AnnMarie Flynn recognized for advancing inclusive engineering education and workplace culture

AnnMarie Flynn, a keynote speaker and workforce performance consultant at Workforce ROI, was selected for the 2026 Influential Women recognition for New York. Her career spans engineering, higher education and business, with a focus on helping organizations strengthen culture and helping more women succeed in engineering.

Why it matters: - AnnMarie Flynn’s work sits at the intersection of engineering education, workforce development and leadership. - Her focus on inclusion and retention speaks to a broader talent problem for engineering and manufacturing employers. - Her recognition by Influential Women highlights a career built around expanding access and improving workplace culture.

What happened: - Influential Women selected Flynn for its 2026 recognition program representing New York in engineering and education. - Flynn works as a keynote speaker and workforce performance consultant with Workforce ROI. - She uses her background in engineering, higher education and business to advise organizations on engagement, leadership and talent retention.

The details: - Flynn began her academic career in 1991 and earned a PhD from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2000. - Her education also includes a Master of Engineering from Manhattan University, a Master of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate for HR from Cornell University. - She spent more than two decades in higher education as a professor, department chair and graduate program director. - During that time, Flynn developed academic programs, including one of the world’s first graduate programs in cosmetic engineering. - Her leadership helped increase female representation in engineering, sustain strong retention and graduation rates, and build partnerships between academia and industry. - Flynn also co-owned five Manhattan restaurants, adding hands-on experience in leadership, workforce development and organizational culture. - Her current work includes an article based on her research that outlines six phases of workplace mobbing and helps readers identify what they may have experienced. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile.

Between the lines: - Flynn’s message centers on practical leadership rather than prestige. - She says trust is built through honesty, transparency and loyalty, and that effective educators create environments where people feel respected and included. - Her advice to young women emphasizes curiosity, determination and perseverance over trying to be the smartest person in the room. - She frames an engineering degree as a flexible foundation for leadership roles beyond technical work.

What's next: - Flynn says she will continue helping engineers, students and organizations build cultures where talent is respected and people can succeed. - Her work is likely to keep centering on mentoring, inclusion and workforce performance as she continues to reinvent her career.

The bottom line: - Flynn’s career shows how engineering expertise, teaching and business experience can combine to improve both student outcomes and workplace culture.