Ashley Sandlin
Operations Foreman
Marathon Petroleum Corporation
My passion for manufacturing is rooted in working through the intricacies of the process and leveraging a team to drive results. I enjoy contributing to a safe working environment and promoting a culture of continuous learning.
In her time as an operations foreman at Marathon Petroleum, Ashley has worked hard to optimize the most profitable and arguably the most complex process unit within the refinery. In one recent undertaking, she used her technical dexterity and communication abilities to frame out a plan, collaborate with decision-makers and help implement the final plan, ably troubleshooting along the way. The resulting optimization has improved profitability by more than $1 million per year over several years, with minimal expense to the company.
Based on such accomplishments, Ashley has gained the trust and respect of her colleagues at the plant. She is also regarded as a natural and emerging leader there, especially among women. The Women’s Network at Marathon Petroleum, established through Ashley’s leadership, has become a major initiative at the site, empowering female employees to speak up and get involved. Ashley also leads the Women’s Network Book Club, where participants learn from and discuss books about management, leadership and other areas of interest. The Women’s Network has grown steadily under Ashley’s leadership, even attracting male employees who want to participate in and learn from the discussions as well.
Through mentoring new hires and co-ops at Marathon Petroleum, as well as through her volunteer work recruiting engineers through the Texas A&M chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, Ashley also has a great success record with attracting, nurturing and retaining great talent.
Ashley gives a lot of time to causes that are close to her heart. Some, including regular United Way campaigns and an annual “Adopt a Family” Christmas project, are done as part of Marathon Petroleum volunteer initiatives. Her charity work also includes advocating for voter registration and fundraising for a program that reduces youth homelessness in the community.