DENSO Employees Honored with 2026 STEP Ahead Awards from the Manufacturing Institute

DENSO team members Amanda Dango and Bonita Montgomery among 145 leaders to be honored in April 23 ceremony in Washington D.C.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Manufacturing Institute (MI) – the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers – has recognized two DENSO employees in the 2026 STEP Ahead Awards.

The two DENSO winners, including one Emerging Leader award winner and one Honoree, are:

• Amanda Dango, manager of Engineering, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc. (Emerging Leader)
• Bonita Montgomery, manager of Manufacturing Excellence Engineering, DENSO Manufacturing Athens Tennessee, Inc. (Honoree)

Dango and Montgomery are among 145 leaders across the U.S. to receive a STEP Ahead Award. Each year, the MI presents the awards in Honoree, Emerging Leader and Champion categories to individuals representing all levels of the manufacturing industry who excel in their careers and demonstrate leadership.

DENSO's STEP Ahead Award Recipients

Amanda Dango
Originally, Dango joined DENSO through its rotational leadership program and has built a career defined by technical excellence, global experience, community service and a strong commitment to people. Over nine years with DENSO, she has gained experience across Production Engineering, Mechanical Design, and Quality Assurance, including an international assignment in Japan.

Dango's accomplishments include playing a key role in the $1 billion expansion of DENSO's Maryville, Tennessee, campus, helping launch four fully automated production lines responsible for producing more than 15 million advanced safety products. In her current role, Dango leads strategic investments supporting new products, while mentoring engineers and developing emerging talent. She is also a strong advocate for leadership development and engagement, having led a Clifton Strengths‑based initiative that aligned more than 100 leaders. That same commitment carries into the community where Dango supports United Way, Girls Inc., and Women in Manufacturing; represents DENSO at career fairs; and leads campus tours for students and community leaders.

"I'm honored to be recognized alongside so many inspiring women who are making a difference in manufacturing," said Dango. "I've been fortunate to learn from incredible teams and mentors at DENSO, and this recognition reflects the shared commitment we have to growing people and strengthening our industry."

Bonita Montgomery 
For more than two decades at DENSO, Montgomery has built a career defined by purpose, resilience and a strong commitment to people. Her experience spans Product Design, Quality, Industrial Engineering, and Manufacturing Excellence Engineering, giving her a holistic understanding of how people, processes and culture come together to drive operational excellence.

In her current role, Montgomery leads transformative improvements that strengthen both operations and the employee experience. Her accomplishments include increasing participation in quality competitions at DENSO's Athens, Tennessee, location to the highest level in company history, and serving as regional manager for a team that earned top honors and later competed globally in Japan. She also plays a key role in advancing digital transformation efforts that improve data visibility, engagement and coaching effectiveness. That people‑first focus extends beyond the workplace, as Montgomery mentors women and emerging talent, champions inclusion initiatives, and supports youth, STEM, and community organizations in McMinn County, Tennessee.

"I'm honored to be part of a company that encourages us to lead with both excellence and purpose," said Montgomery. "This recognition is so meaningful to me as it reflects a shared commitment to people, and the collective effort all these inspiring women make to strengthen our workplaces, our communities and our industry."

DENSO Leader Perspective

"Leaders like Amanda and Bonita are essential to the strength of our company and the manufacturing industry," said Marty Deschenes, DENSO's North American Chief Manufacturing Officer. "They lead with purpose, invest in others and help build an environment where people can grow and contribute in meaningful ways."

About the STEP Ahead Awards

The STEP Ahead Awards are a key component of the MI's STEP Ahead initiative, a leading program dedicated to supporting the manufacturing workforce through leadership development and recognition.

On April 23, the MI will recognize the recipients at the STEP Ahead Awards Gala in Washington, D.C., where it will highlight the story of each Honoree, Emerging Leader and Champion, including examples of their leadership and contributions to the industry.

Previous DENSO winners of the STEP Ahead Awards, include Denise Carlson in 2021, Monique Radersma in 2022, Hannah Pearl in 2023, Beth Rollins in 2024, and Cece Par in 2025.

If interested in working at a leading manufacturer committed to elevating team members of all backgrounds while developing the mobility technology of tomorrow, visit densocareers.com.

About DENSO
Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO is a $47.9 billion leading mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in around 180 facilities worldwide to provide opportunities for rewarding careers and to produce cutting-edge electrification, powertrain, thermal and mobility electronics products, among others, that change how the world moves. In developing such solutions, the company's 158,000 global employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. DENSO spent around 8.6 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. For more information about DENSO's operations worldwide, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/.

In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 23,000+ team members across nearly 50 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, DENSO in North America generated $12.5 billion in consolidated sales. To learn more about DENSO operations in the region, please visit https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/.

About The Manufacturing Institute
The Manufacturing Institute works to build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce for today and tomorrow to create a workforce prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. This is done through implementing groundbreaking initiatives, convening industry leaders, conducting innovative research and promoting public policy that supports the sector as it meets the opportunity of modern manufacturing. Through this work, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. For more information, please visit: https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/.

SOURCE DENSO