Gwen Wilkerson, director, Procurement Support, first hired on at Ingalls in 1981 as a junior stenographer and as a third-generation shipbuilder. After working at the shipyard for a few years, she made the decision to get her college degree, attending night classes for two years.
With her degree in hand, Wilkerson became a buyer. From there, she held jobs in Subcontract Management and Procurement. Taking advantage of the leadership opportunities offered by Ingalls, Wilkerson advanced to management roles in Procurement, Quality Assurance, and Material Acquisition in Supply Chain Management.
She went on to become material program manager for the DDG program before becoming the director of Material Acquisition. Since 2018, she has served as the director of Procurement Support.
Now a seasoned member of Ingalls’ leadership team, Wilkerson’s career objectives have shifted more towards helping others grow in their careers.
“I enjoy mentoring people and helping them understand how to do things but, more importantly, why things are done as they are,” said Wilkerson.
Looking back over her decades-long career at Ingalls, Wilkerson said there are some things new shipbuilders can do to stand out if they wish to advance their careers. Her best advice is to take advantage of educational opportunities, network with others in various departments and be reliable.
“Be the ‘go-to’ person. Achieve the reputation of making and meeting commitments,” said Wilkerson. “Volunteer for the hard stuff. If there is a special project or if you get the opportunity to work on a team outside of your area, jump on it. Network and get to know as many people as possible. Challenge yourself to improve at least one process in your area on an annual basis.”
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