TIGHITCO to Participate in Leading Ladies of… Aerospace 5th Annual Summit

Fiona McKay
October 1, 2024

The Virtual Summit focused on Women Shaping the Future of the Aerospace Industry will feature TIGHITCO’s Malissa Nesmith.

TIGHITCO is honored to announce it will participate in the fifth annual Leading Ladies of… Aerospace Virtual Summit on October 3rd. Leading Ladies Of… is a movement that focuses on women breaking the glass ceiling, with this year’s summit theme of “Harnessing The Power Of The Workforce.”  The half-day event features global leaders from Fortune 500 companies, that will address a variety of leadership and workforce issues, with the mission of driving gender parity in aerospace while helping women and allies up-level their industry knowledge and advance their careers in the A&D industry.

“I am proud to bring together Leading Ladies Of… Aerospace for our 5th Annual Summit to unite women in the aerospace industry and provide learning and networking opportunities for women at every stage of their career,” said Leading Ladies Of… founder, Fiona McKay. “This event has become a cornerstone for women in the aerospace industry, bringing together not only global leaders, but women in all stages of their careers.  The event’s momentum is shown by the increasing company participation. One company alone is sending 50 employees, demonstrating the power of our virtual world and our commitment to accessibility.”

In 2023, over 500 women and allies from more than 200 companies in 29 countries signed up to participate. This years’ attendees can look forward to lively discussions on industry outlooks, attracting & retaining talent, advanced air mobility, mentoring & sponsorship, supply chain and more from the likes of American Airlines, Boeing, BAE Systems, Safran, Alaska Airlines, Beta Technologies, Delta Air Lines, Integrated Polymer Solutions, Eaton, Amazon Air, Spirit AeroSystems and more.

Erika Armstrong, Author of “A Chick In The Cockpit,” will deliver the keynote address, which will focus on how leveraging the diverse skills and perspectives within your workforce can create a more motivated, engaged, and high-performing team that drives your business forward in today’s competitive world. A variety of panels of industry leaders will then address industry and leadership topics, including “Pull Her Up The Ladder: The Critical Role of Mentoring & Sponsorship,” which will include Malissa Nesmith, TIGHITCO VP of Business Development.

“It has always been a passion of mine to help women in their careers to jump over barriers – especially in the aviation industry,” said Malissa. “Throughout the years, I have been committed to mentoring a new generation of aviation professionals.  I am also looking forward to gleaning tips from my colleagues in the industry.  I love that this summit allows interaction between multiple generations and varied job titles.”

Attendees can look forward to hearing from:

  • Victoria Foy, President of Safran Seats
  • Diane Rose, Chief Executive Officer, Insitu
  • Malissa Nesmith, VP of Sales & Business Development, TIGHITCO
  • Joe McClain, Director, Supplier Diversity & Sustainability, Eaton
  • Laura Siegal, Chief Financial Officer, Integrated Polymer Solutions
  • Ann Ardizzone, Vice President Supply Chain, Alaska Airlines
  • Kim Ernzen, Chief Operating Officer, StandardAero
  • Joe McDermott, Vice President, Cabin Operations & Services, Delta Air Lines
  • Sadie Wackett, Chief HR Officer, Chromalloy

For more information about Leading Ladies of… Aerospace Summit, please visit www.LeadingLadiesOf.com.

About Fiona McKay & Leading Ladies Of…  

Fiona McKay is a recognized specialist in courageous leadership. A highly sought-after coach, trainer and keynote speaker, McKay inspires and guides leaders to embrace bravery, boldness, and big change to create the workplaces and businesses they want, while making a difference for others. She combines her real-world business experience from her 16 years in the industry, including roles at Rolls-Royce, Parker Aerospace, and ZeroAvia, with her teaching and coaching experience, to support industry professionals to deliver impactful events and professional development opportunities.

McKay is also the founder of the Leading Ladies Of…movement, which focuses on accelerating gender parity in Aerospace & Defense by expanding female leadership from the ground up, through the promotion and retention of more women, This work is delivered through summits, leadership workshops, podcasts, cross-company programs, and internal support of companies’ women’s leadership efforts.

For more information on Fiona McKay, visit www.MckayUnlimited.com.

About TIGHITCO

Since 1944, TIGHITCO has been a leader in the aerospace and defense industry.  The Aerostructures Division was established in 1972.  With a prime focus on advanced composite aerostructures, metallic, soft goods and molded insulation systems, sheet metal forming and MRO, TIGHITCO has developed a reputation as a key player in the industry. TIGHITCO’s meticulous craftsmanship achieves the high quality that the aerospace industry demands, providing full lifecycle support of all products from conceptual design development, to testing and first part qualification/certification.

Being fully integrated, and able to quickly move through analysis, tooling, and fabrication, TIGHITCO will make any project an easy transition from a build-to-print to a quality part. TIGHITCO offers full-service solutions; maintaining the unique ability to incorporate engineering expertise and manufacturing talent to rapidly produce new products for defense and commercial customers.  TIGHITCO is Nadcap and ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D accredited, with a proven track record of nearly five decades of manufacturing.