Explore Career Paths for Women in Operations

Born amidst the vibrant culture and rich history of Vietnam, Dana’s fascination with engineering was sparked by a childhood of taking apart her father’s VCR, stereos, and televisions. Her family arrived in California right after the fall of Saigon when she was just four years old and landed in the heart of Los Angeles California. Armed with determination from an immigrant family trying to make a better life for themselves, Dana’s parents enrolled her full-time into Chinese school, mandated only Vietnamese speaking at home and full-time studies in American schools. As a child, she always felt this was a foolish waste of time, little did she know it would prove priceless as she started her corporate American journey. She enrolled in San Diego State University, immersed herself in the study of mechanical engineering. She supported herself financially throughout college, and with resilience and hard work, she was able to graduate with her engineering class, being one of five females to have graduated that year. She dove headfirst into the male-dominated world of engineering, determined to carve out her place in an industry that had long been closed off to women. Over the next two decades, Dana’s career was blessed with great mentors that exposed her to every aspect of Operations, culminating in her appointment as Director of Operations at VMC. As a leader, Dana has faced challenges unique to her gender, navigating biases and stereotypes with grace. Yet, she refuses to let anything stand in the way of her vision for success. Dana is filled with pride with how far she has come and the countless obstacles she has overcome. Her story serves as a beacon of inspiration for women everywhere, proving that with determination and unwavering perseverance, any barrier can be broken, and any dream, no matter how humble your beginnings are, can be achieved. Dana Diep stands as a testament to the power of women in a male-dominated field, paving the way for future generations to follow in her footsteps.

Born and raised in Golden, Colorado, Lindsey was always known as the kid with the most energy. Graduating from CU Boulder with a degree in Integrative Physiology, the path in front of her was always a bit confusing. The healthcare industry always seemed pretty straightforward in front of her, you go to nursing or PA school or nothing else. The next steps felt clear, but also felt limiting. Pursuing an EMT license in the early college days seemed like it was the right step to paving the path for a clinical role. Lindsey had the opportunity to start working in a local hospital, preparing equipment for surgery. Not a fun job, but certainly an important one that is often thankless and with long hours. Luckily, Lindsey was picked up by a local medical device sales rep to start supporting their distribution center, and everything quickly fell into place. That energy that Lindsey brought to the table quickly became her greatest asset, especially when it came to people management. Finally something clicked that they don’t teach in college. She was moved into a leadership position within 6 months of moving into this field, and quickly was re-located to New York to take on a Regional Leadership position before turning 25. While these intimidating decisions to relocate and manage large organizations seemed intimidating, it immediately felt natural, and it wasn’t even a thought to Lindsey that she had quickly stepped into a male-dominated industry where it is easy to be left behind. Another lucky break, and Lindsey had the chance to move over to Enovis after several very successful years in distribution into Procurement and an entire new world of Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Purchasing was opened. Getting the opportunity to work for a company that elevates and values its female leaders has been a breath of fresh air, along with a company that embraces employees goals and development opportunities to try new things. If it hadn’t been for several mentors and colleagues that saw the passion and energy that Lindsey brought for her people, the criticality of accountability, the drive she had for continuous improvement, and the value of powerful women in the workplace, it would have been a tough road to success. She can’t encourage women in this industry enough to step out of your comfort zone, ask the uncomfortable questions, and pursue that new idea or opportunity that may feel like a bit of a reach.