Irene Pantin: An Eye for Quality, A Heart for Care

With her nurturing nature, it seemed only natural that Irene Pantin would choose a career in the healthcare industry. But even the best laid plans often take surprising turns.

“I was going to school to be a chiropractic health assistant and began working part-time in the circuit board industry. I ended up staying there for 29 years,” says Irene, who enjoyed learning various aspects of quality control. “I had a passion for it. I ended up doing a lot with setting up and preparing for manufacturing – and learned a lot of different processes along the way. Everything had to be very precise.”

Initially, her many duties included working with ISO procedures, running the numeric control machine, setting up CAD artwork, programming C&C machines, and Gerber film work. Proving herself extremely dependable, Irene’s responsibilities grew to include worker health and safety and purchasing.

When her employer closed its doors and moved its manufacturing to China in 2016, Irene found herself at a crossroads. Once again, she toyed with the idea of a career in healthcare. But to the good fortune of Industrial Inspection & Analysis, she chose to join our Canadian Services team (also known as Domson Engineering). Irene’s three decades of experience and long list of transferrable talents made her a natural choice for Resource Administrator at our Brampton, Ontario, office.

“I have a lot of the same duties at IIA that I did before. I look after quality audits, health and safety, and purchasing,” says Irene, noting one key difference. “At first, I had a hard time wrapping my head around the service industry after so many years in manufacturing. It’s a different perspective.”

At IIA, Irene also took on responsibilities for fleet management and human resources. Juggling so many critical functions is no easy feat.

“You have to prioritize, and you also have to put out fires,” says Irene with a laugh.

But it wasn’t the work that drew Irene to IIA. It was the people.

“Before I took this job, I was thinking about a career in healthcare again. Something always pulls me that way,” she says. “But I wanted to work here because we have great people and a great environment. We’re really close — like family.”

And every family needs a mom.

Her caretaking nature quickly earned Irene a reputation around the office as “work mom” and “Mother Hen.”

“I’m a caregiver — I like to look after everybody,” says Irene.

The office is a little lonelier these days, with many of her co-workers working from home through the pandemic. Like a lighthouse, though, Irene comes in to the office every day to provide support and supplies for technicians before they hit the road.

When she’s not taking care of business (and people) at IIA, “I really cherish my free time,” says Irene.

Playing hockey is one of her favorite pastimes. (Though she’s been sidelined by a shoulder injury, she hopes to return to the sport soon.) She also expresses her creative side through paper crafts (angels are a favorite inspiration) and wood burning.

Irene and her husband also enjoy spending time in the Great Outdoors, exploring Canada’s lakes and mountains. During a cherished trip in the summer of 2022, she fell in love with picturesque Lake Memphremagog in Quebec, a place her husband frequented as a child. She hopes to make that special trip a tradition.

Quiet, capable, and kind — and always concerned for others — Irene is proud to be part of the IIA team.

“I’m very proud to be part of a company making the world safer,” she says. “And I try to help wherever I can.”