{"id":77779,"date":"2014-04-21T19:42:52","date_gmt":"2014-04-21T11:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/women-in-satellite-the-trailblazers\/"},"modified":"2014-04-21T19:42:52","modified_gmt":"2014-04-21T11:42:52","slug":"women-in-satellite-the-trailblazers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/women-in-satellite-the-trailblazers\/","title":{"rendered":"Women in Satellite: The Trailblazers"},"content":{"rendered":"

SATELLITE 2014 was just a couple of months ago but it served as another reminder that men are far more predominant in the industry than women. Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat\u2019s CEO, even hinted on the \u201cBig Four\u201d panel that the industry would benefit from having more women working in it. That doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t strong, brilliant women effecting important changes throughout the business. We sit down with key female leaders in satellite to hear their take on the industry.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"hs\"<\/h2>\n

Just in the United States, women currently hold 47 percent of all professional occupations, according to the Department of Labor\u2019s 2013 Population Survey. Of the 3.9 million people working in computer and mathematical occupations, women represent 26 percent; and of the 2.8 million people working in architecture and engineering occupations, women are just 14.1 percent of that total. Of course, these numbers are much more encouraging than they were 25 years ago but, in terms of gender diversity in the technology business, there\u2019s still a long way to go.<\/p>\n

The satellite industry is no exception. As Janet Nickloy, VP of strategy and business development for national programs at Harris Corporation and chairwoman of the Hosted Payload Alliance, puts it, \u201cWhen you walk into a conference setting or an industry forum, you look around and you see a sea of 50-something year old men wearing dark suits.\u201d While intimidating, this hasn\u2019t stopped women such as herself to pursue successful careers in the satellite industry.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

The Origins<\/h2>\n

In the early \u201880s, when Susan Miller, president and CEO at Inmarsat Government, received her bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering, she was one of only seven women in a graduating class of more than 1,000 students. For Nickloy, almost a decade later, it was a bit better; she was part of the 10 percent of women when graduating as a mechanical engineer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think at this particular point in time there are certain segments of the industry that have more men than women simply because at the time that the industry started \u2014 we\u2019re going back 25 and 30 years now and coming forward 30 years \u2014 the people that were in the engineering and design programs were heavily weighted toward male population as opposed to female. So the people that were educated and trained in that time period were men,\u201d says Peg Grayson, president of MTN government.<\/p>\n

Point in case, leaders such as Kay Sears, president of Intelsat General; Mary Cotton, CEO of iDirect; and herself didn\u2019t start in highly technical career paths but rather business, finance and accounting respectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had one regret, it would be that I did not get an engineering degree,\u201d Sears says. However, this didn\u2019t stop any of these women from becoming strong voices in their companies, taking them to where they are today.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can learn a lot about the technology in the satellite industry as a non-engineer. You may not be able to go deep into how everything works, but you do learn to grasp the basics,\u201d Sears adds. \u201cI really did spend time learning and I had great bosses and mentors; I had really good engineers as friends who would spend the time explaining how things work.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was also the experience for Grayson who started in the finance department at Honeywell. From a finance standpoint, she made sure she was able to understand every part of the company\u2019s process. \u201cI knew nothing about what these major projects were until I sat down with the people that had the responsibility of performing and delivering on time and on budget,\u201d she says. \u201cI would wonder the floor and talk to the people \u2026 I asked them what they were dealing with and they\u2019d explain each part.\u201d<\/p>\n

While women are more encouraged (or not discouraged) to pursue technical degrees nowadays, there are still some stereotypes around these career paths. Miller talks about the socialization aspect; \u201cthere\u2019s a lot more human interaction, a lot more \u2018fun\u2019 going on in sales and business development,\u201d she says. \u201cMen and women alike don\u2019t have that much time for a social life if they\u2019re going through to get these kinds of heavy technical degrees,\u201d she adds. Finally, Miller adds that, while she thinks this is changing, there\u2019s still a \u201cnerd\u201d stigma associated with technical fields.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sticking with Satellite<\/h2>\n

So, what about satellite made these women stay in the industry? For Cotton, it\u2019s the energy and the creativity behind making technology that has true tangible benefits, she says. \u201cYou can see the things you\u2019re doing in technology really have an impact on markets, on people; it\u2019s just one of those things, it\u2019s a very, very, innovative, exciting type of very fast-moving environment,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s not a problem that can\u2019t be solved, there\u2019s not a market that can\u2019t be tapped and I think that attracts a group of people that makes the environment very exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sears also talks about being able to see the impact her work has in the world and adds that the customers really made her work exciting. Sears started working for the U.S. Department of Commerce auditing major weather satellite programs. Later, she moved to the commercial side of the business when she joined Comsat where she realized the excitement around communications satellites. For her, it was about the customers.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the Fortune 500 companies were using communications satellites to move their data around. \u2026 the 500 channel universe was just getting started so you had lots of new channel providers that wanted to use satellite to distribute their programming,\u201d she says. \u201cHBO, MTV, those were all brand new channels back at the time so it was a pretty exciting business to be in \u2026 I would say it was definitely the customers that made the communications satellite business really dynamic.\u201d Grayson adds people to this mix. What made her passionate about this industry was working with people who love their jobs. \u201cIt\u2019s almost infectious when you deal with people who love space and love satellites and the capabilities that they bring to what has always been a terrestrial environment,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Challenges<\/h2>\n

While it\u2019s all very exciting and dynamic, it\u2019s not always easy being a woman in a male-dominated business. Getting things right in the early years in terms of education is absolutely key.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have some issues keeping girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields,\u201d Sears says. \u201cIt has to do with having to be in a class where 70 percent of the students are male and you\u2019re in the 30 percent, feeling a little bit intimidated.\u201d She says more mentoring and promotion programs are still needed.<\/p>\n

But there are still more challenges ahead for women after entering the business. \u201cIn the earlier years I think it was more difficult because the expectations I believe were different at that time,\u201d says Grayson. \u201cWomen weren\u2019t encouraged to be leaders, nor encouraged to step out of a defined role.\u201d Fortunately, this is changing and is not that common to find nowadays. However, Nickloy says there\u2019s still room for improvement and that the best way to change things is through mentorship and stronger STEM programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we need to look at the entire process from young girls all the way through the more experienced engineering ranks, but certainly in the schools today we need to reach out to girls and let them know that there are exciting careers where they can still be creative, they can still develop as a woman in a technical field and not lose their identity,\u201d she says. \u201cI think we are making gradual progress but certainly not the level that we need to. As women enter the field of engineering they need to have mentors, they need to have people they can reach out to that will continue to nurture and encourage them and make sure that they\u2019re given opportunities to grow and to really develop to their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sears agrees, \u201cIt takes women mentoring other women, it takes women mentoring male bosses to understand how to manage women and it takes women role models; I think we really all have to do our part,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Cotton, however, goes a step further. She doesn\u2019t believe there are any particular challenges for women coming into the business nowadays. \u201cIf I were talking to you 30 years ago, my answer would be different,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t think you really see any more challenges than you would if you were a guy. You\u2019ve got to do your job, you\u2019ve got to do the work, you\u2019ve got to build the relationships, you\u2019ve got to do all the things that are going to make you successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only problem Cotton sees for women is coming into the industry believing they\u2019re at a disadvantage because of their gender. \u201cIf you end up believing that there\u2019s a reason why you can\u2019t succeed, that\u2019s not a real reason,\u201d she adds. \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of women over the years that really have been impeded more because they felt like they needed to be better than everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes, there are real challenges too big and tougher to overcome. As the world becomes more and more globalized and borders blur in terms of commerce and trade, cultural differences are sometimes hard to beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in some of the other very developed countries, women have not entered the workforce in these fields at a pace even close to what they have in the United States,\u201d says Sears. \u201cThat\u2019s another challenge for women; to be taken seriously in an international environment.\u201d It helps to understand the culture to its last detail in order to be accepted and respected, she says, but it might take more time as opposed to what a man experiences. In some other cases, as unfair as it may sound, \u201cthe answer might be, that you can\u2019t send a woman into that environment,\u201d Sears adds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Advantages<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not all a struggle, though. There are some benefits of being a woman in a male-dominate industry; sometimes being different is a good thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the advantages of being a woman in a technology industry like the satellite industry is that we can combine our skills into a powerful and differentiated style that is often more desirable, especially as a manager and a leader,\u201d says Sears. \u201cWomen can be tough but they can also be very compassionate. \u2026 They can be highly technical but they can also be very creative and compromising.\u201d For Miller, being a woman provides \u201ca lot of basic thrills,\u201d she says. \u201cYou get to be a pioneer, especially 20 years ago when I was just starting in this field and in many ways you get to be a role model.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the fact that just being physically different makes women stand out in the industry. \u201cPeople tend to remember me because I don\u2019t look like the others and frankly I think that that\u2019s an advantage,\u201d Nickloy says.<\/p>\n

Cotton agrees but points out that it can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. \u201cYou have to be very conscious of your points and how you\u2019re expressing yourself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Key Lessons<\/h2>\n

Navigating through all of this in the a fast-paced and dynamic business that is satellite has yielded important learning that women in the industry are happy to pass down to the new generation of female leaders.<\/p>\n

Since technology changes so rapidly, Grayson\u2019s first advice is to always stay current. \u201cIn just a very short period of time you can fall behind,\u201d she says. \u201cIn just a very short period of time you can fall behind,\u201d she says. \u201cYou have to keep reading and talking and you need to make an effort to stay on the forefront of what\u2019s new, what people are developing, what\u2019s exciting so that you can determine how you can be part of it; not only in the current stage of its development but also with what\u2019s coming.\u201d To do this, Nickloy says, you have to be flexible about new talent and new technologies, but also not being afraid to make mistakes. \u201cIf you fall down every once in a while, pop back up, don\u2019t stop, keep going, don\u2019t be afraid of failure, lean forward and have fun,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In Miller\u2019s experience, she has found that \u201cin engineering it\u2019s not whether you\u2019re a man or a woman, it\u2019s how good you are \u2026 can you design this piece of hardware and will it work?\u201d she says. Staying current and being open minded about new talent and new technologies are all part of it. \u201cIt\u2019s a meritocracy and if you can do a good job, you\u2019re going to succeed, you\u2019re going to get recognized, you\u2019re going to progress,\u201d Miller added.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s always going to be that person along the road that will try to deter you, Grayson says. So, her other advice for women in technology is to walk away from these people and keep pushing to achieve her goals, letting her work speak for itself. \u201cYou\u2019re never going to win everybody over but as I said before, if you know what you\u2019re doing and you deliver results, then you will succeed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Adding to this, Miller says having self-confidence is also key to success. \u201cYou really have to not worry about it if you\u2019re the only woman in the room, it\u2019s going to happen, but just go for it, if you have confidence you\u2019re going to be a trailblazer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Being confident is also key for Sears, who says women have to be bold and ask for what they want. \u201cDon\u2019t wait for it to be offered to you,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Future<\/h2>\n

Fortunately things are changing and the future looks bright for the next generation of female leaders in satellite and technology. Not only due to the work of many foundations, schools and industry organizations, but also due to the direction our society is headed toward.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is growing up with so much technology around them now, it\u2019s really commonplace and it\u2019s developing a real coolness factor that it didn\u2019t use to have,\u201d Miller says. \u201cYou didn\u2019t really used to know what was going on in a computer and you didn\u2019t care because the interface was not that exciting but now it\u2019s iPhones and Google and Facebook; it\u2019s everywhere. \u2026 My sense is that not just boys but girls too and young women are fully exposed or just inundated with this kind of technology and they take notice.\u201d Cotton agrees. \u201cI think I\u2019m just seeing that the interest in participating in technology has changed a lot over the past years and I\u2019m seeing a lot more women coming up to the ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n

As technology steers away from old stereotypes, Miller says we are going to see more young women entering the satellite industry. It will just take a while, Cotton says. \u201cIt just takes a little bit of time from the time you get out of college to the time you start seeing people in leadership positions,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really do believe that more opportunities exist now and will exist in the future than there were 30 years ago,\u201d Grayson says. VS<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Female Leaders Comment on the Future of the Satellite Industry<\/h2>\n

The promise of High Throughput Satellites (HTS) continues to be key in the discussion around the future of the satellite industry. The world craves mobile broadband at high speeds and satellite is eager to rise up to the challenge. \u201cHTS architecture is really perfect for supporting the growing demand that we\u2019re seeing for broadband mobile communications,\u201d Miller says. This new demand, Cotton says, is driving more and more innovation in terms of applications for satellite. \u201cWe\u2019re at the point where there\u2019s going to be a lot more business for all the companies that are providing either satellite bandwidth or ground segment. It\u2019s an exciting time to be part of this industry,\u201d she says. As applications expand, satellite will become even more present in the life of the average citizen, Sears says. \u201cIf you think about the word satellite and you go back maybe 10 years ago, it wasn\u2019t a household word. Yeah, maybe people knew what a satellite was but they really didn\u2019t understand much about it,\u201d she adds. Now, whether it\u2019s home Internet access or television, or mobile applications, people are much more aware of satellites and their capabilities. \u201cThe generations that are moving into their 20s and 30s now, where everything is mobile, everything is hand-held, have the immediate need for information and so the future of the satellite industry is a key component of delivering that future,\u201d Sears says. There is no doubt that satellite will continue to play an important role not only in people\u2019s lives but also in government markets. As the world continues to become more complex and government budgets continue to have constraints, Miller says satellite will also continue to have an expanded playing field ahead of itself in this market. \u201cThe satellite industry is, for me, after decades of being involved, amazing because it keeps going places, it keeps reinventing itself; it\u2019s the technology that keeps rolling out and pushing the limits,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SATELLITE 2014 was just a couple of months ago but it served as another reminder that men are far more predominant in the industry than women. Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat\u2019s CEO, even hinted on the \u201cBig Four\u201d panel that the industry would benefit from having more women working in it. That doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77782,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77779"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}