The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, announced that Denise Johnson, Caterpillar Group President of Resource Industries, will serve as chair of the 2024 Women MAKE Awards.
The Women MAKE Awards honor women at all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite, who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers. Each year, 100 Honorees and 30 Emerging Leaders, women under the age of 30 who have achieved unique accomplishments at the start of their careers, are peer-selected based on their contributions to their companies and communities and to developing the next generation of talent.
To date, the program has honored more than 1,400 women.
Johnson brings leadership in manufacturing experience to her role as chair. With Caterpillar since 2011, Johnson rose through various leadership positions and has served as group president of Resource Industries (RI) since 2016. As group president of Caterpillar, she is responsible for Caterpillar’s Integrated Components and Solutions Division, RI Operations and Products Division, Strategic Procurement & Planning Division and the RI Sales, Services and Technology Division.
Prior to joining Caterpillar, Johnson worked at General Motors, where she built deep expertise in operations and product management. She also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the NAM Board of Directors. Johnson is also a member of numerous outside boards, including the National Mining Association, ABB, MIT Leaders for Global Operations and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The Women MAKE Awards are part of the larger Women MAKE America initiative. Women MAKE America’s 35×30 Campaign aims to close the gender gap in manufacturing by increasing women’s representation to 35% by 2030. This industry-wide effort features a female-to-female mentoring program, employer resources, tools and case studies as well as expanded personal and professional development programming for women in the industry, students and others considering a career path in manufacturing.
