Kirsten Billhardt ‘96 took a risk when mid career she switched from the auto industry to technology. But she’s never regretted it and never looked back.

Billhardt’s foundation established at Kettering University (then GMI Engineering & Management Institute) and her engineering background helped her tackle any challenge that came her way.

Now the Marketing Director for the Internet of Things for Dell, Billhardt enjoys the challenge of the constant changing world of technology.

“It’s the biggest technology trend going on today,” she said. “Technology changes the world. It’s changing the world on a daily basis, changing our jobs, how we interact, date, hail a cab. It’s a very exciting feeling to be a part of that.”

Billhardt was an Industrial Engineering major at Kettering. She started with General Motors during her co-op and stayed there after graduation. That’s where her supplier quality career started.

She was on the front lines of what needs to be done in an organization.

“It was great experience right off the bat solving manufacturing problems,” Billhardt said.

Billhardt next earned a GM fellowship and completed an MBA at Harvard. After returning back to GM she started working in GM Strategic Initiatives.

It was there that she worked on one of her most interesting projects, Billhardt said. She worked on fuel cell commercialization strategies and product planning of first generation hybrid electric vehicles.

But in 2005 she got “a little itchy in Detroit.” She fell in love with Austin, Texas. She fell in love with the warmth, sunshine and the healthy, vibrant, interesting and quirky city.

“Dell was the one who took a chance on me, an ex-auto girl who had never spent a day in her life in technology,” Billhardt said. “My first job at Dell was rocky to say the least. It was challenging. You learn the business and learn it fast because you have to.”

Hard work wasn’t new for Billhardt. It was something she learned while at Kettering.

“That obviously comes from those 12 week periods of a brutal classload. When you’re out of it, you develop this inner confidence and inner strength that you can hack through anything,” Billhardt said. “So much of life is putting one foot in front of the other, gripping through. I used that for my first Dell job.”

Her first job at Dell was managing the execution of computer break/fix across nine U.S. states, Billhardt said, which was something very new to her.

But she kept moving forward in the fast paced and ever changing industry and it was well worth it, she said.

Billhardt transitioned from an operations role to a marketing role.

“At Dell there’s an opportunity to change functions dramatically, more so than at an automotive company. There’s a greater appetite to take risks, find new solutions, even start a new solution. Go for it. Go explore. Go try it out,” Billhardt said.

When facing a challenge, it’s best to take it one step at a time -- something she learned while at Kettering.

“Sometimes you just have to hang on and push through the work and get to the other side.

A lot of life is just hacking through and just not quitting, not getting frustrating, not turning away and not being afraid of it,” Billhardt said. “Every problem can be composed into smaller chunks and be tackled one at a time. Internet of Things is overwhelming with tons of pressure to deliver very quickly. The eyes of the company are on us. You must prioritize and work through the next thing.”

Billhardt has credentials from Harvard but she said it’s Kettering that gives students the toughness, the inner confidence and resilience.

That helped her to take on a new challenge and a role in a new industry. She encourages students and alumni to remember to keep it together and embrace the fun part of the challenge.

She also encourages engineers to consider the technology industry.

“It’s not front and center for Kettering students, but it’s such a dynamic area. Keep your eyes and ears open to technology related projects,” Billhardt said, giving a few more bits of advice. “Take on the hard projects. Push yourself in school. Start to know your own limits and you may surprise yourself with what you can take on.”