A Day in the Life with Mary Ellen Powell

               Join Jackie Mattox, Founder and CEO of Women in Electronics, as she sits down with Mary Ellen Powell, Senior Director of Global Employee Development at Vishay, for a special “Day in the Life” episode of the WE podcast. Mary Ellen starts off by providing some background on her upbringing and her childhood. She shares how wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to be when she grew up, but ultimately found a path that led her to where she is today – leading a team of 8 that’s responsible for the development of 25,000 employees globally, with a motto of “Make them say no.”
               She talks through the mindsets she brings to Vishay and how her impressive resume of past experiences helped drive the development and mind shift she’s been able to generate within the Vishay organization. Mary Ellen shares the lore behind the Vishay lab coat – a tribute to their late founder, Dr. Felix Zandman – and what her average day looks like. Spoiler: no two days are exactly the same and for Mary Ellen, that’s the draw. Every position has it’s ups and down and Mary Ellen shares her favorite (and least favorite) parts of the job and the benefits of having a ‘healthy dissatisfaction.’
               As a working mom, Mary Ellen keeps it together by managing her calendar wisely and encouraging her team to do the same. She wants her kids to not only see her work ethic but take away the fact that if you put your mind to it and work hard, you can have a beautiful life and be proud of your accomplishments. Lastly, Mary Ellen concludes on fun note sharing which movie characters she finds a combination of in herself. Take three guesses who and hear more in detail from Mary Ellen on the latest WE podcast episode.

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