Alexander Bousky | Peoria, Illinois

A graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s in Manufacturing and Design Engineering, Alexander Bousky is a Manufacturing Project Engineer at Caterpillar.

Though in childhood he wanted to be Steve Irwin and wrangle “every scaly creature I could get my hands on,” his first job out of college was at Ray’s Machine and Manufacturing. Bousky wrote machine code for mills and lathes as well as modifying fixtures, performing machine maintenance, and running production parts.

He was hired at CAT as a section manager for the large tractor assembly line in July 2021. At CAT, Bousky demonstrated strong leadership and operational management, with a commitment to safe and efficient assembly processes. Promoted to his current role in March 2023, Bousky is “redesigning and optimizing the production process to improve quality, efficiency, and safety.” Bill Brunk, who nominated Bousky, notes that Alex has “received the highest scores from his team and managers on engagement and leadership.”

Losing one of his twin sons, Joseph, 12 days after his birth brought Bousky to the lowest point of his life. Still, Bousky says, “I gained more as a person from Joseph’s 12 beautiful days with us than I have from any mentor or role model. By deepening the bond I have with my amazing wife, Leah, strengthening my faith, and resolving me to be the best man, husband, and father I can possibly be; Joseph gave me the perfect example of innocence and love, begetting joy and strength. I will cherish every second he gave us for the rest of my life.”

Outside of work, Bousky has coached the Peoria Notre Dame freshman football team for the last three years hoping to “foster teamwork, discipline, and leadership in young athletes.” Bousky explains, “…a little guidance can go a long way toward fostering the next generation of leaders…In college, I volunteered for Eye to Eye, a mentorship program for young children with learning disabilities (ADHD, dyslexia, autism, etc.) to interact with college students who have overcome similar circumstances and been successful despite the challenges.”

Bousky believes a great leader can be summed up in three descriptions: Accountable, Enabling, and Present. “Be accountable for your responsibilities and...mistakes. Have faith in your people and give them opportunities to grow…taking down roadblocks on their path to success. And…Be Present…leading a team physically at the jobsite makes a leader visible and helps garner the team's discretionary effort.”