Heidi Shyu

Vice President of Technology Strategy, Raytheon Company, Space and Airborne Systems
Country of birth: Taiwan
Country of residence: USA

Educational background: BE, UCLA ; MS in electrical engineering, UCLA; MS in math, Univ. of Toronto; BS in math, Univ. of New Brunswick

A typical work day.
I attend numerous meetings on a variety of engineering topics. I try to help out other engineers by asking questions about what they are doing, and give them a bigger-picture perspective and encouragement to think broader.

What I enjoy the most.
The most interesting thing in my career so far was being selected to the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. It has given me an opportunity to interact with brilliant thinkers from very diverse backgrounds, and work with them on interesting and challenging study topics to solve problems for the Air Force. It exposes me to a far broader perspective than just engineering issues.

Words of wisdom.
To move up in an organization, it's necessary to expand your knowledge and experience. Take on a variety of challenging assignments from industry to government. Rotate across different functions to gain different perspectives: engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, etc.