Control+M Solutions Founder Patti Nowak: Turning Technical Change into Shared Growth

Patti Nowak leads Control+M Solutions with the belief that success grows from building relationships, creating opportunities for others, and giving more than one takes. Guided by a relational ethic, she listens carefully, invests in people, and treats each project as an opportunity to create lasting value. Over time, the choices she has made and the ways she has responded to challenges have reflected that guiding philosophy, shaping a career that bridges technical expertise with human-centered service.

Her first impressions of technology were shaped during childhood evenings spent beside her father, who wrote code for local sporting clubs and encouraged her to experiment with simple data tasks. "Those early experiences gave me a natural ease with machines and logic, and they turned my curiosity into capability," Nowak says.

Nowak's academic path took her through accounting and international economics, but she was consistently drawn to roles that blended practical processes with information technology. Early work in production environments deepened her appreciation for hands-on problem solving and for solutions designed to fit the way people actually work.

Control+M Solutions expresses that philosophy through services that focus on implementation and user-focused support for cloud-based manufacturing systems. Projects are structured so teams can choose a full implementation, phased work, or steady administration and training.

The company pairs technical configuration with practical, context-specific training, helping client teams retain capability and confidence. Nowak says, "We also emphasize communication and knowledge transfer because we want technical change to become a shared learning journey rather than an imposed set of instructions."

That philosophy of turning technical work into shared learning extends into how Nowak leads Control+M Solutions. Her leadership is shaped by values of kindness, transparency, and collaboration, which guide both daily decisions and broader initiatives. When travel and in-person gatherings became difficult, she expanded access to learning through community video sessions and remote training that kept practitioners connected. Nowak also launched an annual user gathering built around peer-led workshops and practical demonstrations, designed to address the needs and questions of participants.

These initiatives highlight how Nowak's leadership is inseparable from the relationships she builds. For her, business itself is a network of partnerships where clients gain capability and providers gain perspective. "My work matters most when the people using the system feel confident enough to shape it for their needs," she says. That belief is reflected in transparent agreements and in practices that make knowledge transfer visible, enabling client teams to steward their systems over time and continue growing with them.

That same respect for partnership also shapes how she approaches moments of resistance. "When we work with established practices, I make it a point to listen carefully, recognize the expertise people have built over time, and design adoption paths together that fit the way teams already operate," Nowak says. "That's how we build trust across different roles and make transitions feel both respectful and sustainable."

Guided by that ethos, Nowak emphasizes giving time, knowledge, and trust as the foundation for environments where people can thrive. Her hiring decisions, client partnerships, and community initiatives reflect this belief, aiming to make thoughtful implementation and practical training accessible to manufacturers of all sizes. She states, "I measure success by people thriving and the opportunities they create."

Ultimately, Patti Nowak illustrates how leadership rooted in generosity can help technology become a catalyst for growth. At Control+M Solutions, she blends technical expertise with human-centered values, aiming to design systems that support people rather than overwhelm them. Her approach suggests that innovation is not defined by tools alone, but by the confidence and opportunities they can open up for communities.