ASME Names Leah Putnam as President, Engineering for Change

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has announced the appointment of Leah Putman as president of its Engineering for Change (E4C) LLC. She continues in her role as director of engineering for sustainable development at ASME, reporting to Iana Aranda, managing director of sustainability at ASME, and the outgoing E4C president.

Across these roles, Putman leads strategy and growth for programs connecting engineering, innovation and societal impact. Putman brings more than 15 years of experience spanning engineering, manufacturing, product development, sustainability and social impact. She has spent her career helping organizations navigate uncertainty, make evidence-based decisions and move promising ideas toward implementation.

“I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Leah and witnessing firsthand her ability to bring people, ideas and expertise together in service of meaningful change. She approaches engineering not only as a technical discipline, but as a powerful tool for improving lives and strengthening communities,” says Aranda. “Leah is an innovative and thoughtful leader who recognizes the importance of ensuring that solutions are informed by a diversity of experiences and perspectives. As E4C president, she will help build a more connected, inclusive and impact-oriented engineering community, while advancing ASME’s commitment to engineering for sustainable development.”

Since joining ASME in 2022, Putman has held leadership roles with both ASME and E4C. Previously, she worked as an independent strategy, engineering, and project management consultant and held technical and leadership positions with Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE) in Rwanda and W. L. Gore & Associates in the United States. Putman holds a master’s degree in science from Technische Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware.