Khamsin Giedd: Engineer and innovation driver in medical technology
Developing high-tech components for life-saving medical products - that is Khamsin Giedd's job at Heraeus Medevio. As Director of Project Management in Research and Development, the engineer helps to make processes more efficient. "Our products have a positive impact on the lives of many millions of people," says the 48-year-old proudly. Her story shows how women in technical professions are helping to shape the future of medicine.
"I've always been interested in how things work and how they can be improved," says Khamsin Giedd. Her father, a mechanical engineer, taught her to be creative and persistent when solving problems. "He encouraged me to take things apart and put them back together again – even if they didn’t always work quite right afterwards. I was allowed to just try things out and learn at my own pace."
Giedd's team is spread across several continents and she herself is based in Fridley, Minnesota. "In project management, our job is to deploy resources in the right places for the right processes," she explains. Delivery systems for aneurysm stents, neuromodulation electrodes for pain control, temporary pacemaker leads: When Giedd talks about the projects she is involved in, you would never guess that she studied mechanical engineering. "I learned everything I know about the medical device industry here at Medevio," she says. "I've always been fascinated by medical devices. Studying mechanical engineering has enabled me to learn and understand technical processes quickly. It's very comprehensive, you can try your hand at many different areas."
Teacher encouraged STEM interest
Questioning, trying things out, understanding, learning - that is the common thread running through Giedd's life. "I had really great opportunities at school," she says. "There was a science teacher who took me under her wing, she was like a friend to me. I had access to everything I needed to experiment." So it's hardly surprising that she insisted on dissecting a frog for a project in sixth grade instead of presenting a muffin recipe. "That was really fun," she recalls with a laugh.
She was "very lucky" that her interest in STEM subjects was encouraged both at home and at school, Giedd emphasizes. "I didn't even realize it at the time. It was just how I grew up."
After graduating, Giedd initially worked in the automotive industry, designing brake components, developing system improvements and managing technical projects. "I've spent my entire career so far in a male-dominated environment," she says. "When I was younger, there were situations where I felt I wasn't taken seriously. But I didn't pay much attention to that. It just made me work that little bit harder."
Times are changing, more women in management positions
In 2010, Giedd changed industries and joined Heraeus Medevio. "I felt like an equal from day one. My gender didn't matter," she says. For a good three years now, Giedd has been leading a team of project and program managers who ensure the release and marketing of innovative medical device components. The 48-year-old is also responsible for managing the project portfolio for Minnesota - a fulfilling and meaningful task: "Anything I can do to assist in the reliable and efficient production ofthese products enables us to help more people."
There has been a women's network at Heraeus Medevio for a year now. "I think it's great," says Giedd. "We meet regularly and exchange ideas. And we actually have significantly more women in management positions today than we used to." She believes it is important to talk openly about the fact that women have a different way of seeing and working than men. "It's not a question of better or worse - it's simply different. And a company can only benefit from such differences."
This article is part of a series of articles in which Heraeus makes women in STEM professions visible. We introduce female experts who are involved in innovative projects, talk to a female manager and let a career starter have her say.
