S4E45 Jonathan MacWilliams | Career Planning, Metallurgy, & Dealing with Ambiguity

Being an Engineer · 24 Nov 2023 · 54m · Episode 45

What this episode covers

Jonathan MacWilliams, a Distinguished Engineer at Edwards Lifesciences with prior roles at GE, Norman Noble, and Mert Medical, discusses his journey from metallurgy to technical leadership. He explains how his career was driven by opportunity and survival rather than a plan, and details his work on complex medical devices like cylindrical laser-cut electropolished components. MacWilliams emphasizes the importance of soft skills, particularly managing ambiguity and vulnerability, as he transitions from hands-on engineering to mentoring younger engineers and developing leadership programs.

Mentioned

Companies
GE, Norman Noble, Mert Medical, Edwards Lifesciences, Tesla, Pipeline Design & Engineering
Also
Xometry

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