Candace Amyx, Wacker Chemical Corp. | Women Breaking the Mold 2024

Perhaps more than anything else in her career, Candace Amyx is a teacher.

Sure, she's a mechanical engineer by trade and the current productivity manager at Wacker Chemical Corp. But Amyx's passion is to teach others, collaborate with colleagues and find innovative solutions to help support a better society for all.

Amyx has been doing this and more at Wacker for 11 years after working as an engineer in the nuclear energy field in her native Kentucky. When she first started college at the University of Kentucky, she wanted to be a math teacher with an opportunity to teach at some point at the university level.

Yet when she started taking classes in Lexington, the lure and career opportunities of the engineering field was too great for her to ignore. She learned through school and internships that she enjoyed being in the field and working on operational and process details.

"I enjoyed making modifications to pieces of equipment and liked the idea of working in a professional atmosphere," Amyx said. "I wanted to do something that would help to give back to the community. "I like to understand the big picture."

While at Wacker, Amyx has completed Lean and Six Sigma courses and has led a collaborative team effort to improve performance by systematically eliminating waste and reducing variation. She is a Lean- and Green Belt-certified graduate of Wacker's Lean Six Sigma programs and actively working toward her Six Sigma Black Belt Certification.

Amyx ways to connect teaching and engineering at Wacker where she is helping to manufacture products that eventually make their ways into consumers' houses and vehicles. That ability to look for innovative ways to improve the quality of life for all is what has kept her at Wacker, a multinational chemical company headquartered in Germany.

Fortunately, Amyx is able to teach in her role at Wacker as well, working with colleagues and customers to solve problems. She can teach others how to systematically problem solve. That's what engineering allows her and others to do—build problem solvers who are able to take those skills and put them to great use. She's shared that with the group of high schoolers that she teaches Sunday School to on the weekends.

Amyx is also a martial arts self-defense instructor in her community. She holds black belts in two styles of karate and a purple belt in jiu jitsu. In addition to her Lean Six-Sigma belts reflecting her professional continuous improvement training, Amyx is a first-degree black belt in Machida karate and third-degree black belt in Shotokan karate.

As for any of her younger students at Sunday School or in martial arts, "I tell them that STEM is a really great opportunity," Amyx said. "For those who get an engineering degree, you can do anything."

That's also true for young women entering the engineering and/or rubber manufacturing fields. Amyx agrees there's "little doubt" that whether in an engineering classroom or working in the field, the sector is male dominated. However, Amyx believes that is an opportunity for her and other women to bring an experienced and unique perspective to their roles.

That includes potentially overcoming some outdated perceptions. While she hasn't experienced that feeling often, if and when she does, Amyx focuses on making it a strength.

"I've decided not to make that a crutch that others see or to (display) a chip on my shoulder," she said. "If I am considered along with other women to be a purposeful part of a diverse, professional, that's a positive."

As Amyx grows in her career she hopes to expand her experience in sustainability topics, such as finding a perspective for how to utilize waste in an environmentally friendly way. That should include opportunities for promotions with expanded responsibilities.

"In general, we need to be more sustainable and move to a more digitalized work force," Amyx said. "I hope to be part of a team that can really crack the code on how to make that smooth transition."

To do that, the industry will need more ambitious, dedicated leaders who are willing to challenge themselves in school and in their careers.

"I would encourage others to embrace the uncomfortable," Amyx said. "That's where growth happens."

Years with company: 11 years

Years in rubber industry: 11 years

There's so much versatility in the rubber industry. It truly touches every aspect of our lives. From building construction to medical technologies, rubber is changing the world around us. This industry is providing groundbreaking solutions to create a brighter future. I love knowing that the work I do improves the lives of the people in our local and global communities. And I love working for a company like Wacker that supports such a wide array of products and services. The challenges are unending—as are the benefits to our communities.

My role as productivity manager is to challenge the status quo every day. How can we improve that process? How can we streamline that transaction? Is this practice still beneficial and necessary? Has any waste crept into this process? Waste may look like waiting, rework, overprocessing, etc. We want to eliminate these inefficiencies as much as possible while maintaining the highest safety practices and quality workmanship.

Leadership looks like humility and servanthood. It's meeting our team where they are and helping them become the best version of themselves. Leadership is challenging others to stretch their capabilities and step out of their comfort zones. I demonstrate this leadership style by working closely with those around me and never asking my team to do something that I, myself, wouldn't do first. This is not about leading from the front or pushing others along in front of me. We win and lose as a team.

I enjoy listening to Jordan Peterson's (a Canadian Psychologist and author) podcasts. He doesn't shy away from tackling controversial topics and approaches all issues with a cautious and thorough consideration.

Many years ago, one of my larger scale construction projects had a lock out tag out violation. No injuries or equipment damage resulted from this failure. But the fact that the violation occurred highlighted the importance of attention to detail and clear communication among all concerned parties. This event highlighted how easy it is to make a simple mistake that could result in severe consequences.

To unwind and reset, I practice martial arts. In addition to being productivity manager at Wacker, I'm co-owner of a dojo where we teach karate and jiu jitsu. When training on the mat, the rest of the world drops away.

Success looks like constantly setting and achieving new goals—at work and at home. Success is seeking continuous improvement in all areas of life. At work, success is helping our business thrive to provide reliable, quality products and services to our customers. Success is helping our work force create a safe and efficient workplace in which we take pride. At home, success is building a harmonious household. Success is empowering and equipping those around us to become responsible individuals that contribute their gifts to the betterment of those around them.