December 2, 2020

PLP proudly congratulates Megan O'Brien, an Applications Engineer at PLP, for being named the Fiber Broadband Association's Woman in Fiber Spotlight for November. The Woman in Fiber Spotlight is a special initiative from the FBA to highlight and recognize the different roles and careers for women in fiber, telecom, tech, and construction.

Megan joined PLP in 2017 on a part-time basis as a Marketing Samples Assistant while completing her bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from The University of Akron. After receiving her degree in 2018, Megan joined PLP full-time as a Product Support Assistant. In this role, she was responsible for creating product samples used for promotional and training purposes by PLP's global communications market team. In 2019, Megan was promoted to her current role as an Applications Engineer. In this position, Megan uses customer input and sales data to design and redesign new and existing products. She is also responsible for providing technical support, installation overviews, and in-field training sessions for PLP's diverse customer base. Additionally, Megan has taken on the recent role of being featured in and helping to produce PLP's new Fiber Tips and Tricks video series. This informational video series is intended to help fiber optic technicians, engineers, and other communications industry personnel expand their knowledge about the products, systems, techniques, and science behind today's fiber networks.

"It can be a daunting task to enter a room with 25-50 fiber splicers (many of them with decades worth of experience) to present the application of a product or discuss the various features and benefits. But I have seen first hand that Megan can hold her own with even the most tenured splicer. She has the patience, technical expertise, and personality to handle any situation that arises," said Matt Becker, PLP's Market Manager, U.S. Communications.

Congratulations to Megan for this well-deserved recognition!

 

To read the feature story from the Fiber Broadband Association, please click here. 


Q & A with Megan
(From the Fiber Broadband Association)

Megan OBrien

What have you accomplished at Preformed Line Products that you are proud of?

I am most proud of being able to conduct in-person or virtual hands-on product training. I walk through from start to finish how to put the fiber optic cases together with network technicians, contractors, and managers. With the deployment of 5G networks, it’s critical to make sure that the splice points will be secured for many years. I also work on new product development making sure that the final product can be assembled with ease by a network technician or fiber splicer in the field. I’ve recently received my certification in OSP design through the FBA, which will allow me to further understand today's and future network design and growth.

What is the career path that has led you to this moment?

From an early age, I was always taking things apart and trying to put them back together. Most of the time when they went back together, they did not work. I decided that I should probably learn how to get them to work, so I pursued a career in engineering. While I was finishing my bachelor’s degree, I was working at a local pizza shop, I got a call from PLP and the rest is history. I went from making pizzas to building splice cases to being able to design an OSP fiber network, almost 4 years later I cannot imagine being a member of another industry. Work alongside PLP’s field sales managers and manufacturer representatives have added real-world experience that can help me resolve many issues the industry is experiencing today.

What are some key ways that you give back to your community?

I am a firm believer in encouraging young women to pursue a career path in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field. I have volunteered at my high school talking to young women on why it is important to follow your passions no matter where they take you.

How do you feel your work helps to demonstrate or advance different roles for women in the fiber and tech space?

Hopefully being successful in my role will help a male-dominated industry realize that women can hold their own and make a difference. Also to show young women that engineering and hands-on jobs are something that everyone can succeed at. PLP has given me the opportunity to explore different roles within the organization to best serve the fiber industry.

How do you support others in your daily work?

My experience has helped me become a resource for most departments at PLP, from answering technical questions to training new hires. Every day I’m working alongside either an engineer or field sales manager on a new product or resolving an issue, I know that what I am doing will benefit somebody. Whether it would be making sure a network technician/fiber splicer installing our product has everything to complete the job in the box or making sure that product arrives to repair storm damage in a small city.


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