Episode Details

In this episode, Rob Pene sits down with Nashay Naeve, President of Tsubaki Nakashima's plastic injection molding business — a global manufacturing company serving the medical device and automotive industries. Nashay shares her remarkable journey from growing up on an Iowa farm to leading a global team of over 100 people across multiple continents.

Nashay opens up about her early fascination with math, physics, and mechanical equipment (thanks to her farmer father), which eventually led her into engineering. She went on to complete her master's degree in China — taught entirely in Mandarin Chinese — and worked at industry giants like John Deere and Caterpillar before stepping into executive leadership.

We dive into:

• Leading through crisis and team restructuring
• What it's like running a publicly traded global manufacturing business
• How AI and Microsoft Copilot are being integrated into manufacturing operations
• The art of aligning strategy, talent, and execution
• Her love for travel (including a pre-COVID trip to Antarctica)
• Why careers don't progress in a straight line — and how to find peace with that
• The mindset shift that transformed how she leads her team

Whether you're an aspiring engineer, a leader navigating organizational change, or someone curious about how global manufacturing really works, this conversation is packed with wisdom, humility, and inspiration.

Connect with Nashay Naeve: LinkedIn: Search "Nashay Naeve" (N-A-S-H-A-Y N-A-E-V-E)

Key Takeaways:

• Careers rarely move in a straight line — trust the process
• Alignment of strategy, talent, and execution is a true leadership superpower
• Lean into curiosity, whether it's a new language, a new culture, or a new industry
• Problem-solving is at the heart of great engineering AND great leadership