insights
Women @KraussMaffei: Lauren Schmidt
| Ana Laura Vera
We present strong women at KraussMaffei
Lauren started her career at KraussMaffei as an electrical engineer in the extrusion department. She then served as Engineering Manager for RPM and EXT for approximately 2.5 years. In her current role, she is Director of Quotations and Project Management for RPM and EXT.
AHEAD
In your opinion, what are the advantages for women working in the still male-dominated engineering sector?
Lauren Schmidt
I think there are a lot of engineering career opportunities out there, whether you are male or female. Engineering opens the door to a lot of different opportunities for continual growth and learning, both personally and professionally.
AHEAD
In your opinion, are there also disadvantages? What are they?
Lauren Schmidt
Sometimes people will underestimate you and your ability, so you have to work harder to prove yourself.
AHEAD
Who has been the woman who has inspired you the most and why?
Lauren Schmidt
Honestly, the woman who has inspired me the most is my mother. Growing up, between raising a family, going to night school to be a Nurse Practioner, graduating top of her class, all at the same time, how could I not be inspired?
AHEAD
What do you think is the biggest challenge of being a woman these days?
Lauren Schmidt
I think there’s been great strides with more women getting into STEM, but it’s still a highly male dominated field. Finding female mentors within the industry has been difficult, but it has also encouraged me to find other women to join the engineering field and to one day become a mentor myself.
AHEAD
What advice would you give to women of the future?
Lauren Schmidt
Work hard, demand respect from others and do everything in your power to make your dreams come true.
AHEAD
How do you balance your work life with your personal passions?
Lauren Schmidt
Work has always been very important to me and I’m proud to work at KraussMaffei. But making sure I take time to travel, spend time with family and do things I enjoy is important to keep me energized and at my best.
AHEAD
What advice do you have for women who also want to pursue a career in engineering?
Lauren Schmidt
My advice would be to pursue the career you are passionate about. Engineering is a really rewarding career path – it’s almost impossible to find something that an engineer didn’t touch or influence in some way, which is really cool thing to be a part of.
lauren.schmidt@kraussmaffei.com
