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Since high school, Michelle Zemura knew her love of math and physics would guide her future towards a career in technology and innovation. She pursued a degree in mechanical engineering, envisioning herself on a Formula 1 race track working on car design and enjoying laps towards victory. But in her final university year, she worked on a project designing custom 3D-printed back braces for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. That experience changed her outlook on how a career in med tech could create positive life-changing impact for people in need.

That’s why Michelle joined ��«����Ƶ after gaining her master’s in mechanical engineering. She’s part of the Diabetes Care team as a senior systems engineer working with machine vision technology to improve the quality review of the products. This technology collects data from sensors, cameras, and other ��«����Ƶ devices to optimize product performance. This includes inspection of , an essential and innovative tool for people living with diabetes as it allows them to track glucose levels and A1c in real time with the world’s smallest, thinnest, and most accurate sensor.¹

Michelle’s work is purpose-driven, ensuring every product ��«����Ƶ delivers meets the highest standards of safety, reliability, and efficacy. But the work is also personal to her.

“When one of my relatives was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, they feared their whole lifestyle would have to change,” Michelle recalled. “FreeStyle Libre changed their attitude towards what they thought was possible in everyday life. That experience deepened my appreciation for the impact we have.”

Raising the Standard of Diabetes Care

At ��«����Ƶ’s Witney, UK, production facility, Michelle plays a key role in improving the operations and production processes behind FreeStyle Libre and other diabetes technologies. One of her primary challenges involves addressing process variation, a common issue in large-scale production where the consistency of materials and processes can change over time.

“At the research phase, everything looks consistent,” she explained. “But once we move into production, variations appear, and it’s my job to identify and address them to maintain product quality.”

To optimize yield, runtime, and quality assurance across production machines, Michelle embraces a collaborative problem-solving approach. She works closely with R&D, quality control, and production teams to ensure every device meets rigorous safety and performance standards.

Whether it’s the product, process, or ways of working together, sustainably bringing products to market at a large scale requires constant innovation in all aspects. Guiding these collaborative efforts is Chris Bass, operations director of diabetes care at ��«����Ƶ’s Witney, UK, plant, who provides important oversight around the product planning and development process. For Chris, championing customer-focused innovation helps ensure that teams can adapt rapidly and maintain the highest standards of quality and efficiency.

“It’s remarkable to see how our scientists, statisticians, and engineers continue to push boundaries in developing tools and processes that keep us ahead of the curve,” Chris said. “Bringing products like FreeStyle Libre 3 to market exemplifies the collaboration needed across all our STEM disciplines to deliver groundbreaking solutions efficiently and effectively to customers who rely on them. By staying future-forward, we’re not just meeting today’s needs but also anticipating the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.”

“Problem solving is the primary engineering skill you learn from school,” Michelle added. “Especially today, whether it’s troubleshooting a machine, writing code, or managing people, the key is always approaching issues systematically and strategically.”

From her academics to her work at ��«����Ƶ, Michelle has continued to broaden her expertise through the real-world experiences and challenges she faces in her role. She’s driven by the guiding principle that everything she does each day has to contribute impactfully to the end product.

For FreeStyle Libre, this means prioritizing rigorous product testing and review. Her attention to detail and proactive approach to quality assurance on the production line plays a critical role in meeting the needs and maintaining the trust and confidence of customers worldwide.

“I’m not just thinking about ticking off a box to say I've done my job,” she maintained. “I always think first about the impact to our customers, or my loved ones that depend on these products and need them to be fantastic coming out the door.”

Leading a New Era of Impact for Diabetes Technology

As the possibilities of diabetes technology continue to evolve, Michelle sees advancements in machine vision and sensor technology leading the way, enhancing both accuracy and accessibility. Improvements in camera resolution will be critical, she noted, as it can potentially enable smaller sensors.

“Smaller sensors mean less interference with everyday life,” she noted. “What’s exciting is no matter how small the sensors our R&D team develops, we can inspect and confirm their quality through today’s technological innovations in machine vision.”

Smaller sensors could lead to decreased manufacturing costs, less waste, and improvements in patient usability – all of which contribute to making devices like FreeStyle Libre even more impactful.

But driving innovation forward is a team-based effort. For Michelle, a major career steppingstone has been growing from an individual contributor to a people manager to help foster an environment where both the business and the people behind it can thrive.

Through training programs at ��«����Ƶ like Leading with Impact and 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team, Michelle says she’s been able to improve her leadership skills and management style. She now leads a growing team of machine vision engineers and aspires to broaden her leadership footprint across ��«����Ƶ to build and nurture new talent.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all,” she reflected. “Each scenario and individual require a different approach, and having the tools to adapt has been vital.”

“To design and develop the best solutions for our customers, we need to develop the best engineers,” Chris added. “We help them carve out a career path that plays to their strengths and takes them on a journey of discovery, including both technical and personal development. An engineering role at ��«����Ƶ always means an opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation.”

Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers

Michelle’s journey offers valuable lessons for engineers considering careers in healthcare. She credits her colleagues for inspiring her to continually push the boundaries of what is possible in diabetes care and for supporting her growth as both an engineer and a leader. “They’ve been cheerleaders and allies, always building my confidence and ensuring my expertise is recognized on the right platforms,” she said.��

For those ready to make a difference, Michelle’s advice is simple: “Your development is your own,” she advised. “But knowing that the work we do improves lives – that’s what makes it all worth it.”