Women in Operations: Meet Maya Jakovljevic
A passion for learning
Maya’s path to operations wasn’t traditional. After practicing psychology and spending several years working on early childhood education programs, she began working in office administration and eventually found her way into operations. A continuous desire to learn led Maya into maintenance and still fuels her work at Ahlstrom.
“No two days are ever the same. It’s manufacturing, it’s maintenance – the machines usually decide what kind of day you’re going to have,” says Maya. Balancing planned work with unexpected equipment failures means priorities often need to be changed on the spot. “What I enjoy most is that every day brings a new challenge. You never stop learning because there’s always something new to understand.”
Working in a collaborative environment
“I’ve learned so much just by talking to experienced mechanics and electricians,” Maya says, highlighting that her relationships with other people are the most rewarding element of her job. Maya’s background in psychology helps, as does her continuous curiosity. “One of my favorite parts of the job is walking into the maintenance shop and asking questions. Every conversation becomes a chance to learn something new.”
Although manufacturing has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, Maya’s experience has been very positive. “The first time I walked into a maintenance shop, I think a few people wondered if I was lost,” she shared. “A few months later, they were asking me about work orders.” People at Windsor Locks don’t care whether you’re a man or a woman, Maya says: “They care whether you’re willing to learn, work hard, and be part of the team.”
Maya highlights this curiosity and the ability to collaborate as central to her success. “Earlier in my career, I thought asking questions meant I wasn’t knowledgeable enough,” she says. “Now I know it’s actually the opposite. The people who ask questions, stay curious, and learn from others are usually the ones who grow the fastest.” When it comes to maintenance, she says, “you really can’t do this job alone.”
Embracing new challenges
Maya looks back on her move from Montenegro to the US back in 2019 as her proudest achievement. Starting over from scratch, knowing almost nobody, and operating in a second language was tough. “Looking back,” she says, “I’m grateful I did it because it taught me that I’m capable of a lot more than I thought.”
Maya has continued to push herself at Ahlstrom, where she has participated in leadership development through the JUMP program and continues to build her technical knowledge. “Honestly,” says Maya, “I don’t think I’ll be done challenging myself anytime soon.”
