Emerging Leader

Pramita Mitra, Ph.D.

Ford Motor Company

For pioneering leadership in blockchain for the automotive industry; for serving as a dedicated mentor for girls and women in STEM; and for long-standing commitment to the mission of SWE.

Pramita Mitra, Ph.D., is a supervisor of exterior and blockchain applications within the research and advanced engineering organization at Ford Motor Company. In this role, she leads a team of engineers to deliver world-class solutions for factories of the future and vehicle ownership experiences, leveraging the intersection of emerging technologies such as Internet of Things, blockchain, and 3D printing.

She has been key in developing the point of view for blockchain inside Ford and instrumental in bringing blockchain education and awareness to the company’s leadership. Dr. Mitra co-chairs the supply chain working group in the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative, a nonprofit consortium of major automakers, suppliers, and blockchain technology partners developing industry standards for automotive blockchain applications.

Beyond her supervisor responsibilities, Dr. Mitra serves on Ford’s mobility invention disclosure ranking committee and has led many strategic relationships with external partners. She is adept at collaboration and in developing key relationships with Ford’s tier suppliers, other technology partners, and universities.

As a leader in blockchain technology, Dr. Mitra is sought after by various industry and academic groups as a panelist and guest lecturer. Within the last couple of years, she has spoken at multiple external conferences and forums, including international events, such as the 2021 European Blockchain Convention and the 2020 Canadian Blockchain Revolution Global Conference.

A SWE professional member since 2015, Dr. Mitra is highly active in the Ford SWE community. She co-chairs the professional development committee within the Women of Ford research chapter and co-founded the Ford Research women’s book club. She served twice as co-chair of the program committee in the Michigan Celebration of Women in Computing conference and twice as co-chair of the SWE Detroit Professional Development Conference.

Dr. Mitra received the WE Local New EliTE Award in 2020 and 13 SWE Patent Recognition Awards in 2020 and 2021. She also received the Women of Color STEM Technology Rising Star Award in 2021. She was selected to attend the 2019 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, which brings together 100 young engineering professionals to discuss pioneering technical work. She currently serves on the WE Local advisory board and the SWE editorial board.

A dedicated coach and mentor of women engineers at Ford, Dr. Mitra carries her outreach beyond the workplace. Besides helping with various diversity conferences, she frequently delivers guest lectures to women in STEM and at numerous events for girls, including Girls Encoded.

Dr. Mitra holds a B.S. in computer science and engineering from Jadavpur University, India and an M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from the University of Notre Dame. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and food blogging.