Rumsey Encourages OEMs’ Patience Through the ‘Messy Middle’

The zero-emission transition includes optimized diesel technology, alternative fuels and battery electricity.

by Lori Ditoro

Right before Cummins CEO and President Jennifer Rumsey presented the keynote during the Green Truck Summit in March 2023, I was excited to have a few minutes to talk with her. Interestingly, when we talked, it was also Women in Construction Week and Women’s History Month.

We discussed her whirlwind seven months being president and CEO of Cummins, how Rumsey champions women in the industry, and previewed her keynote talking points.

In her keynote, she called this period of transition we are in the “messy middle” of the journey to zero emissions. Learn more from this Q&A interview with Rumsey.

I was incredibly honored to become just Cummins’ seventh CEO in our over 100-year history, and it’s been quite a whirlwind, I would say, the last seven months. For me, the most exciting part has been that my career has really been focused around three things: purpose, people and impact and shaped by [the question] “How do I use my skills and experiences towards something that really matters that has real purpose,” and doing that through leading people and thinking about the role that people play to have impact. It’s what drew me to Cummins to start with, after starting my career working for a fuel cell technology company because I love our industry and the impact that our customers have on the world around us.

So, as I became CEO, it was just an incredible opportunity to be out with our customers, with our employees talking about destination zero, which is Cummins’ strategy to decarbonize our industry and our business, and to hear from them, what they’re excited about, what concerns they have, and really have the conversation that helps us get more clear-headed on where we need to go. And that was just, you know, really exciting for me to do.

Do you have any advice that you would give to other women who want to work in one of these technical fields?

Well, there’s tremendous opportunities.

One of my focuses as a CEO, as I think about people, is the role our employees play in tackling some of the tough challenges and the innovation needs that we have. I have a strong view that we need to attract a diverse workforce and create an environment where everybody can contribute and reach their full potential.

Women don’t always see all the opportunities that are available to them, because you don’t always see other women in some of those roles, especially in a construction industry or technical industry. There’s not always those role models. So, seeking role models, really understanding what motivates you and gets you excited, and not being afraid to try new and different things that you may not see others, doing, finding mentors. For me, the most influential people in my life were my mother and then two male mentors, John Wall, former chief technical officer for Cummins, and Tom Linebarger, the CEO before me.