Title: OEM Systems Product and Solutions Manager
Company: Bode North America Inc.
Location: Greenville, South Carolina, United States
Tara Michelle Sanzone, OEM Systems Product and Solutions Manager at Bode North America Inc., has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in the Transportation Industry.
Ms. Sanzone’s career reflects a remarkable trajectory across the automotive and railway sectors, marked by her expertise in mechanical design, product development and cross-functional team leadership. She has distinguished herself through a relentless drive for continuous improvement and an unwavering ambition to achieve more, even when in comfortable situations. This commitment has fueled Ms. Sanzone’s sustained success and progress throughout her professional journey.
In her current role at Bode North America Inc., which she has held since 2024, Ms. Sanzone leads the technical and commercial development of safety-critical transportation products for major rail manufacturers and transit agencies across North America. Her responsibilities include tailoring products to meet customer requirements for train designs, collaborating with engineering teams to create cost-effective proposals, serving as the single point of contact throughout project development and coordinating the initiation of production in the U.S. Ms. Sanzone’s hands-on approach ensures that each project is developed correctly from proposal through all design stages.
Alongside her primary position, Ms. Sanzone owns a Mexican food cart catering business employing three staff members. This entrepreneurial venture has allowed her to develop skills in team management, business operations and strategic planning, complementing her engineering background.
Before joining Bode North America Inc., Ms. Sanzone spent two years at Michelin North America Inc., initially as a project manager for Energy Guard Aerodynamic Solutions from 2022 to 2024. In this capacity, she contributed to the development of aerodynamic components that enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions for trucks and trailers. Ms. Sanzone then advanced to turnkey solutions leader in 2024, overseeing machine modifications at one of the largest tire plants in North America and managing multidisciplinary engineering activities.
Before Michelin, Ms. Sanzone served as an electrical product development engineer at Daimler Truck North America LLC in Gaffney, South Carolina, in 2022. There, she focused on Freightliner custom chassis, conducting safety audits for school buses and recreational vehicles while ensuring compliance with United States safety standards.
From 2017 to 2022, Ms. Sanzone built a significant foundation at Ford Motor Company in Mexico. She began as a CAD design and release engineer and powertrain program developer specializing in quality and cost reduction in 2017. She then progressed to design and release engineer and new model on-site launch coordinator in 2019, frequently traveling between Mexico and the U.S. to facilitate program launches and ensure seamless transitions from engineering to production. In 2022, Ms. Sanzone was appointed project management officer, overseeing multiple commodities. During her tenure at Ford Motor Company, she served as the innovation single point of contact for several years, promoting patent submissions within the engineering environment and leading initiatives that resulted in substantial cost savings for the company.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Sanzone worked as a project designer and developer at Grupo ASPRO in Mexico in 2017, where she gained early experience designing industrial automation solutions. She began her career in education, teaching English at Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico City from 2014 to 2017.
Ms. Sanzone’s academic foundation includes a bachelor’s degree in industrial robotics engineering, with honors, from Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico City, earned in 2017. Her education provided a robust technical grounding that has supported her success across diverse roles in product development and manufacturing. Additionally, Ms. Sanzone has pursued extensive professional certifications that have further strengthened her expertise. These include Siemens NX certifications covering part design, complex modeling, drafting, sheet metal and electrical, global tier level II driver certification from Ford Motor Company, Lean Six Sigma green belt certification level II from Ford Motor Company, Siemens TeamCenter and VisMockup certifications for part visualization and clearance studies, and, among others, Catia V5 certifications from Dassault Systèmes. Collectively, these qualifications have enabled Ms. Sanzone to excel in digital manufacturing processes, systems engineering and project management.
Beyond her technical pursuits, Ms. Sanzone is committed to civic engagement and advancing diversity within engineering fields. She has organized Women of Color events in Michigan and volunteered with Career Path for Women in Engineering programs at various colleges and universities throughout Mexico.
Ms. Sanzone has achieved notable milestones that underscore her technical acumen and innovative mindset. She is credited with five patents granted internationally, including patents for air filter assembly, a quick connector for conduits and a quick connector for a hose system. Contributions to high-profile projects, such as the Maverick launch and the Bronco Sport launch at the Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant and the F-150 launch at Dearborn Truck Plant & Kansas City Assembly Plant further distinguish Ms. Sanzone’s professional journey.
Recognized through several awards, such as First Place in the product development category at the Ingenious Minds Summit hosted by Ford Motor Company Mexico in 2019, Ms. Sanzone was also named the Powertrain Integration Innovation Leader at Ford Motor Company in both 2019 and 2020. She attributes much of her success to the sacrifices made by her parents, who encouraged excellence despite adversity by ensuring access to quality education even under challenging circumstances. This resilience shaped Ms. Sanzone’s approach to overcoming obstacles by viewing them as opportunities rather than burdens.
Ms. Sanzone continues to seek growth opportunities both within corporate environments and through entrepreneurial ventures while emphasizing empowerment of those around her so that others may excel alongside or beyond her own accomplishments. For those aspiring to enter similar fields, especially women, she advises embracing curiosity by asking questions without hesitation or fear of appearing uninformed since engagement fosters learning and growth.
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