From working parents to military veterans, GE Aerospace would not be the company it is today without its employees. We created “Quick Six” to celebrate our diverse talent by asking employees six questions that uncover the unique ways they contribute to GE Aerospace and the world.
At GE Aerospace’s Engineering Center in Queretaro, México, which recently celebrated its 26th anniversary, Gloria Garcia is honing not only her technical expertise, but also her leadership skills.
Day-to-day, Gacria is a lead performance engineer on the LM2500 aeroderivative engine, helping power energy projects. Through the company’s Sustainability Network Employee Resource Group (ERG), open to all employees, she also leads the network’s hub in Queretaro. And as she describes it, both roles have something in common — she’s able to push herself to learn something new every day.
In fact, Garcia says the lessons she’s gained in teambuilding, communication, and project management through the Sustainability Network have greatly contributed to her work on advancing new product improvements in engineering.
Read more in this Quick Six with Gloria about her passion to make the environment around her better.
1. What is your title? Can you describe your role and responsibilities?
My role is lead performance engineer. In performance, we do thermodynamic analysis and modeling of the engines to determine what will be the overall performance of an engine that is currently in production or what is the expected performance of engines that are being developed. Currently, I’m more focused refining the models that we have for new product introduction projects on the LM2500 engine.
Since I joined GE Aerospace, I was promoted from performance engineer to lead performance engineer. Through this role, I’ve had the chance to gain an understanding of the performance discipline and the product that I work with. I’ve also learned, developed, and reinforced soft skills such as teamwork, self-learning, and managing my own work. This, along with skills that I have had the chance to obtain and practice with the Sustainability Network, such as interacting with other areas and understanding their needs, coordinating small teams, and managing several projects at the same time help me prepare for the position I’m currently in.
2. Why and when did you decide to become an engineer? Describe the inspiration and path.
When I was in high school, I joined the robotics team that participated in the FIRST Robotics competition. I joined the engineering team in charge of designing and building the robot. I had the chance to participate in the mechanical and electrical design aspects and fell in love with everything that we did. It was in that moment that I decided that I wanted to become an engineer.
After attending Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Querétaro, I completed rotations in the Edison Engineering Development Program in GE Renewable Energy (now GE Vernova) and then moved to GE Aerospace to the aeroderivative segment.
3. What are the biggest challenges in your role?
One of the main tasks in my role is to understand what the data is telling you, understand the physics behind the engine and link all of that to what you have modeled to get an accurate representation of your engine and its performance. I believe that this is the part that I enjoy the most about my role, but it is also really challenging. Another big challenge (at least for me) is to translate what we have found within our analysis into how that affects the product and the business.
4. How are you involved in the Sustainability Network ERG and how does it combine your work and passions?
I’m currently the leader of the Sustainability Network at GE Aerospace in Querétaro. I became the leader in 2022, almost the same time that I joined GE Aerospace. I’m passionate about the environment and about working towards “making this a better place.” Being part of the Sustainability Network lets me work on this part, while helping me develop skills that I can apply in my day-to-day job such as communications and working with different areas, which have allowed me to understand how the business works.
5. What does being a part of the Sustainability Network ERG mean to you and can you give an example of your local activities?
It means to be part of a team that is passionate about the environment, eager to learn what can we do different (from others and between us), want to make a change in the community and have fun, that tends to involve getting up early to plant trees in the middle of nowhere. For me, it gives me a place to do my bit to take care of the environment outside my day-to-day job.
6. If you could give anyone advice who wants to pursue your line of work, what would you tell them?
I would say to go for it. In both performance engineering and the Aeroderivative Engines Operation, there are a lot of opportunities to learn and to challenge yourself. Give yourself the chance to learn from others but be aware that others might also be learning from you. At the end of the day, we’re all learning something every day. Set a goal that makes sense for you in both your personal and professional life and set a plan, but never forget that life might take you to different places. Let yourself be surprised and make the most out of every experience that you have.
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GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, as well as integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft.
