Ep: 28 "Strong Women" Community

Strong Women’s Group Series Part 1 of 2

SPEAKERS

Rebecca Huus, Therese Snow

Meet Rebecca Huus

00:05

Welcome to our DELMIA podcast, Global Operations on the Go. I'm your host, Therese Snow and today, we're continuing our series that features women who are making a difference in the areas of manufacturing and technology. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking to Rebecca Huus, Sales Operation, focusing on the high-tech industry here at Dassault Systèmes. Rebecca, welcome.

00:28

Thanks, Therese, for having me. I'm excited to be on the podcast today.

00:32

Oh, absolutely. It's definitely a pleasure to have you. There's so much to discuss. So many opportunities for listeners to learn. So, we're going to jump right in. Rebecca, let's just start with what you do here at Dassault Systèmes and how many years you've been with the company.

00:46

Yeah, so I currently work in Sales Operations, focusing on the high-tech industry. I've been working at Dassault for about two years; I started my career here when I landed an internship as a data analyst in June of 2021. At the time, I originally was planning to remain an intern until December 2021, as I was also working on my MBA. However, at the time, my manager presented an opening on her team, which I felt was the perfect opportunity to really gain experience in the operational side of sales, as well as just to start my career. Thus, I started in this role about two months after my internship.

01:24

Wow, that's fantastic when you could go right from internship to workplace, but you decided to stay, that's great. So, what exactly drew you into working for a company in the technology field?

01:36

Yeah, so I am extremely fascinated by the work and the mission of Dassault, which initially drew me into the company and why I was interested in starting my career here. As for the technology field as a whole, I really wanted to focus my career in tech, because technology is an area that is continuously growing, and has so many new developments and potential for growth and advancement. With that being said, I'm really just enthusiastic about the idea of incorporating technology in a way that not only promotes growth, but also sustainability and efficiency.

02:08

No, that's, that's excellent. So, you mentioned promoting growth, sustainability, efficiency, are there any particular projects you've worked on that have made an impact and any of those areas or other areas, like one project that really stands out above the rest?

Projects at Dassault Systèmes

02:24

Sure, in addition to my current position, I'm leading an automation project that is focused on streamlining processes within our team that ultimately would simplify the process so that it is not as complex by using RPA technology. This would have a huge impact internally to Dassault and our customers as one, eliminate and simplify tasks within our team, which will ultimately free up the time to really focus on growth opportunities, and our customers. And two, it would help increase customer satisfaction by being able to serve them faster with more of a focus. So this project has been one of the projects that I've been working on the side within my role and that is something that I'm very passionate about.

03:04

It's nice that you're passionate about your work. And you know, as it pertains to that technology field, especially here at Dassault Systèmes. So that's great. So that kind of sets the page for how you got interested in technology and what you're doing here.

03:28

Let's kind of switch gears, manufacturing pun intended here. How did you really come up at here, Dassault Systèmes with the idea of the strong women series? What was the inspiration?

First-ever “Strong Women Community”

03:40

Yes, so the Strong Women community really begun when and was established when a group of women from just Dassault Systèmes attended two webinars that were being offered by Dassault. One was an assertiveness training. And the other was a confidence-building techniques for women. Since I had only begun or been working for Dassault for six months, at the time, when I had taken the training, I was still relatively new to the company. All of the women that were within this training really had inspiring things to say, and women who I knew I could really gain advice from and learn from. And when I was younger, one of the best pieces of advice I ever had was to form relationships with people who share your interests and values. So the fact that all of these women had registered for the webinar was a clear indication of the kind of women I was inspired by. And ultimately, the kind of people I want to keep in touch and get advice from being that I was early in my career. The point of the Strong Women community is to just provide that space for that. So that was the inspiration behind that.

04:38

When I think, you know, especially going back to what you said about forming relationships with people who share your interests and values and the Strong Women sounds like a just a really great place to start there. So, what GEOs do women participating in the Strong Women reside in? Is it just here and if so, do you have any plans to expand?

Creating a Supportive Environment for Women

04:56

Yes, so this community is currently only within North America as women who attended the webinars were all scattered throughout the North America GL. However, we are highly inclusive and have included additional colleagues within NAM for now. But also, like I said, we would expand to other GEOs and want to bring that unified space for all women. So this would help you know, our community to develop and expand in the future with the inclusion of all these other GEOs. So, absolutely.

05:21

Yeah, I feel like inclusion is really important. The more you can expand this important group, the better. So why exactly is the Strong Women group needed?

05:31

Yes. So I'll start with the mission. The mission of the group is really to create a supportive environment for women to lift each other up, grow in their careers, promote self-confidence, influenced by sharing knowledge, and advocating for women's equity across the organization, thereby, encouraging all women to propel professionally. That's the whole reason for this group is merely to act as a support system to one another, to provide a basis for continuing to fight for gender equality, and really provide a space where women can empower one another and gain advice or exposure or just want to relate to.

Brené Brown, who holds her PhD has spent decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. She states that true belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging does not require you to change who you are. It requires you to be who you are. But she says it absolutely perfectly. This is one of my favourite quotes: True belonging is not passive. It's not the belonging that comes with just joining a group. It's not fitting in or pretending or selling out because it's safer. It's a practice that really requires us to be vulnerable, get uncomfortable, and learn how to be present with people without sacrificing who we are.

If leaders really want to show up, speak out, take chances, and innovate, we have to create cultures where people feel safe. Where their belonging is not threatened by speaking out and they are supported in the decisions that they make. This is what our community is ultimately for. And why I personally found it to be a perfect opportunity to start a community based on a group of women who were all initially interested in bettering themselves when attending that webinar. Now that we have the basis, we do hope to expand into power and encourage all women.

07:12

That's really fantastic for all the women listening, empower and encourage I think that's really so incredibly important.

07:30

So for the other women listening right now, do you have any advice with regard to a career in the technology industry?

Career Advice in Technology Industry

07:38

Yeah, so I have like maybe five points. The first would be seek out role models and mentors. This is, you know, goes back to the Strong Women community. You know, having someone to look up to and learn from can be a valuable resource for women entering the tech field. So female role models and mentors who can provide that guidance and support.

The second would be network and collaborate. Building relationships with others in the tech industry can provide valuable connections and opportunities for growth. So, attend those networking events, join online communities, and collaborate with others on projects.

Three, stay up to date with the industry trends. Technology is a rapidly evolving field. So it's important to stay informed about the latest developments and trends. So read those industry blogs and publications, attend conferences and workshops when you can and just continue to develop your skills and knowledge.

Four, speak up and advocate for yourself. So it's important to be confident and assertive when advocating for yourself and your ideas in the workplace, to speak up in meetings, participate in discussions and make your voice heard.

And lastly, don't be discouraged by challenges. Breaking into the technology field can be challenging, but it's important to persevere and not let obstacles hold you back. Surround yourself with supportive people, seek out resources and support, and just stay focused on your goals.

Conclusion and Introduction to Panel Discussion

08:53

Well, definitely very sound advice. Thank you, Rebecca, for taking the time to talk with me today and contribute to the Let’s Get Technical Series: Meet the Outstanding Women in Manufacturing and Technology. And I also wanted to add that there will be a part two to this where we will have a panel discussion with your women's group as well. So I'm looking forward to that. So thank you.

09:15

Thank you so much for inviting me Therese and yes, I'm looking forward to part two and thanks again. I'm so honored to be a part of the podcast.

09:22

Certainly, glad to have you. Thanks to our listeners for tuning in. I'm your host, Therese Snow and you've been listening to DELMIA’s podcast, Global Operations on the Go.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

women, technology, belonging, working, Rebecca, geos, speak, provide, focus, growth, career, attend, advice, group, expand, project, systems, webinar, community, opportunities