Becky Liedel

Rebecca Liedel

Vice President of Commercial Planning & Business Development

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Briefly describe your role:

A: As the VP of Commercial Planning & Business Development, I am a strategic commercial leader responsible for shaping the company’s growth agenda, driving profitable revenue expansion, and aligning global sales and commercial operations teams to deliver on business objectives. This role oversees commercial strategy development & execution, pipeline management and customer engagement frameworks to enhance competitiveness and accelerate growth. Leading business development initiatives, identifying and evaluating new market opportunities, strengthens strategic customer relationships, and ensures rigorous execution of go‑to‑market plans. Additionally, the role partners closely with finance, operations, and product engineering to ensure accurate forecasting, disciplined portfolio management, seamless program launches, and long‑term value creation.

Q: Is what you’re doing now what you always pictured you would do?

A: No! Early on, I planned on going into hospitality management. I had the opportunity to work for a local golf course management company during high school. When I went to college, I had already had the opportunity to work in various roles during my time with them and decided that could be a good path. However, later I realized I enjoyed having my nights and weekends to spend with family and friends. And during the slow season my good friend who had just hired on at a local manufacturing company in HR reached out to me and asked if I'd be interested in a temporary position with their sales team. And that was the beginning of my 25+ year career in manufacturing. I was fortunate to rotate into several full-time roles within that organization during my time there - sales, operations, purchasing etc. while continuing to go to college full time. That allowed me to develop a solid foundation, one which has served me well throughout my career.

Q: What do you see as the greatest challenges for women in your chosen industry? What are the greatest opportunities?

A: 

Challenges:

• Underrepresentation at the Leadership Table — Manufacturing is one of the least gender-diverse sectors, and the higher you go, the fewer women you find.
• The Communication Double Standard — Women leaders constantly walk a tightrope: assertive enough to drive results, but not so assertive they're labeled difficult. That standard doesn't apply to their male counterparts.
• Driving Accountability Across Predominantly Male Stakeholders — Commercial leadership requires cross-functional alignment, but women often face resistance and defensiveness from long-tenured operational leaders — and carry extra emotional labor to manage it.

Opportunites:

• Leading the Industry's Transformation — Digitalization, electrification, and global supply chain shifts are reshaping manufacturing, and women are well-positioned to lead that change.
• Championing the Customer — Women's strengths in collaboration and customer-centricity align directly with where the industry is heading — toward customer-first cultures and voice-of-customer strategies.
• Shaping Integrated Commercial + Operations Strategy — As the lines between commercial and operational leadership blur, women who can bridge both worlds have a real competitive advantage.

Q: Who has inspired you in your life/career?

A: I have been very fortunate to come from a very hardworking family. Both of my parents were inspirational in life and in my career. Neither of them had much growing up and came from relatively unstable backgrounds. They always aspired to provide stability and opportunities for their children that they never had. That aspiration fueled them to work hard, ultimately leaning into their entrepreneurial sprits and building a successful real estate and property management business. I respected that. I respect that more now as a parent and appreciate their commitment to us and our family.

I’ve also been fortunate to work with and learn from some truly incredible people. Many of them were first or second‑generation family business owners who were deeply committed to growing what their families built and creating long‑term generational opportunity for the next generation. My husband is an example of someone who exemplifies this. He has built a successful mechanical contracting company and continues to innovate and evolve that business. It's been really fun watching that and he inspires me to think differently and solve tough problems.

And recently, going through an acquisition and divestiture with One Equity Partners has really opened up my world. It gave me the chance to broaden my network and work alongside some exceptional talent. Having that level of exposure and learning has been incredibly inspiring. I’m excited about the transformation underway - evolving legacy organizations into the single, agile, customer‑centric enterprise that is AMFT.

Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring professional?

A: Treat everyone with respect - from the janitor to the CEO. Emotional intelligence and the respectful treatment of others, regardless of their role will serve you well in your career but also life.

Communicate. Learn how to communicate effectively. This includes listening! Listen to others is critical.

Focus on the things that YOU can control and influence. Spending time and energy elsewhere is a waste.

Be open. Open to new roles. Open to learning new things. Adapting to changes and trying to learn from them.