The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation is featuring Emily Tripoli, Dexcom’s Director of Manufacturing. Below, she shares her love of problem-solving that lead her to a career in STEM and offers meaningful advice to those who are considering a similar career.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: I am an Arizona native, born and raised in Tempe, and graduated from ASU with a Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering. I’m a mom to two amazing young ladies, ages 9 and 12. I love to challenge myself mentally and physically. I set goals in all aspects of my life. I love to be physically active – I run, power lift, and look for any excuse to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state!
Q: What attracted you to a career in manufacturing?
A: If I could boil it down, I love people and problem-solving. Whether it is technical systems, strategy, or people- being able to devise solutions, drive improvements, and engage people absolutely excites me. Manufacturing hits all these factors on a routine basis.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role, and why?
A: The people! This is a truly mission-driven organization – seeing the engagement of our teams at all levels toward helping people with diabetes truly gets me out of bed every day. I love fast-paced environments and helping people grow too.
Q: Can you describe your career path?
A: I’ve spent my entire career in the medical device industry. I spent the first half of my career in various aspects of Quality with an engineering focus. I’ve worked in process development as well. All my roles have in some manner influenced manufacturing, and now I have the opportunity to lead it.
Q: What advice do you have for young people that may be interested in a similar career?
A: Own who you are in everything you do, especially when no one else is like you. Give yourself credit for the skills you’ve acquired – it doesn’t matter where you learned it, look for where you can apply it in your current circumstances. ALWAYS advocate for yourself. If you don’t know it, get your hands dirty and learn it. Do something every day that scares you a little. Lastly, always act with the confidence of a 4-year-old in a superhero cape.
Dexcom Inc. is a leader of diabetes care technology that identifies as a company that “simplifies and improves diabetes management around the world.”