Leader Under 40: Kris Dornan

Process End-User Marketing Manager, Rockwell Automation Inc. – BS Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University

By Control Engineering Staff October 21, 2011

Kris Dornan, 34

Process End-User Marketing Manager, Rockwell Automation Inc., www.ab.com

Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Academics

BS Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University

Achievements

He has spent considerable time creating, acquiring, and editing marketing, sales, and engineering material about automation systems for heavy industries. A wastewater plant demonstration showed end users how the PlantPAx system provides automatic lead / lag pump coordination, and how an operator would be notified of an alarm condition effectively and efficiently.

Non-work-related activity

“Having a work-life balance is critical to a successful career. I have spent almost every hour away from work helping my wife raise our 2 1/2-year-old daughter. As a first time dad, I realize that I am now responsible for her well-being, and every decision I make has a direct influence on her. I try to be her role model and teach her through my words and actions to be a good person. Knowing she is learning from me makes me work hard every day to be the person that I want her to be.”

Engineering-related activity

To diversify from process controls, he led a team effort to define the value that Rockwell Automation delivers to the automotive industry, expanding communication and time-management skills, presenting results to a European audience, and synthesizing various materials into a concise document.

Interesting details

Dornan has a twin brother who is a medical doctor, providing a lifelong best friend and “friendly competition growing up—something I believe is a critical motivating factor in pushing someone to his or her best. My brother and I were always in a battle to bring home the best report cards, achieve the most scout merit badges, and make the most dean’s lists.” Piano playing “affords me the opportunity to use a talent I have to make other people happy” and provides respite from daily activities.

Began interest

While studying at Case Western Reserve, he worked a co-op position as an applications engineer on control systems at The Foxboro Company, “a unique opportunity to build a system from scratch that could be used to automate processes in the specialty chemical industry. The experience allowed me to use my talents in computer programming, grew my understanding of units of operation in chemical engineering, and helped develop my social skills, all of which have afforded me confidence in talking to customers.”

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