Alison Shea-Employee Spotlight Interview

As part of Women’s History Month, Alison Shea, CEM, Senior Vice President, Business Development, shares her thoughts on women’s achievements in the field of mechanical engineering and her experience at TEN.

March is designated as Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American History. Women’s History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide.

Alison, what has been your greatest achievement?

As it relates to “women’s history,” it’s twofold. I studied mechanical engineering at a time when there were very few females in this field. I completed my undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, when there were only two women in the construction/HVAC program. I am very proud of the progress women have made since then. Women bring a different prospective to projects in our industry than men; one is not better than the other, they are just different.

Because I work in a non-gender traditional field, my kids have grown up without bias. My choices set the course for them to think outside the box regarding their interests and career choices. They did not see limitations. Plus, they brag about having a “super boss mom”…. Who wouldn’t love that!

Women’s History Month is a call to action to accelerate gender equality. As a business leader at TEN, how do you see equality evolving?

I see gender equality absolutely evolving. The challenge though continues; it has moved away from bias and towards availability. Women are still a minority in the STEM field. In my experience, people are no longer opposed to hiring women, the problem has changed to availability of women in our field. We still have a long way to go to reinforce STEM as a career opportunity for women.

What woman has been influential in your life?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

You have achieved so much success in business as a leader. What qualities do you think make a great leader?

Transparency, communication, leading by example, knowing your “stuff”, passion for your job, and humility.

What advise do you have for other women who aspire to leadership positions?

Be your own voice, advocate for yourself, and surround yourself with people you respect that you view as a mentor or sponsor.

What is your favorite part of working at TEN?

The culture, it’s fun! People are open to each other, engaged, and have a shared vision for the future of the company. Most of all, there are no silos, which is very rare in business.