“My #AeroPassion is loving what I do, solving problems, and helping local and global communities.”
Eva's Biography
Eva Martinez is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Engineering Management with a specialty in Aerospace. From 1993 to 2002, Eva worked as an Aeronautical Engineer in the Royal Canadian Air Force overseeing aircraft maintenance operations and later leading the Research and Development for Aircrew Life Support Equipment. Prior to retiring as a Major, Eva participated in the United Nations Mission to Guatemala (MINUGUA) as Canada’s first female military observer as part of an international contingent responsible for overseeing a ceasefire following the end of a 36-year old civil war. Most recently, Eva was at UTC Aerospace Systems Landing Systems where her personal love for aviation and years of aerospace experience are put to use on a daily basis to drive operational excellence. She serves on the Board of Directors for Women in Aerospace Canada and was named the 2014 Northern Lights Award recipient in the Business category in recognition of outstanding women in aviation and aerospace that, as role models, inspire and encourage increased participation in these industries by promoting awareness of the vast opportunities in all sectors; ensuring organizations recognize and benefit from women’s diverse and untapped talents.
As Engineering Director I’m accountable to bring to Certification and Entry into Service the Avionics and Electrical systems. This involves coaching and communication with people, interfacing with other systems, making aircraft level integration decisions, manage suppliers, manage risks and develop recovery plans. Getting ready for the un-knows and being aware of key learning points along the way and driving them as early as practical to minimize late discoveries is what keeps my mind racing.
Today, my focus is on relocating to Halifax NS and landing a position in the aerospace sector that is both personally and professionally rewarding. I have held key leadership roles for one of the world’s largest aerospace companies – UTC Aerospace Systems, previously Goodrich Aerospace. Besides my engineering background, I bring many skills to the table including language (English, French, Spanish), business acumen, and a sharp focus on customer requirements. My have directed activities in Aftermarket, Customer Service & Support, Aircraft Maintenance, and Program Management. In my new role, I will drive performance excellence, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement in all that I do.
What I enjoy most about the roles I have held in the past, and hope to land in the coming months, is that I can combine my technical/engineering education with customer focus and business acumen to support the needs of the organization. I have benefited from roles that have required cooperation from all functional departments of the organization from Receiving to Shipping and everything in between; getting people to work together to come up with solutions is tremendously satisfying.
The most enjoyable phase of my career has been working as the Deputy Squadron Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Officer at 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. Being responsible for maintaining a fleet of aircraft to support search and rescue operations was extremely rewarding. The work that the squadron does is very important – providing 24/7/365 coverage in Eastern Canada to respond to marine vessels or aircraft in distress, carry out medical evacuations, or search for missing persons, as well as the occasional humanitarian airlift mission around the world. The operational significance of the work we were doing couldn’t be understated and it was gratifying to see how beneficial it was to the community and the country.
I try to make a difference by listening – whether it’s an external customer voicing a concern or an internal department that is struggling with how something is done, getting people’s ideas on how we might be able to do things better, faster, stronger with repeatability and zero errors requires listening skills.
Ideally in 25 years the number of women in engineering would match the number of men and it won’t be a gender-based discussion. But we’re only going to be able to accomplish that if we plant the seeds early in the minds of young girls. To that end, I am involved in different community initiatives to mentor and coach young girls, motivating them to pursue math and science and introducing them to STEM related activities that are fun…like robotics…and emphasizing the importance of math in all aspects of life (cooking, music, dance, business, etc). The majority of the top jobs in Canada require some expertise in STEM and yet less than half of Canadian high school graduates have any STEM courses. Helping our youth (especially young women) make informed decisions about the importance of taking the right courses in high school will go a long way. Having the right academic background will allow us to turn the tide and I want to be able to contribute to the solution. As I prepare to move to the Maritimes, I have every intention of expanding the Women in Aerospace Canada movement.
Be true to yourself. Women continue to be a minority in aerospace and it’s not uncommon to be the only female in a room. Don’t try to be one of the guys…embrace the things that set us apart. A workplace that is rich in diversity where men and women can fully contribute their talents will be far more successful than one that shuts the female down.
