"Hi! My name is Manaswi Mamidala and I’m a Director of Technology Product Management at Walmart Fulfillment Services within the Walmart eCommerce division. I bring my background of engineering, supply chain, operations, and program management to my role as a product manager, where my team connects Walmart’s world class supply chain capabilities to the Walmart eCommerce marketplace – giving all types of business (small/large, domestic/intl, etc.) an opportunity to grow on Walmart’s marketplace."

How did you first become interested in Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE)?

I learned about the field of ISE after an internship I had at Genie Industries during my sophomore year at the University of Washington. As a manufacturing engineering intern, I learned about the application of process engineering, engineering economics, lean manufacturing, and operations research. My experience at Genie of working at the intersection of people, technology, and complex systems sparked my interest, and eventual study, of Industrial & Systems Engineering.

How has the ISE program at UW prepared you for your current position or field?

UW’s ISE program introduced me to faculty that were experts in their field, whether it be operations research, simulation, or lean manufacturing. There was also a good combination of recognizing the current-state practical application of ISE (e.g. manufacturing/operations in industrials sector) but an eye towards the future of ISE with respect to healthcare and tech applications (AI). This combination of current state and future state examples were sprinkled throughout the coursework, industry site visits, and the senior capstone project; all of which influenced my career from the aerospace/defense sector to now the tech sector of ecommerce.

Were there any courses or projects at UW that you found particularly influential for your career?

I really enjoyed my coursework in operations research, engineering economics, and lean manufacturing. They were the perfect combination of business, technology, and systems engineering – cornerstones for my career path to date.

Did you pursue any internships or co-ops during your time at UW? How did those experiences shape your career path?

My internship during my Sophomore year at Genie Industries was super critical in driving me to the field of ISE (details mentioned within the 2nd question). The senior capstone work with Starbucks was an important experience as well – taking all that we’ve learned in ISE coursework and putting it into action at one of the world’s largest coffee company. Both Genie industries and Starbucks solidified in me an interest to work with physical technology products for a multi-national company – which is exactly what I did when I joined the Boeing Company after completing my undergrad, and have continued doing in my current role of accelerating and growing the ecommerce arm of Walmart.

How do you continue to learn and grow in the field of ISE after graduation?

I did my Masters in ISE at the University of Washington as well, which was a great way to build upon the BS foundation, but also apply it directly to the work I was doing at the time (Product & Supply Chain development at the Boeing Company). I have been a member of IISE since my undergrad days and enjoy keeping up to date on their communication of what’s going on within the field so I can stay in touch.

What message would you like to send to potential students considering the ISE program at UW?

The ISE program provides you a great foundation for a successful career across so many different domains. The ISE faculty, industry partnerships, and support from the University of Washington college of engineering community gives you access to a world-class learning experience that is the right combination of academic & practical application based learning.

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