Jill Dralle - Nexteer Automotive - 2024 Manufacturing Woman of the Year
This article appeared in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.
Over the past 30 years, Jill Dralle has been a source of inspiration for women in the manufacturing industry, an advocate for the community and a trailblazer for her company. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. division of Nexteer, Dralle guides 3,000 team members and has founded an influential women’s group focused on solidarity and personal growth.
The Manufacturing Woman of the Year Award recognizes the many roles women play in manufacturing and beyond. As a working mother and wife, Dralle handles her many roles with poise and confidence and is a deserving recipient of this year’s honor.
Business Growth and Community Involvement
Dralle began working for Nexteer 30 years ago within a division that makes steering columns and intermediate shafts, and soon was instrumental in the company’s recognition as a “Best Plant” by IndustryWeek. She later became the manager of two of their driveline plants, and she was named COO four years ago.
She says her guiding principles are integrity, transparency, continuous improvement and accountability. Her proudest moments include winning the award, enhancing efficiency within the driveline plants and the way the team pulled together during the COVID-19 pandemic for the benefit of the company.
“She’s the ultimate servant leader,” says Steven Baird, Director of Central Services. “She empowers people to achieve their full capabilities, full potential by offering them her support, her guidance and opportunities for development.”
Kelli White, Nexteer Production System Manager for the Saginaw division, says Dralle is a strong, confident mentor and coach who has her team’s best interests at heart.
“She’s a leader with determination, compassion and a positive attitude that inspires everyone around her,” White says. “She has a way to lead people where we want to follow her. You want to help her to do better because she’s just a good person that really wants all of us to succeed in the long run.”
Baird adds that Dralle is constantly looking for ways to enhance employee morale, such as by holding events like a summer picnic with multiple activities and games that build teamwork.
She also has served on the Saginaw Community Foundation, volunteered at soup kitchens, helped to plant trees, cleaned up Saginaw parks and donated supplies to schools, and that kind of support for the community builds pride within the company, Baird says.
“Nexteer is one of the largest employers in Saginaw County,” Dralle notes. “In my role as COO, I work really hard to make sure that we keep jobs here, that we’ve got good-paying jobs for both our salaried and hourly people, and that we’ve got a good, long, sustainable future. From an impact perspective, that’s what I focus on most days when I’m coming here: How do I make sure that we’re leaving a legacy for the people that come after us?”
Nexteer Women’s Collaboration Team
When Dralle began her career, she recognized that only a small percentage of professionals in the industry were women.
“I kind of realized early on that I was the only female at the table a lot of times, and that continues throughout my career,” Dralle says.
She says that made her aware that she is a role model for other women in manufacturing, so she wanted to step that concept up to a higher level by forming the Nexteer Women’s Club in 2014, now known as the Nexteer Women’s Collaboration Team.
“I did that along with a small group of us, because we really recognized that in the automotive industry, females are still the minority,” Dralle says. “We wanted to provide a personal and professional forum, and a legitimate forum really, for people to get together to work on development, networking, talk about our careers and also have a forum for people to talk about the challenges that they’re facing with balancing work and family life.”
Dralle is happy to say that the group is still going strong 10 years later.
“We’ve got lots of members, and we provide really enriching experiences for the team,” she says. “We’ve since expanded that to be more than just a women’s club. We really invite all kinds of diversity through that and have, I think, empowered a lot of people along the way.”
With such insights, enthusiasm and a dedication to constant development of the company, Jill Dralle has placed the U.S. division of Nexteer as a leading manufacturer in Saginaw County. Her personal skills combined with her ability to impact so many lives makes her the 2024 Manufacturing Woman of the Year.
The Manufacturing Woman of the Year award is part of the annual Manufacturing Excellence Awards which celebrates the leaders and products that are pushing the industry forward. Learn more about the awards program and gala.
The 2024 Manufacturing Woman of the Year award was sponsored by Clark Hill. Visit online: clarkhill.com.