Since I was a teenager, I have been fascinated by the world around me. When I entered high school, I was eager to explore subjects that would help me better understand the world from an engineering/science perspective. I was fortunate to have great math and physics teachers who inspired and challenged me to think critically and creatively. I appreciated how math and physics could be used to design and improve daily-use systems such as buildings, cars, and computers.

This fascination for science led me to pursue a career in physics. Since then, I have always been intrigued by how emerging technologies can enhance our lives, especially in the pervasive field of semiconductors. I have held evolving roles, from researcher to leader of R&D projects and teams, now focusing on the business value of new technologies. For over a decade, I have worked on new display technologies for augmented-reality glasses. I managed the team, exploring issues with existing technologies and sourcing new materials and architectures to provide the needed properties. We filed patents, matured the technologies, and created two startups. Today, I manage a software portfolio that helps engineers design and develop more integrated and complex optical systems, like displays or cameras. Riding in a Waymo is already impressive; imagine how it will be when all cameras are miniaturized. As such, my responsibility is to enhance our software design and simulations portfolio to enable this transformation.

Early in my career, I thought success depended only on excellent technical skills. However, I soon realized the importance of soft skills such as communication, networking, and understanding the market and customers. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint, and you will keep learning new skills, hard and soft, throughout your journey. Don’t wait to feel completely prepared for any position you will have. Trust your existing skills and your capability to learn, remain curious and open-minded about all the facets of your upcoming roles, and be resilient.

Throughout this journey, my driving force is the impact I create. I hope to benefit society by creating new technologies with my teams and influencing the people I work with by being a leader they can rely on, believe in, and follow. Science is a powerful tool for achieving this as it is universal. It’s truly amazing to witness it: even if you don’t share a language with your colleagues, you will have the same ideas in Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Canada, and the United States. This universality of science is truly inspiring.

Emilie Viasnoff
Head of Optical Solutions, System Design Group, Synopsys
Born in France / Resides in United States
Educational Background: MSc in Physics, Ecole Normale Supérieure; “Agrégation de physique” (highest teaching degree in France); PhD in Semiconductor Optics, University of Paris-Sud, France