Behind some of the most sophisticated and innovative medical devices engineered today, Michelle Pedrosa’s path to Abbott’s structural heart business came unexpectedly. While she always had a passion for math and science, she didn’t see herself leading the production of life-changing biological heart devices until later in her career.

“I was an engineer working at a food company” she recalled. “I didn’t know about Abbott at that time. I didn’t have a background in healthcare, but when the recruiters reached out to me, I saw a lot of potential in a career working on products that improve people’s quality of life.”

After the interviewing, Michelle received an offer for a role as a quality engineer.  Michelle saw a professional opportunity to align her work with her personal values. “The company’s mission resonated with me deeply,” she explained. “I loved the idea of contributing to something bigger – to health, to people’s lives, directly or indirectly.”

Today, Michelle is the engineering manager for structural heart devices at Abbott’s production facility in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She leads a multifunctional team of production, mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineers to support three critical pillars for device manufacturing. This includes:

• Equipment qualification to confirm the production equipment is installed and maintained to the highest standards.
• Production support and improvement to optimize daily operations for assemblers who make the devices and optimize production efficiency and effectiveness.
• Technology transferring to scale and adapt new technologies developed by the US team to the Brazil facility.

“It’s all part of the art,” emphasized Michelle. “The devices are handmade by our assemblers; we work with the natural raw materials and standardize the production to reduce variability. Everything we do in Belo is tied to the principle of perfection, and it’s amazing to see how our team continues to discover new ways for process improvement.”

The Art of Delivering Quality at Scale

To enhance the volume and quality of the products, Michelle and her team manage a manual valve sewing process that depends heavily on both the skill of assemblers and the variability of natural materials. And unlike automated production, where machines drive consistency, Michelle’s team is the backbone of driving standardization and innovation.

“It’s really interesting because the devices are highly technological, but they’re made by hand,” Michelle said. “As engineers, we work to make the assembler’s day-to-day tasks easier so they can perform consistently and confidently. Whether that’s creating tools or technology, it’s all about helping them achieve the best results.”

The success of Michelle’s team is achieved in collaboration across different functions. Her work is deeply integrated with support from quality assurance and supply chain management. These partnerships help in every step, from the handling of raw materials to the introduction of new technologies, is seamlessly executed.

“For example, supply chain provides us with the tissue, and our job is to harvest, handle, and transport the raw materials properly,” Michelle explained. “We work closely with IT, R&D, cybersecurity, and procurement to bring in new products or adapt existing technologies to our processes here.”

Ultimately, the strength of her team’s expertise is what enables them to continue improving. And Michelle gives the engineers she leads the support they need personally and professionally to grow in their roles.

Mastering the Core Competencies of Engineering Life-Changing Devices

As an engineer, Michelle is a highly skilled scientist and problem-solver. But in growing as a leader, she's understood that to inspire innovation, prioritizing people and communication is as important as any other technical skill.

“In engineering, we need both hard and soft skills,” she emphasized. “We need to be a translator for the complex methods and processes we lead to show others why our approach is viable. And to find our voice, it’s critical to connect with people, hear how they solve problems, and help find solutions together.”

This interpersonal approach is what Michelle credits much of her growth to. Through the lessons learned from mentors within Abbott, she’s been able to enhance her knowledge. “When I was promoted, I had leaders who took the time to answer my questions and guide me. That kind of mentorship is invaluable – it helps you see things from different perspectives and pushes you to grow,” she said. “People need to feel valued and happy in what they’re doing, and when they do, they’ll bring their best every day. That’s how we achieve great things in Belo, through our culture focused on people first.”

Michelle’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2024, she received the "Female Team Leadership" award at Abbott’s inaugural Compliance & Leadership Awards in Brazil. Her selection was based on responses from employees in the annual Your Voice Counts survey that asks questions about their overall satisfaction.

Reflecting on the recognition, Michelle sees it as a testament to the power of both mentorship and self-development – lessons she often shares with her team and engineers entering the field. “Leaders are here to help you and boost your growth. But the work is ultimately done by yourself,” she said. “You need to assure that the development path you lead is always future-forward.”

Pioneering a New Path for Impact at Abbott

Looking ahead, Michelle is passionate about continuing to elevate Brazil’s role in Abbott’s global operations. She continues to build on the Belo Horizonte facility’s partnerships across Abbott through her team’s extensive knowledge of structural heart devices.

“Our goal is to show that Brazil has incredible talent and capabilities. We are always thinking about new ways to show how products can be manufactured effectively with the highest quality standards,” she said. “We want to export not only our products but also our knowledge to other facilities worldwide. That’s what motivates me – to leave a mark, not just here but on a broader scale.”

While a “huge responsibility,” Michelle considers her team’s work to be “beautiful,” considering the impact they have on people. “On the tough days, I always think, ‘This is for the people who need our products.’ That thought is our guide, and it shows us the right path to take,” she concluded. “Everything we do is so that we can deliver something that helps improve lives.”

Working in structural heart offers engineers an opportunity to work on life-changing solutions that directly impact people around the world. For engineers interested in learning more about opportunities in Abbott’s structural heart business, please visit www.jobs.abbott