Mentor Spotlight: Michele Kaiser, John Deere

Posted: January 10, 2022

Throughout the month of January, we’re recognizing members of our SAE Mentor community who share their experience and expertise with young professionals and engineering students as they shape the future of mobility.

Michele Kaiser has had a lot of opportunity to grown in her career since her days as a student member of the SAE chapter at University of Dayton. Now Business Development Manager at John Deere, Kaiser has been finding ways to pass on her expertise and know-how as a mentor through her SAE International membership.

“I’ve had such a rich and fulfilling experience with SAE [through] forming great relationships, learning from multiple contributors, [and] speaking at and organizing events,” Kaiser said. “I’ve also had great professional experiences, complete with the obligatory mistakes along the way, and some wonderful mentors who have been good thought partners throughout my career. Mentoring, for me, is a way to pay it forward and help others to work through challenges while having their own fulfilling and meaningful journeys, in both their careers and their SAE experiences.”

Kaiser has not only been able to guide the growth of young professionals, but also grow herself. In addition to her mentor work, Kaiser serves on the SAE Commercial Vehicle Council where she helps plan the annual congress. She also has moderated panels during the conference on a wide variety of topics. Kaiser has also been a paper reviewer, author, and speaker at the SAE World Congress (WCX) in Detroit. She’s even got another committee lined up for 2022.

“The possibilities are endless with SAE and I’m having a lot of fun participating!” she said.

Have what it takes to be a mentor--or looking for a mentor of your own? Learn more on how you can get involved at https://www.sae.org/participate/membership.