Cecilia Colburn

The Procter & Gamble Company

Operations Leader – Mehoopany, PA

I am passionate about manufacturing because it brings together the two things I enjoy the most – working with people and solving problems. I enjoy the sense of accomplishment when I not only improve the manufacturing process, but also improve the organization’s culture.”

During her 15-year career at Procter & Gamble (P&G), Cecilia has led making and packing organizations with hundreds of employees. During one of her latest assignments, as Utilities Operations Leader at P&G’s Mehoopany plant in Pennsylvania, Cecilia empowered the CoGeneration unit to provide electricity to the plant, enabling the site to go “off the grid” and sell power back to the network. Once this unit was in operation, Cecilia built an operating strategy for the plant that further leveraged this asset by taking advantage of the fluctuating cost of power during different seasons of the year. This breakthrough strategy has resulted in an additional $5M in savings each year and will provide a competitive edge for the plant for decades to come.

Cecilia has a strong focus on ensuring that P&G’s new leaders are successful both personally and professionally. Her sponsorship of her site’s Young Professional Network (YPN) has been instrumental. As part of YPN’s leadership development leg, Cecilia has helped provide training opportunities for members, accelerating their professional growth and benefiting the company. As part of the mentorship leg, Cecilia emphasizes the importance of mentoring and has helped pair many rising employees with a knowledgeable mentor.

In terms of community service, Cecilia works with the YPN to host food, toy and supply drives for community members in need. The YPN team has also actively taken part in the following events this year: the Tunkhannock Founders Day Duck Derby, the Wilkes-Barre United Way Day of Caring and two foodbank service days in Tunkhannock. This rate of involvement is the highest ever for the YPN group, and Cecilia and the team plan to continue the trend toward stronger community involvement.