Jennifer Austin is the Development & Implementation Leader for 3M’s Manufacturing and Supply Chain Digitization and Advanced Analytics group. This makes her responsible for setting and executing the processes by which the organization delivers on its goal of creating a Digital Twin to drive business decisions and value creation. If there’s one thing she has grown to appreciate during her 20-year career at 3M, it’s the company’s bedrock principles.
“I never question for a minute that 3M will always do the right thing for our customers, partners and employees – all while delivering real value and solving real problems,” Jennifer says.
Over the years, she has seen all those roles up close and seen the company from the inside out, with experience in everything from creating new business models to software development to combining the strengths of global powerhouses and smaller startups.
Before joining 3M D&AA, she held a leadership role with 3M Connect, an organization aimed at accelerating the commercialization of smart, connected, products. Jennifer’s prior assignment also included a similar role with the 3M Integration Management Office, where she was responsible for the execution of major mergers and acquisitions and divestitures. Her experience with M&A came from her time with 3M Health Information Systems, where she took charge of product development and delivery, client satisfaction and business operations after one significant acquisition. She had previously served as a program manager with the unit’s Emerging Business team. Before joining Health Information Systems, Jennifer held a variety of roles in the 3M Commercial Graphics Division.
“There is always a solution and a path forward, even when it’s one you don’t expect,” says Jennifer, who puts creativity to work in her off hours, too, by playing handbells at church and piano at home, creating her own greeting cards and digging into mystery novels. She holds bachelor degrees in Environmental Engineering and Biology from Michigan Technological University, and a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota.