How did you get to where you are today?
I took the “scenic route!” I originally started in Natural Sciences before realizing it wasn’t for me. I switched to Software Engineering, where I was the only female in the entire cohort, which was definitely intimidating many years ago! I eventually graduated with a Computer Science degree and landed my first professional role in IT at a big bank head office in Sydney. From there, I worked across various industries in IT, constantly learning and growing until I landed in the cockpit of my current leadership role.
What advice do you have for girls wanting to start a career in aviation?
Don’t think that being a pilot or an aeronautical engineer are the only ways to work in this industry. Aviation needs coders, data scientists, project managers, and innovators. If you love tech and you love the idea of flight, there is a place for you here.
What does a normal day look like for you?
My day is a mix of high-stakes problem solving and global collaboration. I start by checking on what has happened overnight; from company emails to global economy and politics. If there’s a system outage, I can sometimes be the first to alert our specialists. The rest of my day is spent in operational and strategic meetings to ensure we are “keeping the lights on” while also future-proofing our technology. I spend a lot of time mentoring my team and brainstorming innovative ideas with our executives. Because we are a global company, my day often ends by collaborating with my counterparts in Europe to align our local and regional work with the global Airbus strategy.
Image: Efiza Vanniasinghe