BorgWarner Supply Chain Manager Kelly Zhu is the recipient of a Women in Manufacturing Science, Technology, Engineering and Production (STEP) Ahead Award for demonstrating exceptional leadership skills in the workplace. The fourth consecutive BorgWarner employee to achieve this recognition, Zhu is one of 100 exemplary women to earn this annual award.
“Kelly has embodied hard work, mentorship and leadership throughout her time at BorgWarner, and is incredibly deserving of this honor,” said Felecia Pryor, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, BorgWarner. “Her passion, natural business acumen and energy make her an excellent role model for other employees across the company. She is consistently on the lookout for educational opportunities that foster growth for our employees; she helps set the tone for careers at BorgWarner and we couldn’t be more pleased to have her as a part of our team.”
Zhu began her career at BorgWarner as a warehouse supervisor in BorgWarner’s Ningbo, China plant. Through years of dedication and continuous growth in her skillset, Zhu earned increasing responsibilities as production supervisor, production manager, program manager and product line manager before she reached her current role. Today, she is focused on building a high-performance team and strives to develop the younger generation.
Selected to participate as a certified trainer in an internal program, Zhu helped team leaders to develop the skills needed to lead and drive product line activities. This gave Zhu an opportunity to engage with employees on various levels and train them to apply cross-functional competencies.
Zhu, in collaboration with her plant in Ningbo, China, also is an active volunteer in a local Junior Achievement program. The program offers business and economics programs to local schools from the elementary to university level, and is focused on three pillars: work readiness, principled entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Through this program, Zhu inspires children and motivates them to develop leadership and creativity skills at a young age while also stimulating interest in pursuing a career in manufacturing.
“We commend Kelly and all STEP Ahead Award honorees for propelling our industry forward,” said Pryor. “Encouraging diversity and inclusion in the workplace should not only be practiced but celebrated; and these incredible honorees are prime examples of why we should celebrate. Their individual successes help us all move forward, collectively, toward a dynamic and diverse workforce.”
Recipients were recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on Sept. 24.
