Highlighting Women Engineers at ABI and MECATHERM North America
For International Women in Engineering Day, ABI and MECATHERM North America are proud to spotlight two of our talented engineers: Mehnaz SK HEERAH , Customer Service Manager for North America, and Carlee Rogers, Controls Design & Robotics Programmer at ABI. In this interview, they share their journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and what it’s like to build a career in engineering as young women today.
At ABI and MECATHERM, we believe that true innovation comes from integration. When every voice is heard and every perspective is valued, ideas grow stronger and the solutions we create better serve the people we support.
1. Can you briefly introduce yourself?
Mehnaz: I come from the beautiful island of Mauritius. I am a Chemical Engineer with over a decade of Project Management experience in the industry. I graduated from UET Lahore, Pakistan, and began my engineering career in 2013 with Shell Mauritius as a Project & Maintenance Engineer, overseeing all retail activities over the island. After 5 years, I then transitioned with ease over to Sales Manager role (where my engineering background helped me build my sales prospects and finalize contracts). Engineering has shaped not just my profession, but the way I think, solve problems, and show up every day.
Carlee: I have a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics Engineering as well as hold the title of a Professional Engineer. I started at ABI in 2020 as a Mechatronics Engineering Intern working in the Electrical and Controls Department, upon finishing my degree I returned full time to ABI as a Controls Designer & Robotics Programmer.
2. Why did you choose a career in engineering?
Mehnaz: I always knew I wanted to be in science, but I was standing at a crossroads between engineering and medicine. Then I received a scholarship for engineering and I never looked back. Today, when I reflect on the way my mind works analytical, solution-driven, always looking to optimize. I know engineering was exactly where I was meant to be. This field does, it gives peace to my creative mind.
Carlee: I always enjoyed problem-solving, designing and building things when I was young. I was introduced to the world of engineering when I was 10 years old and was set on being an engineer since then.
3. What is your role today at ABI / MECATHERM?
Mehnaz: I work as a Customer Service Manager at MECATHERM. My role spans spare parts, retrofits, and on-site interventions essentially. I am the bridge between our technical expertise and our customers’ needs. It is a role that demands both engineering knowledge and strong people skills, and I find that balance deeply rewarding.
Carlee: My role at ABI is a Controls Designer & Robotics Programmer. I work on the electrical designs of our systems as well as complete the programming and onsite commissioning of our systems. My focus is mainly on our Katana Scoring systems. I get to work on systems from the beginning of design all the way to watching the final product come off the production line at our customer’s sites.
4. Why did you choose to join ABI/ MECATHERM?
Mehnaz: I joined MECATHERM because the role Spare Parts Administrator at the time, was a strong match for my background and experience. But beyond the job description, it felt like the right next step in my professional journey, and it has proven to be exactly that.
Carlee: I choose ABI because I was interested in gaining more experience in robotics and I really liked the culture of the company. I was excited to learn as an intern and ABI offered me many opportunities to do so.
5. If you could speak to your younger self at the start of your career, what would you say? What would you have liked to hear at the beginning of your career?
Mehnaz: I would tell her: be ready for challenges that no university prepares you for specifically, how to turn doubt into fuel. That said, I am grateful I did not know everything in advance. My very first manager in this field gave me invaluable guidance on what it truly means to be a professional engineer. That mentorship shaped me. Some lessons are best learned along the way.
Carlee: I would say to be confident, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, learn as much as you can from your colleagues and experiences.
6. What message would you like to share with young girls who are hesitating to pursue a career in engineering?
Mehnaz: Be bold. Be upfront. Do not hesitate. The field needs your voice, your perspective, and your mind. Just go for it because once you do, you will never look back.
Carlee: I would say engineering is an excellent field to pursue, there are so many paths you can take and different jobs you can do by becoming an engineer. From my cohort alone I have many female friends working a in variety of industries. Your education will challenge you but it can be so rewarding, not every course you will excel in or like, it’s about finding what you like, your passion and following that.
8. Being an engineer is above all…
Mehnaz: a creative mind in action. It is about how you see a problem and reimagine it as a solution. How you make life easier, eliminate what is unnecessary, and optimize what remains. Being an engineer means making things better not just for yourself, but for everyone around you. And that, to me, is what makes it worthwhile. My Engineering minds works daily nonstop, be it at work, in my kitchen, in my house organization or in my hobbies… It just pops up anytime and everywhere.
Carlee: solving problems from small to large you will help contribute to the growth of society in some way, shape or form over your career.