Danella welcomes Pam Townsend to our team as the Chief Information Officer (CIO). Pam joined Danella in late September and is working to improve Danella’s current technical atmosphere.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background? I started my career at Unisys Corporation and spent over 20 years in various IT positions. I then went to Kulicke & Soffa where I had responsibility for IT across multiple locations, including the U.S., Singapore, and Israel. After Kulicke & Soffa, I became the North America IT Director for West Pharmaceutical Services. My most recent position was at Triumph Group, Inc. where I was the Chief Information Officer for the last nine years. I received my B.S. in Accounting from West Chester University and my M.B.A. from Widener University.
What are three unusual or fun facts about yourself? I am a music lover and have attended the Philadelphia Folk Festival since 1974. I have done considerable international travel over my career which allowed me to visit interesting places such as Singapore, Israel, and Isle of Man just to name a few. For the last 5 years, I have run the Broad Street Run (10 miles). This year was my best time ever and I attribute it to the fact that it was raining and I wanted to get the run over with as quickly as possible!
When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up and how has that impacted your career? When I was a child I wasn’t exposed to very many professional women so I thought I wanted to be a teacher because that was something that I saw women do. However, my mother was a great role model and mentor for me. Although she didn’t have the opportunity to go to college, she was a hard worker and quick learner. She worked her way up to being a successful accountant. So when I was in college and realized teaching was not for me, accounting seemed to be a natural move, which started me on my path into the business world and IT.
What compelled you into your field of work? I started college to become a math teacher but early on I realized this wasn’t a fit for me. I changed my major to Accounting. When I graduated, I knew I liked business and working with numbers but I couldn’t see myself as an Accountant. Fortunately, MIS departments were starting up in companies and Burrough’s (later became Unisys) hired me for my business skills and was willing to teach me programming. This was when everything clicked for me and I realized this combination of business and computers/technology was my niche. I have worked in IT ever since.
Before your work here at Danella, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve had? My position at Kulicke & Soffa was quite interesting as they had manufacturing operations in Singapore and Israel. I am not sure I would have spent so much time in Israel and Singapore if it were not for that job. I really enjoyed visiting these countries, learning about their culture, and working closely with the local staff. Everyone was very friendly and wanted to show you their country.
What is your proudest moment in your career? I think the proudest moment in my career was early in my career when I worked for Burrough’s. I worked in their Application Development Center developing an early ERP system. Later, I transferred into one of their manufacturing plants and was part of the team that implemented the system that I worked to develop. It was a great feeling of accomplishment to see something I worked to develop actually implemented and improve the business.
Can you describe your current role at Danella? My role as Chief Information Officer is to provide the technology tools (network, hardware, applications) to support the business, allowing employees to do their job in the most efficient manner, and to provide a competitive advantage. At the same time, it is my job to make sure these technology tools have the proper security in place to minimize any risk to Danella.
For you, what are three words that describe Danella? Friendly, Integrity, Hardworking