Notable Women in STEM: Joanna Joy Thekkumpuram

Class of 2023

Joanna Joy Thekkumpuram began her career in 2018 as a manufacturing engineer at Wacker Neuson in Menomonee Falls. 

“Over the past five years, Joanna has become a high performing member of the operations team by supporting assembly through process design and line design,” said Jon Lubner, director of manufacturing at Wacker Neuson.

In early 2022, Thekkumpuram supported the launch of a new production line for Wacker Neuson’s utility track loader, a stand-on mini loader. Due to the early success surrounding the UTL product, she led two iterations of capacity increases over a 12-month span. 

“By applying the tools of industrial engineering, engaging operators, and working with the broader support team, she was able to successfully deliver a production line capable of producing eight times the original planned production volume,” said Lubner. 

Thekkumpuram also focused on another key assembly line to increase capacity by 20% during the same time frame, according to Lubner. 

Sign up for the BizTimes email newsletter

Stay up-to-date on the people, companies and issues that impact business in Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin