Allison Shively: How curiosity led to engineering leadership

Allison Shively didn’t plan to become an engineer. When she first stepped into an electronics classroom in high school, she wasn’t convinced she belonged there at all. Electronics felt unfamiliar, intimidating and easy to walk away from. 

“I actually tried to get out of the course,” she laughs. “It was full of boys, and I didn’t know anything about electronics.” 

But with an elective to choose and a natural curiosity for problem-solving, Allison decided to give it a try. 

That one decision changed everything. 

From reluctance to curiosity 

The electronics class opened up a new world. Allison discovered she enjoyed the hands-on problem-solving just as much as the theory, soldering components, learning how circuits worked, and diving into a subject she had never explored before. 

“I liked that it challenged me mentally,” she says. “It was a mix of working with your hands and really thinking things through.” 

After the first course, she decided to take a second. That’s when her teacher pulled her aside with advice she still remembers. 

“He said, ‘I don’t know what your plans are, but you’re kind of good at this. Maybe this is something you should look into long-term.’” 

At that point, Allison already knew she wanted to study engineering. She just didn’t know which discipline. She took her teacher’s words seriously, enrolled in community college to study electronics, and later transferred to Liberty University after realizing that a smaller, closer-knit program suited her better. 

“I’m really glad I made that choice,” she says. “It was a tighter community and a better environment for me.” 

Stepping into a male-dominated world 

After graduating, Allison entered the workforce as a young female electrical engineer, something she was well aware would come with challenges. 

“In most of my engineering classes, there were maybe one or two other women,” she says. “So, it wasn’t unexpected.” 

Still, her first role after college made her acutely aware of being the only woman in the room. That experience didn’t last long, though. Soon after, she joined Munters, starting what would become her first job out of college and, unexpectedly, a long-term career. 

“I liked the atmosphere immediately. I felt comfortable,” she says. 

At the time, she was 24 years old and still figuring out whether she preferred electrical engineering or controls. At Munters, she didn’t have to choose. She could do both. 

She also found herself surrounded by colleagues she fondly refers to as “a bunch of dads.” 

“They were guys in their 40s who just walked in and plugged away at their jobs,” she says. “But they were incredibly willing to help. If you showed you wanted to learn, they gave you the time to do it.” 

From engineer to manager 

After a few years at Munters, circumstances aligned in a way Allison never expected. Her managers moved on to new roles, and suddenly, leadership opportunities opened up. 

“I joked with my husband that I was going to be the manager,” she says. “We laughed about it. I’d only been working for about three years.” 

But as time passed and colleagues increasingly turned to her for guidance, the idea stopped seeming like a joke. 

“When my manager told me I was the person he would recommend to take over, I thought, ‘Are you sure?’” she laughs. “But it also made me think, maybe I could actually do this.” 

When the opportunity formally came, Allison was ready, even if she didn’t feel fully prepared. 

“I didn’t think I’d be great right away,” she says. “But I knew I could hold the team together and grow into the role.” 

Leading through honesty and relationships 

Today, Allison manages the electrical and controls engineering team within operations. What sets her leadership style apart, she says, is openness. 

“One of my strengths is building relationships,” she explains. “And that comes from being honest, even when I don’t know the answer.” 

Admitting uncertainty, especially on the shop floor, wasn’t always easy. “I didn’t grow up around tools,” she says. “Once I was comfortable saying, ‘I don’t know yet, help me understand,’ it made me more approachable.” 

That approach has paid off. Her team sees her not as an intimidating authority figure, but as someone they trust, which also makes the difficult conversations easier. 

“Being a people pleaser doesn’t always work in management,” she admits. “Learning to say no has been a big growth area for me.” 

Another major shift came with learning to think long-term. 

“I’m a ‘here-and-now’ problem solver,” Allison says. “As a manager, you have to think ahead and sometimes make decisions that don’t make sense in the moment, but matter in the long run.” 

Making complexity work for customers and colleagues 

Allison’s team plays a critical role in ensuring Munters equipment works as intended, for both production and customers. 

“Our job is to make sure production has the right information and documentation,” she explains. “We translate designs from R&D into something the shop floor can actually build.” 

That work has a direct impact on customers. 

“If something’s wired incorrectly, it’s obvious immediately,” she says. “But controls issues can show up months or even years later. We’re really involved in the full lifecycle of the equipment.” 

Over time, the team has focused more on standardization, making products easier to build, operate, and maintain, while still meeting customer needs. 

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time,” Allison says. “By standardizing where it makes sense, we can build really good products, consistently, and keep making them better.” 

Advice to future engineers 

Looking back, Allison doesn’t describe her journey as brave. Just natural. 

“This was the path I wanted to try,” she says. “And if it didn’t work out, I would have changed direction.” 

Her advice to women considering a career in engineering is simple: 

“Don’t try to conform to standards that weren’t built with you in mind. Bring what you bring to the table.” 

She adds, “You’re not a ‘female engineer.’ You’re an engineer. Showing up, being curious, and wanting to learn, that’s what really matters.” 

About Allison 

• Allison works as an Electrical Engineering Manager at Munters
• She lives in Lexington, Virginia, with her husband and their two dogs, a Boston terrier and an Australian shepherd.
• Outside of work, she enjoys reading, going to the gym, and playing video games. She also has a strong interest in the arts, having grown up in an artistic family, and spends her free time doing watercolor painting. 
• She describes herself as a “jack of all trades,” a trait she credits to her father. If something needs fixing, whether it’s a broken lawnmower or a household project, she’s likely to figure it out herself. 
• Allison and her husband also share a passion for traveling and exploring new places. Most recently, they visited Easter Island while visiting South America. 

Curious about working at Munters? Check out our careers section.