Ayla Bitter*

Ingot Remelt Quality Superintendent

My career in manufacturing allows me to work on products that will be used by people all over the world. I also enjoy problem-solving a new challenge every day with employees from all levels of my organization.”

Ayla has been a driving force behind many crucial projects throughout her tenure with Arconic. When Arconic shifted its focus to automotive and industrial markets, Ayla was a key technical resource in launching and stabilizing the process to cast new alloys, allowing South Ingot to transition from a single-alloy cast house to a multi-alloy cast house. Additionally, she played a vital leadership role in training operators on the new process to ensure the highest quality product. In order to implement a layered process audit system, Ayla’s team integrated an automated Excellence through Quality (EtQ) system that increased efficiency, reduced paperwork and minimized duplicative efforts. The system at Tennessee Operations was so successful that the Corporate Quality team leveraged Ayla’s best practices to implement it at other locations.

As Ingot Remelt Quality Superintendent, Ayla is not only an exceptional leader—she takes the time to learn how each team member’s strengths can improve project outcomes. Through mentoring, training and the development of new systems, she has led others to succeed beyond expectations. She continuously develops systems to hold herself and others accountable to objective standards and challenging goals. In addition to mentoring interns throughout her career, Ayla has also coached a team of junior and senior designers from her alma mater, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. 

Ayla is deeply involved in a number of key initiatives at Arconic including the STEM Council, which she helped launch in 2018 and now serves as co-chair. Working with kindergarten to college-aged students, the group has participated in more than 25 community events, reaching over 1,300 students, parents and teachers. She shares her enthusiasm for STEM by speaking with students about career paths at Arconic Tennessee Operations and beyond.