Ronda Devereaux, Sales Engineer, Beckhoff Automation
Associate of Science in Electronics
Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering
I started my career working at Autoliv, an airbag manufacturer, as an electronic technician in 1988. I had my AS in electronics and was the first woman they hired on the maintenance team. I started learning how to program PLCs, got my BS in Electronic Engineering, and then moved into a controls engineering position at that company in 1991. In 1999, I worked for ATK (aerospace and composites) doing building controls/energy management for five years. After a big layoff, I was back at Autoliv working in controls for a little over a
year. Then, I spent 13 years in a hybrid sales/ applications role supporting five outside salespeople in automation applications. That company was sold, and I moved to another distributor in Utah, handling outside sales for more than three years. Then I was contacted by Beckhoff about job opportunities. I started at Beckhoff as a Sales Engineer in July 2022, and it has been such a great move to continue my journey in the automation field. In total, I now have over 35 years of experience in the industry.
What makes your company’s culture inclusive or supportive of diversity in engineering?
I have been blown away by the culture at Beckhoff. During most of my career, I was typically the only woman in the room. That is not the case at Beckhoff. Here in the U.S., we have women sales engineers, application engineers, training engineers, application development engineers, and various supporting technical roles. Beckhoff USA also offers industrial automation internships every year, and nine out of the 20 interns this year were women — eight of whom received job offers from us. We are also starting a woman-led BE Empowered program to create resource groups focused on promoting and advancing the careers of women. We are always on the lookout for capable minds with diverse backgrounds.
What first drew you to engineering and the automation industry?
Growing up, I was quite a rebellious teenager. When I was 18, my stepdad told me if I took a year of electronics at the local community college, he could get me a job making $6.50 an hour. That was a lot of money in 1983. I was always good at math, so I said OK and off I went. I ended up getting my associate’s degree before going to work in the automation and controls field. That first job at Autoliv paid for me to further my education and get my bachelor’s degree.
In that era, engineering wasn’t something that was promoted to girls, especially here in Utah. Without that conversation with my stepdad, I don’t know if I would have ended up where I am today. I have three daughters. Although none of them went into engineering, two of them were STEM majors. I know the example I set for them allowed them to choose whatever field interested them rather than them choosing what seemed easiest, familiar, popular, or “expected.”
Describe your biggest career challenge. How did you solve it — or what was the outcome or lesson learned?
I think my biggest challenge was making the decision to move from a controls engineering role into a hybrid sales/applications engineering role when I moved into distribution. When my girls were young, I was lucky to have a lot of support, as my spouse stayed home with them for over 10 years. As a salaried controls engineer, working in manufacturing required a lot of extra unpaid hours, and my spouse started looking to get back into the workforce. Moving into the hybrid sales/applications role was a big change with many unknowns, but it led to a much better work/life balance and higher pay to support our family.
What career advice would you give to your younger self?
Celebrate your achievements! I tend to make a goal and then to just move on to the next one once it’s achieved. Frankly, I don’t celebrate victories enough and encourage all the talented women out there to do the same. Also, stay curious about everything and always trust your gut.
Filed Under: Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
