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Editorial
EXECUTIVE PROFILE; WOMEN IN TITANIUM
Jill McGibbney
Medical Products Manager
Metalwerks PMD
Reflecting on her 18-year career in the titanium industry,
Jill McGibbney has reached a point where she is
prepared, willing and able to serve as a mentor and guide
others, just as she was assisted years ago by her mentors. She
is fulfilling this inner calling as a member of the executive
board for the recently formed Women in Titanium (WiT)
committee of the International Titanium Association.
McGibbney, who serves as the medical products manager
for Metalwerks PMD, Aliquippa, PA, attended the first
WiT conference last October, prior to the start of the ITA’s
annual TITANIUM USA Conference & Expo. According to
the group’s charter, which was approved in 2015, the WiT
committee has two primary objectives: first, to develop
a networking group of collegial women presently in the
titanium industry; and second, to promote, attract, and
encourage high school and college female students to enter
the titanium industry.
A metallurgist by training, McGibbney understands
that cultivating and advancing a career involves more than
just demonstrating an aptitude for the rigors of a daily job
assignment. There are long-range strategies and personal
goals to consider. There’s a need to balance the demands
of an individuals’ personal and professional life. And one
must learn how to navigate through the dynamics of a
corporate culture. Having a trusted mentor can make all the
difference.
As a woman in the titanium industry, McGibbney said
she has learned how to be a good mentor. “In my career, I
quickly realized that being a good metallurgist is just the
beginning of the learning process,” she said. “I now have
enough years in the business to be a mentor. I’ve mentored
younger engineers (women and men) and I can teach. I enjoy
sharing my experiences. I also enjoy the networking aspect
of the business—meeting people at conferences and trade
shows.”
Working as the medical products manager for
Metalwerks, McGibbney job description includes technical
support, process development, and working directly
with customers on sales and marketing of products. She
said Metalwerks develops and supplies titanium grades
to medical products manufacturers for applications that
include trauma and orthopedic body implants: plates, bone
screws, and replacement hips and knees. She pointed out
that the focus isn’t on developing new titanium alloys, but
rather tailoring existing alloys (approved for medical use)
to suit the needs of the customer for a specific application.
She described this as fulfilling “spec-within-a-spec”
requirements for customers.
According to McGibbney, the spec-within-a-spec concept
refers to getting below the surface of the obvious, black and
white outline of a job order. It means exploring the nuances
of product performance; understanding what a customer
truly needs in terms of quality and consistency. In her role as
a medical products manager, this could mean manipulating
the interstitial levels of an existing titanium alloy in order
to achieve a required balance of strength and ductility
properties. It involves anticipating variables and taking a
system approach to understand potential problems before
they occur. It’s trouble shooting before there is trouble.
This same spec-within-a-spec concept also can be applied
to career goals and the responsibilities that come with being
a mentor. McGibbney said that building relationships is
the key—developing networking/communication skills,
and earning respect and trust among peers, customers
and managers. It’s all about what comes after the initial
handshake and exchange of business cards.
There was no one, single defining moment that drew her
into the role of a mentor. It was a gradual process that was
inspired, to a great degree, by a male mentor that helped
to groom her during the 10 years that McGibbney spent
at Dynamet Inc., a business unit of Carpenter Technology
Corp. She began her career in the titanium business in 1998,
after graduating (cum laude) from the Material Science
Engineering School of the University of Pittsburgh. She
joined Metalwerks in August 2009 and has been part of the
rapid growth of the company.
“When I graduated from school, the metals
business was booming,” she recalled. “I knew I
wanted to work with specialty metals. It’s an exciting
time to be at a small growing company like Metalwerks. It’s
very rewarding knowing that I can contribute effectively on
a daily basis.”
Thinking of her role with WiT, McGibbney shares her
experiences juggling family, travel and career. “When
it comes to juggling, I think it’s nice to hear about how
other people balance things. This is very important for
women. •
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