Katie Walters’ Career Journey: Everyone Has Something They Can Teach You
Learning. Understanding. Contributing. These are the keys to success for Katie Walters, director of Supply Chain Management and Logistics at DENSO’s manufacturing facility in Maryville, Tennessee.
“I’ve taken several leadership classes at DENSO, but most of my development has come from mentoring and learning on the job,” Katie said. “I’ve had really great leaders who have given me lots of advice and coaching. Sometimes they nudged me when I wasn’t comfortable stretching myself. They pushed me to be brave and supported me along the way.”
“After 18 years I still learn something new every day, it is one of the things I love about DENSO,” she said. “No matter your role or responsibility, the opportunity to learn is all around us.”
Katie uses new knowledge to identify ways to contribute the most value to the company and her teams. She also wants to be a positive role model and leader for other young women looking to get into manufacturing.
“I want to help drive change and put DENSO in a position where we are successful for many decades to come,” Katie said. “As DENSO continues to grow and our products evolve, I want to not only positively influence this growth, but forge a path for other women to do the same.”
Katie’s DENSO Career
Her DENSO career technically started in 2005 when she was hired as a specialist, but it really started the year before, when she worked as a professional contractor in the Production Control (PC) group at the pass-through warehouse in Maryville. During the next five years, Katie held various roles in this area, including being part of the team that established and launched four warehouses at other DENSO sites throughout the region.
In 2010, she took a new step in her career, joining North America Production Control, which supports the technical systems used by PC and logistics teams in the region. Though on paper, it didn’t seem like this would be a big change, it was.
“I had to look at production control and logistics through a whole new lens,” Katie said. “I was now looking at the systems that drive the production control and logistics processes and teams rather than simply utilizing them in a warehouse environment.”
Four years later, Katie took another sharp turn in her DENSO career when she moved to a PC planning role in the electronics plant, 202, in Maryville. After working at DENSO for 10 years, she was getting her first experience in a manufacturing setting.
“It was almost like another ‘first day at DENSO’ for me because it was my first time working directly with manufacturing,” Katie said. “I spent years supporting and teaching the production control team, which I was now a part of, the systems and tools they were using, but I had never done the day-to-day job myself. I had a lot to learn. It was exciting, and a little nerve racking.”
Facing her Fears
That’s when Katie’s love for learning and relationships really benefitted her. She thrived on learning in her new role and making connections with production associates and leaders.
“One of my favorite things about working at DENSO is the people,” Katie said. “I’ve made a lot of incredibly valuable relationships throughout my career. I love the human connection side of my job. Everyone, regardless of department or role, has something they can teach you.”
Once engrained in the environment where she learned as much as she could and grew her relationships with other plant associates and leaders, Katie’s fears quickly disappeared.
“As I transitioned into manufacturing operations, I could see how many challenges the associates and leaders face each day,” Katie said. “My appreciation for their hard work and dedication, as well as my commitment to support them each day grew. It was really exciting to learn this side of our business.”
Looking back, Katie realizes that being scared was not only understandable, but necessary. She also knows that her successes aren’t something she accomplished on her own, she relied on support from others along her journey.
“If something feels scary, it usually means there’s something really great on the other side,” Katie said. “Be brave and trust yourself and your experience. It’s hard, but you will build confidence along the way. Trust in those who support you, share your goals and ideas with them and listen openly to their feedback. This will help build your confidence to grow professionally and personally.”
Embracing A New Role
Katie moved to her current role in January 2023. As she acclimates, she’ll rely on all her previous DENSO experiences to help her succeed.
“My experience in being in roles across different affiliates, divisions and departments, has given me a greater understanding of how complex and diverse our organization is,” Katie said. “I am excited for a new challenge and continuing my learning journey alongside my teams.”