Women are taking on increasingly influential technical, operational, and leadership roles across the heat treat industry. Learn about the importance of building community and connection through Women in Heat Treat and preview the learning, leadership, and networking opportunities coming to Cleveland this November.
This community-focused feature was first released in Heat Treat Today’s September 2026 People of Heat Treat print edition.
Women Are Here. But How Many?
How many women are actually working in heat treating? It is a surprisingly difficult question to answer.
The only industry-level data point we have found comes from a 2005 EEO Aggregate Report. At that time, women represented 14.8% of the commercial heat treating workforce. That number is more than 20 years old, and it doesn’t tell us how today’s workforce breaks down across commercial heat treaters, captive operations, suppliers, engineers, operators, and leadership.
So, is the number higher today? Lower? We don’t really know.
What we do know is that women are here. We are increasingly seeing women step into technical, operational, leadership, and decision-making roles throughout the industry. These women are bringing technical expertise, discipline, and a passion for their work to wherever their boots land every day.
That matters because heat treating has long been a field defined by a certain kind of culture: practical, technical, problem-solving, action oriented. If you’re here to do good work, you’re welcome.
But being welcome and feeling fully at home are not necessarily the same thing.
Making Space to Just Be
It isn’t controversial to acknowledge that heat treating has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. There are norms that don’t need to be spoken because the people who have been in the room for generations already understand them.
For women entering that room, some of those norms can be more noticeable. For women who have been in the industry for many years, those norms may still stand out as unwritten rules to navigate.
Sometimes it is wondering whether the way you speak in a meeting will be received differently than it would from one of your male colleagues. Sometimes it is second-guessing what to wear to an industry event. Sometimes it is walking into a social setting and realizing that the conversation, atmosphere, or expectations don’t quite resonate with you.
Women shouldn’t have to become less themselves to be taken seriously as professionals. Nor should any woman have to spend valuable energy wondering whether she is presenting herself in the “right” way when what matters most is the knowledge, experience, judgment, and value she brings to the room.
The answer lies in making room for women to bring their whole professional selves to the industry, even in spaces where doing so may not come naturally.
An Invitation
Creating that space where the women of this industry can bring their strengths with confidence is one reason we’re excited about Women in Heat Treat. For two and a half days in Cleveland, women from across the industry will have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals, build technical expertise, explore the technologies shaping the future of heat treating, and have candid conversations about leadership and professional growth.
The most important part may be simpler than any of that: standing side-by-side in a room full of women who understand the work. From the challenges you’re trying to solve, to navigating a career decision you’re facing now, to simply being introduced to interesting people you want to know — and who want to know you — this space is designed for you.
Professional growth doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through technical learning, mentorship, relationships, and conversations that continue long after a formal session ends. As a team made up largely of women ourselves, we’re especially excited to create more of those connections.
A Community Worth Building
There have been commendable efforts over the years to create more opportunities for women to be recognized, heard, and taken seriously in heat treating. Women in Heat Treat builds on that momentum by creating something very simple, but very intentional: a place for women in this industry to gather as professionals, learn from one another, and simply be in the room together.
So, if you’re a woman working in heat treating — whether you’re building technical expertise today, operating equipment, engineering processes, managing a team, making strategic decisions, or preparing for the next stage of your career — consider this your invitation.
Come learn. Come contribute. Come meet the women who are shaping where this industry goes next.
And, perhaps most importantly, come as yourself.
We’ll see you in Cleveland this November.
www.heattreattoday.com/womeninheattreat
Keynote Speakers:
Co-Owner, Strategic Insights & Foresight Partner
MacKenzie Corp & Next Gen Collaborative
Katie will encourage attendees through her presentation, “The Other Side of Your Comfort Zone.” The other side of your comfort zone isn’t just about doing something scary. Sometimes it’s about giving yourself permission to imagine something you haven’t seen modeled before. You are in for a treat!
Educator & Writer
“What’s Your 100 Miles?” That’s the question Sue will explore. We live in a culture that celebrates breakthrough moments and overnight success. But real transformation rarely happens in a single leap. It is built through small, courageous decisions — often made when no one is watching, and there is no guarantee of success.
Sneak Peek of Some of the Sessions
Live Recorded Panel Discussion
A live podcast filming devoted to the unique challenges and opportunities of being a woman leader in heat treating. Women on this panel include metallurgy and engineering decision-makers and OEM leaders.
The panel will be hosted by leading industry voice and founder/president of Falcone Consulting, Heather Falcone. Heather is the host of Heat Treat Radio, a podcast by Heat Treat Today, where the recording of the panel will be broadcast and made available to a wider audience.
Heather Falcone, Founder/President of Falcone Consulting
Breakout Session: Claiming Technical Authority at the Standards Table
Women in quality, engineering, and operations are often responsible for turning dense technical requirements into work the shop floor can execute and records an auditor can follow. This session will examine common requirements, including AMS2750 for pyrometry and other major material processing specifications, Nadcap audit criteria, and ASTM testing methods. Andrew Bassett and Sarah Lombardo will also discuss how AMEC, ASTM committees, and the Nadcap Heat Treating Task Group influence industry requirements. Attendees will strengthen their ability to interpret revisions, manage flow downs, resolve conflicts, and lead specification compliance with confidence.
Sarah Lombardo, Quality Assurance Manager, Vacu Braze
Andrew Bassett, President, Aerospace Testing and Pyrometry
Breakout Session: Programming for Advanced Manufacturing
Programming and digital fluency can expand the paths available to women in manufacturing, from process engineering and automation to research, operations leadership, and entrepreneurship. Zachary Menard will explore the skills required to design, run, and improve advanced manufacturing systems. Drawing on research and development work and the experience of launching a new company, he will discuss emerging tools, workforce readiness, and the connection between technical knowledge and reliable production. Attendees will gain a clearer view of what is available now, where the field is heading, and how women can prepare themselves, mentor others, and help shape the next generation of manufacturing technology.
Zachary Menard, Co-Founder & President, HRC Labs
Breakout Session: The Ins and Outs of Process Change
Women in engineering, quality, and operations frequently carry responsibility for coordinating process changes across technical teams, production, customers, and suppliers. Our speaker will walk through the questions that help leaders evaluate a change before implementation, including technical risk, validation, customer approval, specification requirements, documentation, and communication. The session will also address how women can build credibility when raising concerns and keep the right voices involved throughout the decision. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for moving improvements from idea to controlled execution while protecting product performance and customer confidence.
Speaker TBD
Breakout Session: Future-Proofing Heat Treat: Digital Tools That Strengthen People and Performance
Digital transformation is changing the way heat treaters operate, but technology alone isn’t the solution. Explore how modern digital systems are reducing administrative burden, simplifying workforce training, preserving institutional knowledge, improving compliance, and helping organizations adapt more quickly to changing customer and industry requirements. Matthew will discuss practical strategies for implementing technology that supports people, drives consistency, and prepares companies for the future.
Matthew Wright, Vice President, C3 Data
Breakout Session: Cross-Cultural Challenges
In North American manufacturing, trust is built differently across cultures — but trust remains essential to quality partnerships. What are the differences in professional expectations from Mexico-based professionals and U.S. Why do technically strong projects sometimes fail? Where do misunderstandings originate? How can purchasing, quality, and operations improve collaboration? Attendees will leave with practical insights for navigating cultural differences, strengthening communication, and building more effective working relationships.
Ana Laura Hernández Sustaita, Founder, Consultoria Carnegie
Víctor Zacarías, Managing Director, GTS México
Breakout Session: AI for Operation Controls
Women working in operations, quality, and technology have an important opportunity to shape how AI enters manufacturing. Our speaker will examine practical applications for AI in process monitoring, data analysis, traceability, exception management, and operational decision-making. The session will explore the data discipline, cybersecurity, governance, and human oversight required to introduce these tools responsibly. Attendees will leave with a grounded framework for evaluating AI, asking informed questions, and determining where it can improve consistency and performance. The conversation will also encourage women to take an active role in the technology decisions influencing the future of their organizations.
Speaker TBD
Breakout Session: The Power of the Seat You’re In
Women often carry leadership responsibility before authority and title catch up. Our speaker will explore how women can build influence, earn trust, make sound decisions, and create momentum from wherever they sit in an organization. Through practical examples, they will discuss communicating with confidence, developing others, advocating for ideas, and staying grounded when the path forward is unclear. Attendees will be encouraged to recognize the leadership opportunities already within reach and consider how their experience, judgment, and perspective can strengthen the teams around them. They will leave with practical ways to contribute, grow, and lead with purpose in the work directly in front of them.
Katie Rucker, Co-owner, Strategic Insights & Foresight Partner, MacKenzie Corp & Next Gen Collaborative
Sue Lanz, Educator & Writer
