“My #AeroPassion is watching SpaceX try to land a rocket on a barge.”
Anali's Biography
I knew I wanted to be an Aerospace Engineer at age 13 when I looked up at the stars and decided I wanted to be involved in space exploration. My desire to build spaceships took me across the country from my home town of Red Deer, Alberta to Ottawa, Ontario to attend Carleton University. It was there that I discovered that aircraft were pretty cool too. My passion for aerospace then lead me to Montreal to work for Bombardier Business Aircraft. While my current work is strictly in the stratosphere I still dream of endeavours that will leave earth’s atmosphere.
As a Product Manager I am responsible for maintaining the competitiveness of the Learjet product line. I do this by creating innovative technology roadmaps, conducting market and competitive analysis, and supporting project management. My role is to be the voice of the customer within the company to ensure that our aircraft continue to meet and exceed customer expectations.
Bombardier is the world’s largest manufacturer of business aircraft and as such helps put Canada on the map as a leader in aerospace. Bombardier is also one of the largest employers in Canada.
Any chance I get to be close to a plane or talk to our operators about how they use our aircraft. Walking through a production line and talking to pilots has given me a perspective on the industry that I wouldn’t have learned from an engineering textbook.
I was involved in launching the next generation Ka-band in-flight internet service on our Global aircraft, which will be the fastest available internet in business aviation. This involved talking to customers about their requirements for in-flight connectivity, working with sourcing to procure guarantees from our supplier, and creating a business case to ensure we sell this feature to our customers at a competitive price with a healthy profit margin. I also prepped my boss to give interviews on this achievement to the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and several Aviation trade magazines.
While business aviation doesn’t directly impact the everyday person it does allow Fortune 500 executives, government officials and high net worth individuals to go to and from their destinations more efficiently – which in turn spurs the economy forward.
When Mary Barra was appointed CEO of GM she made headlines as the first woman to take the helm of a major automotive company. Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Meyer regularly make the news as top women in tech. My dream is that in 25 years it isn’t news to see women in these positions, that women regularly play major roles in leading the top aerospace companies, and that they are only judged on the resume that got them to those positions. For women to take top roles in 25 years they will likely be at the start of their careers now, so I will encourage my female colleagues instead of competing with them.
My advice is gender neutral – Don’t stay in a job for years that you aren’t passionate about.
