Maureen Reitman

Exponent combines the best of academia, industry, and the startup space because we merge rigorous understanding with creative, innovative approaches to practical problems.

Investing in You

I joined Exponent mid-career as a manager and found endless opportunities. As one of a few people with expertise in polymer science, I collaborated with my colleagues and capitalized on the opportunity to expand our services.

Together, we created the Polymer Science & Materials Chemistry practice, significantly expanding our capabilities and services.

I attribute my success to strong mentors who helped me learn how to transition from an individual contributor to a more effective team leader. 

Exponent is one of the world's greatest incubators because we are an assembly of amazing people with different perspectives, solving problems that often haven't been clearly defined.

As both a principal engineer in Polymer Science & Materials Chemistry and vice president of the group that also includes Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, I have the privilege of creating opportunities for others.

As a scientist, I help answer complex questions related to science and technology while mentoring colleagues to help develop their careers. As a group vice president, I partner with our leadership team to create a successful business, which includes investing in our people, technologies, and physical resources.

Building Trust

At Exponent, we build trust by thoroughly understanding our clients' problems. This involves excellent communication to accurately define their challenges and why they matter.

As you start to ask questions, you learn a lot more about your client — what's important to them, how they see their organizations, and how their organizations are trying to engage with or benefit society.

I know that I'm building trust when I get a call from a client and they tell me, "I don't know what question I should be asking to solve this problem, but I know you can help me."

Advancing Science and Our Communities 

From helping to bring new implantable polymers to market to analyzing the performance of the adhesives in basketball backboards, I have worked on an unlimited variety of projects while advancing science and our community.

At Exponent, we impact science through publication, which contributes to the foundation for future decisions, and through active involvement in standards committees, which helps bring safer products to market. I currently serve on the Underwriter Laboratories (UL) STP 746 committee on polymeric materials, helping to develop and maintain safety standards for products that rely on plastics.

I am proud that we were able to help maintain critical research capabilities at the National Institutes of Health campus at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, where cutting-edge, life-saving research takes place.

While our projects help bring the next generation of products to market in fields such as healthcare, we also support the development of the next generation of scientists and engineers. We have a great culture of outreach in the educational space, not only at the collegiate peer-to-peer level, but also in K-12, where we have a lot of fun bringing STEM demonstrations to diverse communities and inspiring the imagination of our youngest learners.

Culture of Inclusivity

I mentor and support women in engineering through programs like Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT) to enhance diversity in our profession. I'm often invited to share stories about my experience, too, for example at the 2021 Women Empowered in STEM (weSTEM) conference.

Diversity is fundamental to who we are as a consulting firm. Because we have diverse perspectives, we can give our clients the support, answers, and insights they might not otherwise get.

Exponent's collaborative culture creates inclusivity by welcoming multiple perspectives. I love the multidisciplinary nature of what we do. In addition to collaborating with colleagues within my discipline, I frequently collaborate with colleagues outside my discipline in profoundly different areas of expertise. So, I'm continually growing, learning, and challenged. It's one of the things that makes working at Exponent so rewarding.