Editorial Advisory Board 2023-2026: Get Reacquainted with MMT EAB Member Marion Wells Owner, Human Asset Management

Get reacquainted with Marion Wells. Marion has been serving on MMT’s editorial advisory board (EAB) since 2019. She is a Predictive Index-certified talent specialist and the founder of Human Asset Management (HAM), whose expertise focuses on providing talent optimization services using Predictive Index science-based methodologies to empower clients and align their business strategies with their people strategies to achieve optimal business results. HAM’s strategies enable manufacturing clients to build and strengthen their talent pipeline, their organization and their customer relationships. Marion is a passionate speaker and presents at various manufacturing industry conferences on how to improve workforce culture.

A forward-focused business leader, Marion has established a successful career transforming strategies and vision into outstanding commercial results. With a profound understanding of business mechanics, she instinctively identifies opportunities and executes them with authentic entrepreneurial energy and flair. Recognized at the board level for credible decision-making, partnership working and talent development, she effectively drives organizations toward enhanced performance and profitability.

She began her career in engineering with Arcelor Mittal Steel (formerly Inland Steel Industries), where she spent 17 years and held more than 10 different positions, including production, quality, technical services, customer service, research and product development, account sales, and new business development and marketing. Marion earned a BS from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a focus on metallurgical engineering. She also has post-graduate experience from Northwestern University.

Marion joined West Michigan Tool and Die’s (WMTD) board of directors in March 2019. She also serves as chair of WMTD’s Corporate Governance Committee and is a member of its Management Committee. Marion was appointed in 2021 to the Board of SMEs (Society of Manufacturing Engineering) Education Foundation, where she serves on nominating and chairs the scholarship review committee. Marion served on the board of directors of the Automotive Women Alliance Foundation (AWAF) and currently serves on the Executive Advisory Council. She is an Executive Advisory Board member of the UW-Madison Material Science and Engineering Department.

Most recently, Marion presented with Jeannine Kunz, chief workforce development officer, SME, at the MoldMaking Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this past summer on the lack of readiness holding manufacturing back. Jeannie set the stage with manufacturing insight and data to paint an accurate big picture of what’s going on with the manufacturing workforce and Marion shared ideas for how to create a talent strategy.