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Daniel Gledhill is a seasoned manufacturing and engineering leader whose career bridges high-risk industrial operations and precision-driven medical device manufacturing. Daniel leads engineering teams responsible for multiple production areas supporting transcatheter heart valve delivery systems—products where quality, reliability, and patient safety are absolutely critical.

Daniel’s journey to medical devices began in heavy industry, where he worked as a process, chemical, and metallurgical engineer at Rio Tinto, including leadership roles at copper smelters overseeing sulfuric acid plants, powerhouses, and byproduct operations. These early roles shaped his systems-level thinking, comfort with complex processes, and respect for disciplined operations—skills that would later translate powerfully into regulated medical manufacturing environments.

Over nearly ten years at Edwards Lifesciences, Daniel has progressed from manufacturing management into senior engineering leadership, guiding teams through scale-up, process improvement, cross-functional collaboration, and organizational change. His work sits at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, quality, and leadership—where decisions directly impact both operational performance and patient outcomes.

Daniel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah, along with an MBA from the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. This combination of technical and business education informs his balanced approach to leadership—one that values data, people, and long-term system health over short-term wins.

In this conversation, we explore what it really means to lead engineering teams in medical device manufacturing, how leadership expectations evolve as engineers move into management, and what lessons from heavy industry can sharpen execution in highly regulated, patient-critical environments.

LINKS:

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-gledhill-a6155237/

Guest website: https://www.edwards.com/

Aaron Moncur, host

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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After more than 300 episodes of conversations with engineers, founders, and technical leaders, certain patterns start to emerge.

In this special retrospective episode of Being An Engineer, Aaron Moncur and Brad Hirayama flip the mic around to distill the biggest lessons learned from six years of interviews. Instead of focusing on any single quote or guest, they zoom out and identify the recurring themes that consistently show up in the careers of high-performing engineers.

Surprisingly, none of the top takeaways are about mastering CAD tools or memorizing GD&T standards.

They explore why understanding the business—not just the engineering—can dramatically accelerate your career. They unpack why soft skills and communication are non-negotiable if you want to move beyond being “just” a technical contributor. They discuss the transformational impact of mentors and coaches, and how simple habits like lunch conversations and honest feedback can change your trajectory.

Aaron and Brad also dive into what it really means to “do more than you’re paid for”—not by working longer hours, but by focusing on high-impact contributions that move the business forward. And they explain why establishing repeatable processes, checklists, and systems is one of the most overlooked drivers of engineering success.

Finally, they introduce a new three-part mini-series on accelerating the speed of engineering, previewing practical tactics like hacking prototypes from off-the-shelf products and building psychological safety so teams surface problems early.

If you want to grow faster, lead better, and think beyond the technical, this episode delivers a clear blueprint drawn from hundreds of real-world engineering stories.

LINKS:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pipelinedesign/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradhirayama/

https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/

https://teampipeline.us/

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send a text

In this episode, we join Matt Ketterer, a seasoned engineer, at Pipeline Media Studio's inaugural session. Matt shares his career journey, from his initial foray into mechanical engineering to his pivotal shift towards controls and software engineering. He discusses his early days at a medical device company, his methodical approach to learning and applying new skills, and the importance of reading technical manuals, which aided his transition into controls engineering.

Matt also offers insights into balancing mechanics and software, fostering curiosity, and the holistic thinking required for successful engineering projects. Ideal for engineers considering a shift in disciplines or those interested in comprehensive system design, Matt's story is both inspirational and instructive.

LINKS:

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewketterer/

Aaron Moncur, host

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus