already within the industry.

“Hannah’s passion and impact on not only DENSO, but also her community, is an inspiration,” said Denise Carlson, vice president of DENSO’s North America Production Innovation Center and executive lead of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. “Through her hard work and endless enthusiasm, she’s earned this incredible award, but even more importantly, she’s helping uphold DENSO’s mission of contributing to a better world. We’re grateful to the Manufacturing Institute for the recognition and for their ongoing collaboration, which helps push our industry forward.”

 “The biggest challenge facing manufacturers continues to be the growing workforce crisis, and women are the industry’s largest talent opportunity; bringing just 6% more women into manufacturing would fill all open jobs in the sector today,” said MI President Carolyn Lee. “That is exactly why the Women MAKE Awards are so important and powerful. These are the women who will inspire our next generation of female talent to pursue a career in this industry.”

On April 20, the MI will recognize the 130 recipients of the Women MAKE Awards in Washington, D.C.

Past DENSO winners of the Women MAKE Awards, formerly known as the STEP Ahead Awards, include Denise Carlson in 2021 and Monique Radersma in 2022.

For those interested in working at a company committed to creating a more inclusive workplace to accelerate innovation, visit densocareers.com.

About DENSO 
DENSO is a $45.1 billion global mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in its 198 facilities to produce electrification system, powertrain system, thermal system, mobility electronics, & advanced devices, to create jobs that directly change how the world moves. The company’s 167,000+ employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO spent 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. For more information about global DENSO, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/.

In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 27,000+ engineers, researchers, and skilled workers across 51 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,700+ employees across 14 states (and the District of Columbia) and 41 sites. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, DENSO in North America generated $9.5 billion in consolidated sales. DENSO is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion inside the company and beyond – a principle that brings unique perspectives together, bolsters innovation, and pushes DENSO forward. Join us, and craft not only how the world moves, but also your career: densocareers.com. For more information, go to https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/

About The Manufacturing Institute
The Manufacturing Institute builds, diversifies and strengthens the modern manufacturing workforce, with the goal of furthering individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. The MI engages underrepresented communities and shifts perceptions about careers in modern manufacturing, leads skilled training and career development programs, provides thought leadership and research on the changing state of the workforce and builds partnerships to scale up its impact on manufacturing in the United States. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions for the industry’s toughest challenges. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

SOURCE DENSO