Kerri Devine*

Siemens

Engineering Manager

Creating products as a team is such a rewarding component of my job. Every day brings a new challenge, and the collective energy of my team ensures that not only will we tackle each challenge, but that we will do so in increasingly innovative ways.”

Kerri joined Siemens in 2013 as a member of the Engineering Leadership Development Program, through which she had the opportunity to work on projects around the world. Following five years of growing technical responsibilities and successes, Kerri was tapped to lead a team of 12 engineers, most of whom are 10-20 years her senior, and all of whom are male. Not only is she responsible for the day-to-day management of the team, she is also extremely hands-on in the technical execution of the team’s projects.  One of Kerri’s shining achievements as part of her new management duties has been her effort to hire new talent into the new Siemens Software House in downtown Chicago. In addition to streamlining a process for managers to recruit and interview new candidates, she took a data-driven approach to target specific universities and engage with on-campus diversity groups.  This effort has established a new paradigm of recruiting entry-level talent at Siemens.

Kerri currently pursues her passion for engaging the next generation of female talent by serving as the chair of Siemens’ Women’s Information Network, an employee resource group with more than 200 active members in five different suburban locations. Several of her initiatives have included organizing an “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day,” launching a bi-monthly career-focused book club and planning company-wide women’s history month events. Outside of Siemens, Kerri is also a mentor for her alma mater’s women-in-tech internship program. She meets with mentees throughout the summer to review resumes, discuss internship progress and to help formulate long-term goals.

Kerri’s passion for her community was evident when she created a task force between Engineers Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity. Serving as the technical lead on the initiative, she helped prototype a mobile application for tracking vacant and abandoned properties in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood.  Local leaders and volunteers rallied around her effort, and the vision grew to spearhead community gardens, clean-up initiatives, and a stronger neighborhood revitalization plan. She also volunteers at events such as the Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon and serves on her university’s Young Alumni Leadership Development Council.