Beets, Basketball and Mid-Bore Engines
Every harvest, RaNae Isaak packs her bags in Columbus, Indiana, to head for American Falls, Idaho. Having grown up helping on her family’s sugar beet, potato and wheat farm in her spare time, even now as an adult, RaNae returns home every year to support her family with many activities on the farm.
With thousands of acres of land to harvest, RaNae’s father would give her five-minute lessons and leave her to learn by doing. It was on the farm that RaNae started to get the itch for problem-solving, a skill that would transcend her career and passion for leading — and coaching — others.
“A lot of times that’s kind of how I approach my work today. It’s identifying the problems, solutioning, trying — sometimes failing — and repeating by learning from those mistakes,” RaNae explains.
Combining her problem-solving abilities with her deep understanding of farming and the machinery required by farmers to feed the masses, RaNae pursued a career in engineering.
During that time, the number of females in a graduating class in engineering was fewer than ten. Everyone knew every female because there just weren’t many of them.
Being one of the few women in her engineering program didn’t stop RaNae, though, from pursuing her dreams — and being a female in engineering wasn’t something that bothered her either. RaNae believes that the engineering challenge ahead didn’t care what gender was behind it, only if the job was well done.
She was interviewed for five different positions for Cummins and had to select where she might feel best suited. When some of the members of the interview group offered to give a tour of the Cummins Technical Center after work, she felt like this was the place. Many companies would fly you in for your interview, give you the standard tour and overview of the company, and then fly you back home. You felt like a number at other companies, but Cummins made the impression to RaNae like she really mattered.
The fun truly begins for RaNae when science and data connect to reality. When technologies can help with the job and the environment, simplifying the solutions as best as possible and continuing to make Cummins products easy to use, RaNae can’t contain her excitement.
Growing up in agriculture, there were many instances of a real connection between science and data that intrigued RaNae. One of them was just how things worked — from the mechanical side — but the other was seeing how what you sow is what you reap. Her work ethic and understanding how different engineering solutions can help the agriculture industry made Cummins an easy pick and an investment worth pursuing.
For nearly 20 years, RaNae has worked for Cummins, overseeing engine production processes, from development to engineering to go-to-market strategies. Today, RaNae leads the X10 engine program at Cummins, a product that will replace the L9 and X12 in various applications from 2027 and beyond. The X10 engine is one of a few, key products that are supporting customers through the transportation industry’s current energy transition with innovative aftertreatment system advancements.
The shift towards reduced emissions and greener fuel types with a wide array of lower-emissions solutions is all a part of Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy. RaNae says that each evolution of engine created is another step towards achieving products that accelerate Cummins and its customers closer to their decarbonization goals.
As part of the Cummins HELM™ platform, the X10 will continue to serve customers with the same durability and reliability Cummins has always provided. RaNae knows that, as part of this launch, understanding and listening to customers' goals and needs is key.
"If we lose touch with what our customers see in our products, it actually takes us further away from what they really need. Adopting these technologies makes Destination Zero achievable." It’s why employees like RaNae make all the difference with their personal understanding of customers’ experiences, livelihoods, and with that, the challenges they are facing every day.
It’s this same diversity of background, customer exposure and understanding that makes technological advancements in engine production possible, RaNae explains. Diverse teams that come together ultimately build a better product.
“Every person on my team is from somewhere different. Everyone has different backgrounds, different perspectives, different skill sets and values to offer to the team,” RaNae shares. “We have to make sure we utilize these.”
With over 650 parts required to build one engine — perhaps more — RaNae believes teamwork is essential to the success of a product.
“I feel like I’m the point guard in a lot of ways in my [X10 engine] program, but it doesn’t mean that I need to have the ball in my hands at all times,” RaNae explains. “It’s important that I lead, but I also recognize the need for delegation as my teammates may be better suited for a decision than I might be.”
And it’s this same philosophy that RaNae brings to her role in the community as a women’s basketball coach.
Basketball is deeply rooted in RaNae’s family. Her father, brother, husband and stepdaughters all play. RaNae also played basketball in high school, where her team won a state championship. RaNae credits their success to teamwork. While she shares that her team wasn’t the most talented that she had played on, they complemented each other. “You can beat talent, but you can’t beat heart” was inscribed on the back of their team shirts.
When RaNae moved to Columbus to begin working at Cummins, she knew she wanted to be a coach, giving her the opportunity to be a role model for kids in the community. Coaching is RaNae’s way of giving back to her community. It’s also her way of empowering the young women around her to pursue their goals and dreams.
“My biggest piece of advice for young women is that you pursue your dreams, and it doesn’t matter what they are. If you love what you do, it’s not going to be a job,” she says. “It’s going to be fun and you’re going to be really good at it.”
Throughout her career, RaNae has learned more and more about leading and coaching. She strives to be a good listener, to make decisions and to form strong relationships with the people she works with. It’s not only what she feels is the key characteristics of being a strong leader and coach, but what ultimately makes the difference in her career every day.
“Any leader can make decisions, but to make difficult ones, leaders need to study the facts, ask questions, think creatively and utilize your team’s strengths,” RaNae shares. “There will be consequences for every decision, but the journey is where I continue to grow.”
Whether RaNae is leading on the plant floor, on the court or behind the wheel of a tractor, she strongly believes in investing in the future, a belief that she feels combines all three of her passions.
“Really, it’s about the future — it’s not about today or the past,” RaNae explains. "It’s about what we can do for the future."
Discover more about the X10 engine.
