Lorena Magnelli Fisher will celebrate 30 years in the industry in August 2023 and 15 years with Progressive Components in 2024.
In her first job, at Delta Tech Mold Inc., she started as a staff accountant, then became a project manager for the engineering department. She moved to Accura Tool and Mold Inc. and worked in the purchasing and operations department before moving to a program launch manager role.
"My mold shop experience prepared me for the work I currently do at Progressive Components because those companies are the types of customers I serve today," she said.
In her role as specification implementation manager for Wauconda, Ill.-based Progressive Components, Magnelli Fisher works with customers "to establish tooling standards throughout their supply chain and implement various levels of asset management and real-time monitoring systems that Progressive Components offers."
"I have always been passionate and determined to learn, grow and increase my responsibilities," Magnelli Fisher said. She describes herself as authentic, direct, an open book and sometimes unfiltered, she said, "but my goal is improvement or problem-solving."
"Being a mom to a son with autism has been the catalyst for me to view life differently. It is difficult to explain, but I know the mother or father of a special-needs child reading this completely understands," she said. "The ability to compartmentalize, find balance, and remain patient and organized is required at an elevated level to be successful professionally and remain sane.
"This has impacted my approach to customers," she added. "I am building relationships and trying to put myself in their shoes to understand their pain points, see things from their perspective and identify how I can help them achieve their goals. … We would live in a kinder world if everyone interacted with each other by attempting to understand the other person's point of view."
She considers Chairman Don Starkey and President Glenn Starkey as top professional mentors "because they lead by example and are passionate about improving and giving back to the industry." Magnelli Fisher also credits her father, Francesco, who immigrated to the United States "with a couple of suitcases, little money and did not speak the language."
"He sacrificed all he knew and built an amazing, successful life for himself, his new bride and his future children. … He taught me to work hard, stay humble, be kind and help others," she said. "The line of cars in his procession was endless at his funeral because he practiced what he preached."
