Women Reshaping Manufacturing: Joanna Cooper Of Daimler Truck North America On The Five Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In Manufacturing
An Interview With David Leichner
Resilience. Resilience is defined as the ability to adapt and recover from adversity or difficult situations. I would elaborate on that and say it is the primary muscle that needs strengthening to create a highly successful career in manufacturing. Manufacturing is a low self-esteem industry. It tells you daily what is going wrong, and you’re only as good as your last shift.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in interest surrounding the manufacturing sector. Historically, this industry has been dominated by male workers, with women constituting only about 30% of the workforce. What is the experience like for women working in such a male-dominated field? What challenges do they face, and how can they contribute to improving the industry? What does it take to establish a highly successful career in manufacturing? Additionally, what exciting advancements and innovations are U.S. companies making in high-tech manufacturing, and what can we expect in the near future? How can the U.S. emerge as a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse? To address these questions, we are talking to women leaders in the manufacturing industry. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joanna Cooper.
Joanna Cooper is Daimler Truck North America’s General Manager, Mount Holly. As a Board member of Women in Manufacturing, she continues to bridge competence and confidence to transform executive leadership and business culture to drive results.
Leading an amazing team of nearly 2,000 staff to produce Freightliner M2 and SD Plus medium-duty trucks. Workforce development and digital transformation have never been more relevant than now as leaders seek to transition product and service portfolios to more sustainable solutions. To learn more about Joanna Cooper’s innovative management tips, follow her on Linkedin.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started in manufacturing?
I hail from Detroit, Michigan. My parents relocated from Louisiana to create a better life and worked to make that life possible for my sisters and me. Through hard work, they layered our childhood with principles and activities, exposing us to many new experiences. These experiences cultivated me, unbeknownst to them, with how to say ‘yes.’ Through a series of ‘yeses’ I’ve been fortunate to find “what” I love to do, and I also know that I am living out my purpose. That makes all the difference.
In the throes of the 2008 economic downturn — coupled with making some risky young decisions — I searched for a career after my brief life as a real estate investor crashed and burned. I had my resume on all the job search boards, and one day a recruiter called me and said he had this perfect job at Detroit Diesel Corporation. Little did I know about this subsidiary of Daimler AG that was five minutes from the home I grew up in. So in January 2008, I had three interviews in one week, and in pure corporate fashion, I waited to hear something for months. Finally, after a final interview, I started working for Daimler — now Daimler Truck on May 28, 2008. I always tell people that Daimler found me, I didn’t find it. So, I began my journey in manufacturing as an associate buyer in the purchasing department.
An early mentor turned dear friend Ted Dreisinger told me that when I got my chance to hide and hone — to learn all I can about the business; always be willing to ‘say yes’ — remaining open to new possibilities. So I did and continued to take on new opportunities whenever I could. I invested in learning and growing and worked my way into more complex roles.
In 2012, I said yes to doing a 3-year assignment in Esslingen, Germany. Not only did I get to continue learning, but I also grew up and grew more into “who” I am. After three years, it was time to make the next decision. I knew I wanted to do something different, and I evaluated positions with the elements of work I enjoyed while meeting that desire for change. I accepted a position back at Detroit Diesel as a program manager for the DT12 transmission. During that time, I liked being in the plant with the people much more than I enjoyed sitting at my desk doing PowerPoint presentations. An old boss, who was just an onlooker then, asked me one day to “let him know when I wanted to come over to the dark side.” He saw something I had seen in myself but couldn’t articulate/position it then.
In June of 2016, I said yes to the dark side and a promotional opportunity to become the Business Unit Manager for Axle Assembly production and found my what and my why — manufacturing operations.
After several years of rotating to different responsibilities, I got an opportunity to become the Director of Production at Mt. Holly — another “yes.” As changes within our organization occurred, the job I said I wanted during that mentoring session six years before opened up, albeit in a different location. I went for it- once again saying ‘yes’! I was selected as the Plant Manager of Mt. Holly!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
In January 2016, I sat down with my first real mentor, Jeff Allen — the plant manager at the time. I had been meeting with him quarterly since I returned to Detroit. He has his own stories and impressions of our first meetings, but at the end of 2015, I asked him if he would be a mentor. He said yes! We went from quarterly meetings to monthly. In that first meeting, he asked me a question that changed my life: “Where did I want to be in 20 years?” My answer: “Your job.” And we put together my first career timeline. That timeline has been in a frame in my office ever since. Keeping it visible both directly and indirectly influenced my growth. I never tried to be fulfilled where I was, and I wanted more. Since that first mentorship session, I have worked on getting to where I wanted to be. We don’t control the timing of our opportunities, but we do control our preparedness. That journey makes all the difference.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
This verse has re-ignited my confidence, especially in challenging, volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times. No matter what is happening, I know there is another side, and I know that if I don’t have hope or can’t see a future, then that is not what God wants for my life — and neither do I. It’s helped me maintain a perspective that if I keep moving, keep seeking and searching for another way that I will find it. And I do…often when I least expect it.
Finally, it’s helped me build faith in the unseen and in leadership which is pivotal. In leadership, we repeatedly find ourselves charting a path least traveled and have to build confidence — in ourselves and our team — for the road ahead.
Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview about High Tech Manufacturing. Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now? How do you think this will help people?
This year we officially launched the Freightliner Plus series — enhanced versions of our M2 and S.D. models, including the M2 106 Plus, M2 112 Plus, 108SD Plus, and 114SD Plus. The enhanced models provide a major update to the interior and electrical systems of the popular M2 and S.D. models, representing the leading medium-duty and one of the best-selling vocational trucks in North America. In addition, on March 27, 2023, we celebrated the 750,000th truck in our Daimler Truck North America Mt. Holly Truck Plant, and it was well-fitted that truck was an M2 Plus!
Our ability to maneuver into the future will rest highly on our ability to launch new products. As our organization pursues the goal of leading sustainable transportation, we are working to integrate more sophisticated and automated tools and control systems that will enable us to take our already benchmark quality to the next level. These tools and systems will enable us to compile a digital birth certificate for every unit and integrate greater accuracy and consistency into daily activities. This is exciting for our teams, products, and loyal customers.
Can you share how you are helping to reshape the manufacturing industry?
I consider myself a disrupter because I’ve always moved against the grain, even from a young person. I have never been one to accept the status quo, and I do not subscribe to how things have always been done. This is my approach to life and to leadership. I also consider myself a role model — an example of what is possible.
I hope young girls will dress up for Halloween as manufacturing leaders, construction foreman, or civil engineers, to name a few non-traditional roles, that they play with toys that inspire their imagination of the spaces they deserve to be in. Only then will we fill the pipeline with the throng of people and perspectives to truly maximize deep excellence in the change continuum on the horizon.
Manufacturing is built on the premise of standardization and predictability. Those tenants have created success over the years and will continue to add value. However, in the upcoming decades, we will seek ways to standardize a constant state of change.
As a woman in manufacturing, I am a living example of why diverse perspectives and representation is key to leveraging the best ideas at the optimal time. Limited perspectives are the weeds that choke innovation and progress. In manufacturing, things move fast, and to maintain a leading position, one must always ensure they have the most competitive advantage. This breaks down as, if you’re the smartest person in the room, find a new room.
In addition to what you are working on, what other exciting advancements and innovations are U.S. companies making in High Tech manufacturing?
Being a Board Director with the Women In Manufacturing organization allows me to see how companies across various industries leverage technology, influence, strategy, and ingenuity to develop and create better and more efficient ways of servicing customers near and far. To see how technologies such as 3D Printing, Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented/Virtual Reality, and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) are being utilized to harness complexity, increase efficiency and productivity through real-time monitoring and automation, create immersive training modules and analyze data and trends is nothing short of amazing.
From your vantage point as an insider, what exciting developments will be coming out in the near future?
I am excited about how the developments in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous spaces will collide. While there are many ethical things to consider, I believe the advances made in these spaces will be nothing short of amazing.
What are the three things that most excite you about the state of U.S. Manufacturing? Why?
Manufacturing today is anyone’s game — that makes it scary and exciting all at the same time. Those who have seen success need to fight even harder and seek persistent rapid transformation to remain relevant. There is always a new player, new potential, and new challenges to overcome. However, those who build the resilience to harness, navigate and grow will ultimately prevail.
What are the three things that concern you about U.S. Manufacturing? What would you suggest needs to be done to address those concerns?
Three areas of concern are grouped into three distinct areas:
1) Workforce of the future. The future of manufacturing will require more than just brute force and skill. People will always be part of the equation; however, the skills and competencies they need to harness to bring the most value will change. It will require a greater understanding of “how” things work and a broad perspective that will enable a different level of problem-solving and systems integration. How we educate children, onboard and train new employees, and set up continuing education will be integral to long-term success.
2) Skilled Trades. In recent years there has been a decline in skilled trades for various reasons. One of the main reasons has been the increased emphasis on collegiate degrees rather than pursuing vocational training or apprenticeships. Combined with the aging workforce retiring, we are left with the resulting skills gap that needs a solution. However, the future looks like there will continue to be a great need for the employees we rely on to maintain and repair the infrastructure. This is a great space as well for women to consider. Often the job security, competitive salaries, benefits, and opportunities for advancement in these essential functions are not advertised enough as a means of job selection, growth, and life balance.
3) Systematic Inclusive Change. While more and more people are considering manufacturing as an option for their career placement, it still has challenges that can accommodate the diverse workforce it seeks to attract. For example, flexible shift models, structures that support employees through the various stages of life (e.g. child and elder care), educational opportunities for any career track, or flexibility in how to assemble the total compensation package are a few things that need to be considered to retain the employees we need for future success.
Based on your opinion or experience, what would it take for the U.S. to become a High Tech Manufacturing powerhouse?
The U.S. needs to step back and decide if it wants to be a leader in the High Tech space. We are already seeing some government and state level Economic Development advocates working to earmark investments and partnerships in the space. We need more to follow. Becoming a powerhouse will require fundamental changes to how we have always done things and be willing to transform accordingly. More support and social systems will be required to support the workforce available to staff facilities and educational reform will be essential to maintain a pipeline of qualified professionals.
As you know, there are not that many women in High Tech Manufacturing. Can you advise what is needed to engage more women in these industries?
Great question. To engage more women in manufacturing, I believe we need two things:
1) As I mentioned earlier, we need to change the narrative of what roles women can do when they are young. We can be more than just doctors, nurses, teachers, or office-bound professionals. Women can and have done great things and should be represented in all spaces. STEM education must be kicked off in primary school and further refined in middle school. Young girls need to be able to dream of being in manufacturing.
2) Once we get the women to show up, we need to be able to keep them. Manufacturing is still supported by systems, structures, and processes that favor men. This can lead to a very challenging environment especially considering the responsibilities of many of the employees across the various stages and phases of their lives. A system that enables women to be fruitful in both their personal and professional lives is integral to keeping them in the game.
Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In Manufacturing?
1 . Self-Leadership. In 2016, when I became a mid-level manager, I had the opportunity to go to Portland, OR with other peers for a two-day leadership training session facilitated by Building Champions. Of course, when you think of leadership training, you think of tips and strategies employed to manage others. But the emphasis of this training was on our ability to lead ourselves. Fundamentally, the success we pursue in any area of our lives is dependent on the quality of the way we lead ourselves. When you study the lives of great leaders of the past and of today, you get the stories of the road of harnessing the quality of the inner condition to enable the courage and curiosity to pave the road ahead.
2 . Resilience. Resilience is defined as the ability to adapt and recover from adversity or difficult situations. I would elaborate on that and say it is the primary muscle that needs strengthening to create a highly successful career in manufacturing. Manufacturing is a low self-esteem industry. It tells you daily what is going wrong, and you’re only as good as your last shift.
However, the adversity of the environment builds the fortitude to have faith in the unseen, the flexibility and agility to adapt to changing circumstances, the optimism that one can overcome challenges, and the perseverance to keep going because you always find sunshine on the other side. It builds the resourcefulness to find solutions to the most complex problems. Most of all, you develop the ability to care for yourself — to ensure you invest in all those facets of life that enable you to show up as your best self — Every. Single. Day.
3 . Organizational Agility. I’ve spent much of my early career saying ‘yes’ to new things — whether it was yes to a new scope of responsibility, a hobby project that would mean more short-term workload or a completely different position in a new space and new place.
Through those ‘yeses,’ I built a vast network and learned the business, how it worked, what it values, and how to navigate it effectively. To have a successful career in manufacturing, you need to have a broad network — horizontal integration and expertise is a far more valuable competence, enabling your effectiveness in getting things done through formal and informal channels. Moreover, it is one of the most critical leadership competencies needed to lead transformation, build influence, and drive change.
4 . Effective Team Building. No one can be successful alone. Our ability to be impactful depends not only on our ability to lead ourselves but on our ability to build and lead effective teams. I always find myself being the newer person in the room, and with that, I am joining a team that has been together far longer than I have been present, and that team’s culture is a sum total of the experiences they have had. While I may come in with a 30–60–90 day plan and grand ideas, my ability to join and negotiate space within that team is essential.
So I constantly seek first to understand — the culture, the tone, the decision-makers, the strongest opinions, etc. From there, I negotiate my space and start to imprint who I am on and in the team. Strong team builders create strong morale and spirit within their team. They share wins and successes, foster an open dialogue, and constantly define for the team what success looks like. Our ability to create a sense of belonging where everyone feels safe to contribute — especially the diverse perspective — drives the level of success and achievement that can be realized.
5 . Execute. The number of ‘yeses’ I said over my career were moments of execution and helped me develop the business acumen needed to grow. In each of those ‘yeses,’ I had to perform — I had to execute. Execution builds the confidence of others required to gain access to the bigger platforms of your career. It’s how you build trust. The fundamental assumption or belief that you scale your career in manufacturing is that you can and will execute the core baseline of your business and will continually deliver and play your role on the team.
I was an athlete growing up and earned my playing time in practice. I was showing up every day and playing my role, then adding value to my teammates by being there to support them and help them out on their journey. In a game, if they needed me, I was there. We need to lead ourselves, we have to be able to lead others, and we must scale our execution at every level bringing more and more value to the success of the whole.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Great question. I believe when we are young, we are encouraged to be type A, and we are taught that we need to do something to get something. So, we do our homework and get good grades to go to school. In the process, we gain acceptance, love, and adoration from our parents, teachers, and peers. We do something, and we get something. From that process, we get exponential results — we see success. As we grow older, the return on investment slows down and quickly transitions into the law of diminishing returns.
The things we’re pursuing become bigger, and the employment of the same philosophy often has us spinning our wheels. It’s easy to be discouraged by the lack of “time.” That is when life starts to ask something different from us — it starts to ask for faith, and if we can make that switch, we can tap into the next level of exponential return. It is that place where innovation is born, where success cements, and a life of purpose can be lived. I want to inspire others with the courage to make that switch because I believe that is where a well-lived life is born. And if I can do that, and more people would do that, the level of change for the better becomes even more in reach. We will create a much better world.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
For more insights into manufacturing, leadership development, and systemizing results, follow me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/joannaccooper
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.
About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.
