Allied Front: Luana Iorio Works Hard to Help Women Find Their Voices — and Welcomes Everyone to Do the Same

Early in her career, Luana Iorio found herself struggling to be heard. She was a young woman in engineering, a field traditionally dominated by men. Her South African accent, a product of her Johannesburg upbringing, marked her as “different.” And in her first full-time professional position, managing a GE Global Research lab specializing in high temperature alloys, she was often the lone materials scientist in a sea of mechanical engineers. When colleagues disagreed with her, she recalls, “They’d push back and say, ‘Well, what do you actually know, anyway?’”

Iorio, then a doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, came up with a workaround. “My technique was to go and find very respected people in my discipline and have them vet that yes, what I was saying did make a ton of sense,” she says. “Then I would invite them to our meetings.”

Twenty-five years later, Iorio is the person others call for back-up. She’s now general manager of engineering sciences at GE Aerospace, overseeing a team of around 1,000 people developing next-generation engines and supporting engines currently in the field. For the past four years, she’s also served as global co-leader of the Women’s Network, mentoring others and coordinating efforts among the employee resource group’s 79 chapters in 23 countries.

Though she’s stepping down from the role this year, she has no plans to stop participating or to diminish her commitment to helping others reach their full potential. “Being the Woman’s Network leader,” says Iorio, “has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my career.”

Finding Her Voice — and Using It

Iorio joined the Women’s Network in Niskayuna, New York, in the early 2000s. At the time she was mainly interested in the group’s community service projects, like promoting STEM learning in local schools, one of her passions. Iorio is an active participant in the Next Engineers program, which nurtures student talent. “Education is transformative,” she says. “It allows people to do things they couldn’t have imagined.”

By the time Iorio moved to Cincinnati in 2014 to serve as engineering operations leader, her Women’s Network involvement had dwindled. But in 2017, when she became the general manager of materials and processing for engineering, something dawned on her.

“There were things I experienced earlier in my career that I didn’t call out because I didn’t want to make waves,” she says. “But by not addressing them, I wasn’t making it any better. Once I became a senior leader, I realized I had a moral imperative to go back and make up for lost time — to make sure that I’m making a difference.”

Iorio began taking on leadership positions in the Women’s Network. In time, she was named the global co-leader, a role that continued when GE Aerospace became an independent company in 2022. It’s an experience that’s given her a chance to meet, mentor, and learn from others around the world. 

Recently Iorio was approached by an engineer based in Bengaluru who wanted to thank her for the life-changing advice she’d offered in a brief conversation a few years earlier. With Iorio’s encouragement the young woman had gone on to accept a challenging — and rewarding — new role at the company. “You helped me feel brave enough to do it,” she told Iorio.

As usual, Iorio had been happy to share some of the wisdom that’s helped her own career — including the idea that pushing your own boundaries is a key to growth. “It’s actually good if you’re a little bit uncomfortable in a job,” she says. “If not, you’re probably shooting too low.” 

Inviting Allies to the Table

Iorio sees a bright future for the Women’s Network — a good thing, as she knows creating an inclusive, equitable workplace requires steady effort. According to the Society of Women Engineers, only around 15% of engineers working in the United States are women.

She’s worked to promote cohesion among Women’s Network hubs around the world, so that it feels like “a truly global community.” She’s also encouraged gender equality allies to not only join the group but take on bigger responsibilities. “We’ve had men take on network roles and lead initiatives for us, and now the Cincinnati hub is being co-led by a man,” she says. “That’s great progress.”

The Cincinnati hub co-leader, Brian Stephens, executive chief engineer in materials science, got involved in part because he wants to ensure a better future for his two daughters, ages 12 and 17. “At this point in my career, I want to take more time to make sure there’s a better community for all the people who come in, especially the younger ones,” he says. “I hope my daughters have the same opportunities that I had, if not more.” 

Stephens’ thinking is right in line with Iorio’s. “The Women’s Network was responsible for bringing in flexibility in working hours at GE. At the time, that was a fairly radical idea,” she notes. “I think there are still a lot of opportunities to create a more equitable, global workplace.”

Iorio knows those efforts require participation from everyone — people of all backgrounds, genders, and experience levels — and she’s pleased to see GE Aerospace leadership working closer than ever with the Women’s Network to ensure lasting cultural change. 

“When I was younger, I spent a lot of time trying to fit in,” she says. “Now I realize there is value in bringing in a different perspective.”