Globalization is the new world order. We hear it as Americans all the time: to compete professionally, one must have proficient knowledge of overseas culture. But what does this mean for the practicing engineer? How are engineers adapting their careers to fit this new mold of operating in multi-continent corporations?

Peter Tortorici (BSMSE ’90, MSMSE ’93, PhD ’97) is today’s quintessential globe-trotting engineer. As a manager of advanced packaging development for Medtronic-a leading manufacturer of implantable devices-Tortorici takes frequent trips abroad. “As I’m writing this e-mail, I’m in Switzerland at a device facility working on a manufacturing issue,” he explains.

Tortorici attributes technology such as e-mail and worldwide cellular service as agents of change in a shrinking world. “When I lived overseas 11 years ago, I made a weekly call home to my parents from a local telephone booth in a small village,” he recalls. “Hardly anyone then had a laptop. Even six years ago, the only Internet access was dialup in hotels.”

For Tortorici, a one-week business trip meant sorting through 300 to 500 e-mails when he returned home. “Today, I have a five-band phone that works anywhere in the world. With my laptop, wifi access, and my phone, I can do business throughout the world without missing a beat,” he says. Over the past five years, his work has taken him primarily to Stuttgart, Germany, and Tokyo, Japan, where his two main suppliers are located. However, some additional support trips for other Medtronic divisions have resulted in business trips to the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, France, China, Taiwan, and Korea.

Because his suppliers span the globe, Tortorici cites one of his biggest challenges as maintaining face-to-face communication and getting to know his business associates on a personal level. “One can easily conduct business by telephone, but there is the personal aspect of the relationship that is missing. Over time, mutual trust and credibility need to be developed,” he says.

He goes on to explain: “Face-to-face interaction is extremely important because it communicates the importance of the business relationship between my company and our suppliers. With all of the advanced technologies such as video, Web conferences and teleconferences, sometimes people lose perspective on the need for personal meetings.”

However, it is this same advanced technology that Tortorici attributes to helping him overcome some of the other challenges his traveling elicits. He estimates that over the past few years he has spent about two and a half to three months of each year away from home. “My main hobby is my family. It can be taxing at times to spend so much time away from them,” he says.

He and his wife of 10 years met at Purdue and were married a week after his graduation. They have four children: Whitney (21), Ashley (19), Olivia (8), and Nolan (4). “Having the Internet all over the world and global cellular service makes it seem like I’m not gone too much from home. With today’s technology my family can reach me any time of day.”

Asked if he has advice for engineering students preparing for a career in the modern, global market, he has this to say: “Look into a study abroad or work assignment overseas. It helps make you more marketable and broadens your perspective. But, more importantly, learn continuously. Always assess your talents and skills and learn new ones as your careers evolve.”

- Kristen Senior