Kennametal’s Dianmei Xu Named STEP Ahead Award Winner; Recognized for Leadership in Manufacturing

Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) announced today that Dianmei Xu, Senior Engineer Manufacturing Applications, will be honored at the 10th annual Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Awards on April 28 in Washington, D.C. Presented by The Manufacturing Institute, the awards celebrate women making an impact in Science, Technology, Engineering and Production careers who have made outstanding achievements in their companies and communities.

Xu is among 100 honorees from 97 companies of all sizes and many sectors to receive this honor and joins a group of 13 other Kennametal women who received the award in prior years.

“We congratulate Dianmei for receiving this prestigious award,” said Kennametal President and CEO Christopher Rossi. “She embodies our values – with a passion for continuous improvement and serving customers – and sets an example for all leaders to follow. Dianmei is an inspiration to her colleagues and her community.”

Dianmei has been instrumental to the success of numerous initiatives at Kennametal’s Tianjin, China facility, including continuous improvement projects with significant global contributions. Through her work, she has helped the company achieve several significant Simplification/Modernization milestones.

She also actively contributes to the growth of other women in manufacturing by mentoring colleagues and sharing her experience and knowledge with new technicians and engineers. She was also recognized in the community for her philanthropic activities, including participation in the Tianjin Volunteer Tree Planting initiative, her hometown Farmer’s Recreation Project and organizing events to support those with leukemia.

“The 2022 STEP Ahead Honorees and Emerging Leader awardees are excellent representatives of the exciting opportunities available in manufacturing,” said Denise Rutherford, 2022 STEP Ahead chair. “These remarkable women and the leadership they show help inspire next generation of female leaders to consider careers in manufacturing.”

This content was first published on the Kennametal website.