Alejandra Bonillas*

Mechatronics Engineer

I’m passionate about manufacturing because it has allowed me to contribute to delivering solutions around the world, and has given me the ability to make something tangible from an idea or a dream, all the way to the product development stage. It’s rewarding to see something I worked on come to life!”

Only two weeks after starting her engineering job at Welbilt, Alejandra joined the high-profile Zume pizza oven project, which involves designing delivery trucks powered with equipment that can cook meals in transit. Alejandra was a key contributor, successfully producing high-quality prototypes in just four weeks. She developed innovative controls, coding and architecture to control six ovens from a single programmable logic controller (PLC). Today, Alejandra has taken on a leading role in emerging automation projects, some of the most complicated in the Welbilt portfolio. These projects are expected to drive over $150M in new business for the company. For her high technical acumen, passion for team-building and laser-sharp customer focus, she has been praised by Welbilt’s CEO.

When Welbilt established an Engineering Technical Center (ETC) in Monterrey, Alejandra played a crucial role in recruiting the initial team. She worked hard to attract and select top female talent especially, and due to her efforts, nearly half of the Monterrey ETC team members are women. Alejandra is also leading efforts to drive innovative project collaboration between Welbilt and Tecnológico de Monterrey, opening doors for Welbilt to leverage different research departments at the university and providing opportunities to integrate advanced technologies early in the product development cycle. These efforts will not only benefit Welbilt but will provide student engineers with real-world experiences that will enrich their careers and bolster the local economy.

In addition, Alejandra is a member of the Sumando Acciones, a nonprofit organization that provides food, personal hygiene, clothing and shelter for the homeless and needy, especially during cold winter months. In her volunteering capacity, she truly exemplifies the qualities of being empathetic, perceptive and committed to the success of Sumando Acciones’ mission.