Exploring Career Paths Beyond Paper
From paper engineering at SUNY ESF to leading manufacturing operations across North America, Marcina Powell’s career shows just how versatile an engineering foundation can be.
A graduate of the paper engineering program and SPPF alumna, Marcina now works at Procter & Gamble as a Senior Manager of External Supply Solutions. In this role, she oversees multiple contract manufacturing sites responsible for producing personal health care products such as vitamin supplements and drug products.
While her career began with a passion for the paper industry, Marcina discovered along the way that her interests extended more broadly into manufacturing and operations. Her journey highlights an important lesson for students: the skills developed through engineering can open doors across industries.
In this Q&A, Marcina shares what she does in her current role, what surprised her most about her career path, and the advice she has for students exploring their own futures.
Q: Can you tell us about your current role at Procter & Gamble?
I work for P&G as a Senior Manager and ESS Site Leader. ESS stands for External Supply Solutions. I’m responsible for four contract manufacturing sites across the U.S. and Canada for P-H-C, which stands for Personal Health Care.
That includes products like vitamin supplements and drug products. So, it’s obviously quite different from paper.
On a day-to-day basis, I’m responsible for the overall performance of these manufacturing sites. That includes their operations, their service and ability to deliver products on time, and their quality, making sure everything is right the first time. I also partner with our initiative management team as we work with these contract manufacturing sites to introduce new technologies and new ways of producing our products.
Q: What surprised you most about your career path?
This question was actually really hard for me to answer.
I’ve always liked a good challenge, but when I reflected on it, what surprised me most was that I left paper. If you knew me when I was getting my degree or even when I was in the industry, I had a real passion for the paper industry.
When I left, I realized what I loved most was manufacturing. I found that I had more of a passion for manufacturing than I did specifically for paper.
When you’re in school, it can feel like everyone is going into the same field, and that’s what everyone will do. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.
Q: What advice would you give to prospective students?
I’ve always loved learning, and that’s probably the biggest piece of advice I can give: continue to be eager to learn.
Seek opportunities that align with your passions and go make things happen, whether it’s for yourself or for the projects you’re working on. If you focus on driving toward that end result and solving problems, it will go a long way in helping you grow and figure out where you want to go in your career.
When I was in undergrad, I didn’t have an internship during my first couple of years. Instead, I decided to study abroad, which ended up being one of the best decisions for me. I didn’t know it at the time, but it ultimately led to an internship and a co-op afterward.
So follow your dreams and your passions. There’s never just one right answer. There are hundreds of different options, and it’s about discovering which one is right for you.
