IT is a proud and significant moment for Ipoh, Perak-born Rupa Shanmugam to be listed among the most accomplished women in the manufacturing industry in the US.
Announced by US-based Manufacturing Institute, Rupa - who is the the president and chief operating officer of electronic contract manufacturer SoPark Corporation operating in Buffalo, new York - is among 100 honourees who will be receiving the 2016 STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC on April 21.
The award identifies the best of the best women in the manufacturing industry, and further encourages women to mentor and support the next generation of female talent to pursue manufacturing careers.
For Rupa, being a recipient of the award is a validation of her 30-year journey and experience in the industry and it provides her a unique position to not only help but also mentor young women who choose to have a career in manufacturing.
Raised in Kampar, Rupa attended Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (ACS) where her father was a physics teacher whom encouraged her to pursue a career in Electrical Engineering.
"I attended and received a diploma in Electronic Engineering from the Federal Institute of Technology in Kuala Lumpur. While attending college there, I was the only girl in the class for three years. For the next five years, I was the only woman technician when I worked in Singapore at Thomson Consumer Electronics, Western Digital and then Carsem in Malaysia," she shared in an email interview.
Taking a break from work, Rupa went to Angola, Indiana in the US to do her Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering at Tri-State University (now Trine University). Upon completion of her studies, she gained employment in the field.
"I was the only women engineer and later, manager. Through hard work, strong work ethics and having people not only believe in me but mentor me, I have advanced in various roles in manufacturing, from operator, technician, engineer, manager and now President/COO of SoPark Corporation," she said.
Rupa ’s technical knowledge and international work experience in the electronics industry combined with her ability to develop complex databases, have allowed her to develop and implement data management tools that have resulted in continual improvement of the corporation's key performance indicators. She has led the entire workforce through the successful completion of four ISO certification audits within four years, making the company’s key strategic objective a reality and better positioning SoPark for financial success.
Rupa is a mentor to all she works with within the organisation, as well as to students at local universities and high schools. She initiated a program for those students, creating opportunities to work at SoPark and providing them with exposure to STEM by experiencing the electronics industry, operations, production, technical applications, and engineering. This past year, Rupa was instrumental in the formation of the first Western New York Chapter of Engineering World Health at the University at Buffalo.
Since starting her journey 30 years ago with only a few women in her college in the field of engineering, Rupa acknowledged there are more women who are studying engineering, science and manufacturing today. However, there is still a need for professional women in these fields especially in leadership positions.
"By combining science, technology, engineering and production with a focus on people skills and quality, women have the opportunity to impact their local and national economy. Women make great leaders and can make significant contribution to the leadership in Manufacturing and Technology industry. For me, it is a life commitment to encourage women, that manufacturing and engineering are part of their world of opportunity and I’m hoping to be able to assist in any mentorship program that is available in Malaysia during my visit in May as this is something that I personally feel strongly about," she said.