TRAILBLAZER
Boler Davies was credited in our Top 100 Supply Chain Leaders and came in at # 19 , for managing such a variety of tasks .
Maths , science and engineering In middle school , Boler Davies excelled in maths and science . At home , she was known in her family as the one responsible for fixing things .
“ Someone said ‘ Engineers fix things ,’ and I had no idea what an engineer was , but I started telling people in middle school that I was going to be an engineer ,” said Boler Davies .
She eagerly set to work and scored multiple degrees in the subject : A BA in Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University , an MA in Engineering Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , another MA in Business Administration from Indiana University and she completed a course in Executive Leadership Harvard University .
By 2018 , Alicia Boler Davis was recognised as both The Most Powerful Female Engineer and Black Engineer of the Year .
Asking for a raise When employed as a plant manager , Boler Davies felt she deserved to be compensated more and considered asking for a raise , but it was seeing the wage paid to her second in command which pushed her to do so .
“ When we brought him in and I saw his salary I almost fell out of my chair ,” remembers Boler Davies . She put together a business case as to why she deserved to be paid more and she got it .
“ Confidence , curiosity and courage have carried me through my career ”
Boler Davies encouraged guests at Fortune magazine to push for a raise , acknowledging it is a tough subject to broach .
“ This is what I ’ ve done , this is what I bring to the table and I think I deserve to be compensated for that ,” she summarised .
Fundamental habits “ In many ways , I am where I am , because of how prepared I was to succeed when I finished my programme ,” Boler Davis told the 2018 graduating class at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in her commencement address . “ Many of the fundamental habits for success remain the same , hard work , dedication and perseverance .”
Boler Davies ’ future will remain on the trajectory she set it on from middle school - fixing things with a fierce curiosity .
18 December 2021