Dow Corning Executive
in Residence:
Alliant Techsystems CIO Karen Kirwan advises students to be courageous

Paving the way to a successful career
Summers of welding bumpers in an automobile factory made returning to CMU’s campus each fall a huge relief for alumna Karen Kirwan, ’84.

She credits that factory job as just one of the work experiences that prepared her for her current position as senior vice president and chief information officer of Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Kirwan, the College of Business Administration’s first female Dow Corning Executive in Residence, has followed the booming technology industry over the past 22 years with key positions at U.S. Cellular, Exelon, Pillsbury, Standard Register, Clopay Corporation, and Lenscrafters.

Hearing about the people who Kirwan admires gives you a clear idea of who she is as a person and a businesswoman. She says she is influenced by Sir Winston Churchill for his leadership, George Marshall for his role as a great strategist,

Warren Buffet because he uses his funds to benefit the world, and her father because he always made her learn from her mistakes.

“Honesty and integrity are who I am; as a leader those are at the top tier of what I do,” Kirwan said. ”I do work to capture hearts and minds of others, that’s what makes me successful.”

When it comes to being a female in the business world, Kirwan knows that expectations are higher, and she doesn’t hesitate to mention that she has had to use resilience, energy, and commitment to overcome stereotypes and stigmas throughout her career.

Building the next generation of leaders
“The leaders of tomorrow are not going to look like the leaders of today,” Kirwan told a room of future business professionals during her keynote address. “You need to be bold, take a chance. Courage is like a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it gets.”

Kirwan’s talk focused on the challenges of a competitive global market and the characteristics of effective leadership that will be required of the next generation of business professionals.

Whether it is through her professional career or many philanthropic endeavors, Kirwan prides herself on leading by example to build future leaders.

“Inspiring, motivating, and leading are very proud accomplishments,” Kirwan said. “I enjoy watching people reach their full potential, especially when they don’t even see it in themselves.”

“ You need to be bold, take a chance. Courage is like a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it gets.”

– Karen Kirwan, senior vice president and chief information officer, Alliant Techsystems Inc.