Women in Operations: Meet Alexandra Hebert-Markiewicz

For Alexandra Hebert-Markiewicz, operations is more than equipment, metrics, and production goals. It is most importantly about people. With a deep background in manufacturing and operations spanning process engineering, project management, plant leadership, and operational excellence, Alexandra helps teams improve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity through continuous improvement, problem-solving, and employee engagement. While operations allow her to combine her affinity for solving complex problems with a passion for helping others develop and succeed, Alexandra says her role is really more about marrying process and people. 'While many people think improvement is about tools and metrics, I believe sustainable improvement happens when people feel empowered to identify problems, challenge the status quo, and help create solutions.' Where strategy meets execution. Alexandra was always fascinated by how things were made, which drew her to engineering and eventually manufacturing, mainly because manufacturing creates tangible results. "You can see the products that were made, the improvements that were implemented, and the problems that were solved." She says that operations are where ideas become reality, and strategy meets execution, resulting in improvements that can directly affect customers, employees, and business performance. 'I try to spend as much time as possible where the work happens because the people closest to the process usually have the best insights into how to improve it,' said Alexandra. "Every day is an opportunity to learn something new and help the organization become a little better than it was yesterday," she continued. Finding Her Voice as a Woman in Operations Throughout her career, Alexandra has often been one of only a few women in manufacturing leadership or operational roles. There were challenges along the way, but those experiences helped her build resilience, confidence, and a strong sense of purpose. Alexandra credits curiosity, problem-solving, communication, and adaptability as critical factors that drive operational success. But she says it's the combination of technical knowledge and people skills that drive successful operational leadership. She says failures are as important as successes, because they provide lessons to learn along the way and create room to continuously learn. According to Alexandra, leadership does not require fitting a particular mold. What sets someone apart can become a significant strength and a springboard for success. She says effective leadership is built through collaboration, trust, curiosity, and investing in people, while providing a "safe space" for sharing ideas and identifying potential opportunities. 'Manufacturing brings together people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise,' she says. 'When those perspectives come together around a shared goal, incredible things can happen.' The People and Experiences That Shaped Her Alexandra points to many people who have influenced her career, including leaders who challenged her to take on projects outside her comfort zone and team members who taught her important lessons on the production floor. Her role in plant leadership broadened her understanding of how all parts of an operation work together and reinforced the importance of balancing business results with employee engagement and development. Outside of work, Alexandra's husband and two young children have had the greatest influence on her perspective. Family has shaped how she thinks about leadership, success, and balance, and it has been an important consideration in each major career decision. Creating Space for People to Grow Alexandra says staying curious, asking questions, learning from the people around you, and taking on challenges that stretch your capabilities will provide growth opportunities within manufacturing career paths that will lead to making an impact. Looking back, she is most proud of the people she has helped develop both professionally and personally. Seeing individuals grow into leaders, gain confidence, solve problems independently, and achieve goals they once thought were out of reach remains one of the most rewarding parts of her work. She says that everyone can contribute to positive change, regardless of their role or title and advises anyone interested in pursuing operations as a career to not underestimate their abilities but to challenge themselves with opportunities they may not feel completely ready for. 'The best improvements often start with a single observation, a thoughtful question, or a willingness to challenge the way things have always been done,' Alexandra says. 'My personal philosophy is simple: Be hard on the process so you can be easy on the people. When we improve the systems around us, we create an environment where people can succeed, grow, and do their best work.'