Shelley Knust, vice president of product compliance and regulatory affairs at Cummins Inc., discusses her approach to courageous leadership in this episode of Diverse.
Interviewed by FY25 SWE President Karen Roth, Knust reflects on a pivotal moment in her career when she made an impact on her colleagues by embracing her authentic self.
She also shares several unique initiatives that empower engineers to bring their full selves to work and offers a sneak peek into her closing keynote talk at WE24.
Listen to the episode on SWE’s website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker: Shelley Knust, Vice President – Product Compliance and Regulatory Affairs (PCRA), Cummins Inc.
Shelley Knust is vice president – product compliance and regulatory affairs at Cummins Inc. She oversees all global technical certification and compliance activities, as well as regulatory advocacy to continue the key work to ensure existing and future products successfully meet all regulations where Cummins conducts business throughout the world.
Prior to her appointment to VP, Knust led the Emissions Technical Compliance and Certification organization. In her 30-year career at Cummins, she has held roles in Electronic Controls Engineering, Technical Operations, and Product Development across multiple Cummins businesses and has been based in Indiana, U.S., and Darlington, UK.
Knust holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from Kettering University, a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) from Purdue University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
Knust has a passion for social justice causes and volunteers with Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, where she had previously served on the Board of Directors for nine years. She enjoys spending time with her family and four grandchildren, traveling, cooking, and choral singing. Knust is the proud sponsor of the Cummins Diversity Choir and the PRIDE Employee Resource Group.
Host: Karen Roth, FY25 SWE President
Karen Roth is an experienced Department of Defense leader in cyber, artificial intelligence, and digital engineering. Roth has taken her proven skills in strategic thinking, communication, and partnership development to create a global ecosystem for the Air Force and to be a trusted fiduciary for the nonprofit boards she has served.
Roth is the Deputy Director of AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force. She leads the strategy and execution across the $1.3b portfolio through AFVentures, Spark, Prime, SpaceWERX, and the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which serves to expand the defense industrial base for advanced technologies, empower Airmen and Guardian talent, and drive faster technology transfer to operational capability.
Roth has a zeal for supporting women in STEM. Her commitment has led to her participation on several not-for-profit boards, including the Society of Women Engineers, where she has served as treasurer and director of professional excellence. She also serves as an advocate for women in other organizations such as the Girls Scouts and the regional engineering executive council.
She holds an executive MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in systems engineering from Cornell University. She is currently completing an executive certificate in public leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
She serves SWE in a personal capacity and does not represent the U.S. Government or the U.S. Air Force in this role.
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