Manasa joined Pentair in 2006 as a Quality Engineer at our Hanover Park site. She was promoted to Supervisor of the Quality Team in 2009, and became an Engineering Manager in 2013. She continues to guide her team to success, helping to bring more than 40 products to market over the last five years.

What is one piece of advice you received in your career, personally or professionally, that greatly impacted you as women today?
As the saying goes, “experience is the best teacher,” and I believe experience is more valuable than any advice you could receive. I started my career at Pentair many years ago, and I continue to grow along with our company. I was once told, “If you give up because of the fear of failure, you have already failed.” With that in mind, I take on all the challenges that come my way to continue growing, both professionally and personally.

What is one piece of advice you would give women who enter the STEM field that you learned from your experience?
Challenge yourself by stepping outside your comfort zone and sharing those experiences to motivate your peers. You can only grow when you are prepared to feel uncomfortable and be willing to challenge existing notions. My advice adds up to the saying, “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are made for.” Be the captain of your career!

Who inspired you and why?
My Dad continues to be a great source of pride and influence in my life. He told me stories about his many successes and failures to illustrate a valuable lesson – how every failure made him stronger and more determined to achieve his goal.

He is also an inclusive leader who believes in gender equality, encouraging my sisters and me to pursue our dreams, just as he did with my brother.

Finally, my Dad taught me to bring up my kids with values of sharing, empathy, respect, humility, and courage. I bring these values with me to work every day to motivate my colleagues and to learn from them.