My original dream was to work in astrophysics, something that required an optics degree. I got into a French prep school and got admitted to SupOptique. The curriculum included internships which I did at Coherent in the United States, working on ultrafast lasers and launching my very first product just a few months later. I was hooked! I then became program manager and tech lead on various ultrafast laser projects, both scientific and industrial. I moved on to being a program manager at Apple, and expanded my horizon to displays and camera depth, which led me to Meta in the VR optics field.
My current role as program manager for the pancake optics in Meta VR headsets requires that I understand all technical dependencies and all the risks; I’m responsible for proposing tradeoffs and solutions to complicated problems. I am always looking at ways to help my team to deliver the best products.
Every product I have helped launch has a special emphasis on all-new technologies. The rush and thrill of pushing these products to the finish line, announcing them to the world, and seeing the customers’ excitement make my work truly exhilarating.
Early in my career, I was by far the youngest engineer and usually the only woman on the projects. At times, I would get surprised looks when I would introduce myself. However, those would disappear quickly as soon as I presented my work!
I grew up in a small countryside village in Brittany, France, and I am the first in my family to pursue higher education. I would have never imagined being where I am today. Nothing is impossible; if you are interested in physics, optics, math, just go do it and don’t take "No" for an answer! There are always new mysteries to solve, which makes the world of physics and optics so fascinating.
Estelle Coadou
Technical Program Manager — VR Optical Engineering, Meta
Born in France / Resides in United States
Educational Background: BS in Optical Engineering, Institut d’Optique (SupOptique), France; MA in Optoelectronics, Universite de Paris Sid XI, France
