These days, our world is increasingly connected not just digitally but also through the mobility industry. It’s all thanks to technology companies, infrastructure networks, and talented engineers and technical professionals like Lida Rahmani.
As Head of Sales and Business Development for global technology leader Thales Australia, Lida is responsible for diversifying the company’s products and services and supporting a range of customers and industries, including the Australian Defence Force, airlines, helicopter operators, and manufacturers, to name a few.
Working with Thales’ customers to understand their needs, challenges, and strategy, Lida develops tailored business solutions to meet these needs and supports their priorities and growth:
“I studied aerospace engineering because I’m passionate about the aviation and aerospace industries and the roles they play in connecting the world. I work with the majority of Thales‘ business lines and have the opportunity to learn a lot about the diversity of the markets we serve and products and services that Thales offers.”
Lida shares her diverse background, leadership journey, and contributions toward creating greater equity in her company and the broader industry.
Building adaptability through a multicultural background
From developing cultural acumen to learning the true importance of flexibility, Lida is proud of her multicultural background. Working across various roles, companies, functions, and geographies has helped her adapt and create value for the organizations and customers she supports:
“I was born in Afghanistan and moved to Australia when I was sixteen, speaking very little English. After six months in a language school, I attended high school and managed to do well enough to get accepted into aerospace engineering at RMIT University. After graduating with honors, I went on to work for Germany’s flag carrier airline as an aircraft design engineer. I was promoted to a lead engineer role after two and a half years—being the youngest, only woman, and only foreigner in the department.”
From there, she joined the leading aircraft manufacturer, working across multiple roles, functions, and geographical locations. This included being the Director of Supply Chain and Procurement for Asia, where she had the opportunity to contribute directly to shaping the company’s footprint and supply chain.
“In this role, I led a department of 35 supply chain and procurement professionals across the Asia Pacific, de-risking and expanding the company’s supply chain in the region. But after having spent 16 years abroad, at the onset of the pandemic, I decided to return home to Melbourne. I held a role as Australian Industry Capability (AIC) lead and was promoted to Director of Strategy and Sales after a year one of the Australian defense primes. After that, I joined Thales to work in Australia’s aerospace and aviation sector!”
In her current role as Head of Sales and Business Development, she has the opportunity to promote Thales Australia’s avionics products and Training and Simulation capabilities across Australian Defense. She also supports the commercial aviation industry with customers such as Qantas, Virgin Australia, and other large manufacturers and operators in Australia.
“In addition, my team and I are responsible for shaping Thales’ market strategy for commercial drones and related services in Australia and New Zealand. I enjoy working with diverse manufacturers, such as AMLS Aero, and finding avenues for collaboration.”
All in all, it’s fostered her love of learning and challenging herself:
“Changing roles, functions, and locations worldwide has enabled me to learn from many diverse, brilliant people. If you have the opportunity to explore new cultures, it can really support your development.”
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Leadership, relationships, and working with a passionate team
It’s no easy feat for technical professionals to know it all and stay on top of changes as industries continue to evolve. So, it’s a good thing Thales Australia has passionate people and a collaborative culture:
“My manager, team, and colleagues were amazing in bringing me up to speed when I first joined. Every day, I see people’s passion and how supportive everyone is. I’m particularly energized by the high level of collaboration across the broader business. My team and I have strong relationships with our colleagues throughout the business—we collaborate on various topics and keep each other informed of customer requirements and industry changes.”
Lida shares that this translates to her approach as a leader. To be an effective, impactful leader, she believes in the importance of understanding the company’s complete value chain and how different functions in the business impact one another.
“For example, excellence in our supply chain can have an impact on sales through superior (on time, quality, and cost) product delivery and customer intimacy, which results in repeat business. Similarly, our market and customer needs shape our product development, research and development, and supply chain strategy.”
Achieving greater equity in the industry
With an international, technical career in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Lida has seen positive shifts enabling greater equity. Across some of the industry-leading companies she’s been a part of, she’s observed:
- Efforts to develop and promote women in the industry need to be made at all levels, including senior executives, HR, middle management, and employees themselves.
- Quotas may not be the top markers for success. Instead, the systems need to change to better value women’s skill sets, such as reshaping leadership models and the criteria used to assess and promote employees.
- The value of mentoring programs to allow women to engage with senior executives, better understand company strategy, and gain greater visibility.
Lida knows there’s more to be done, but she’s also seen many positives come out of events like the pandemic, which has helped many industries acknowledge that flexible working benefits employees and the company:
“Working hours for parents and families can be a challenge. But that, I think, was the silver lining from the pandemic. It made working from home and integrating family responsibilities more accepted.”
For women interested in joining or progressing in the industry, she encourages that there has been significant progress made for women in the industry.
“In my 18-year career, I’ve had mostly wonderful and respectful colleagues. All the companies I’ve worked for, including Thales, have gone to great lengths to achieve an equitable working environment. It’s something we all have the opportunity to contribute to.”
On the topic of more to be done, Lida has some pretty clear ideas on what needs to happen!
“To get there, we need more women to join! We need a diverse workforce to create a truly equal environment for other women to achieve success, and we need more women in leadership to change the company culture and leadership models from the top.”
We asked Lida to share her top three pieces of advice for anyone looking to follow in her footsteps or seeking success in the engineering space:
1. Be yourself – “I’m a woman, a mother, and a wife, and that actually gives me very different skill sets and perspectives that companies need.”
2. Speak up – “Don’t expect people to know what you need and want. Work with your manager and HR to find your balance and path.”
3. Approach your career like a marathon, not a sprint. – “You can manage family responsibilities and parenthood with a career if you work hard, are patient, and are supported by your organization.”
She leaves us with these pretty powerful words:
“What does success look like to you? Whether creating value for key shareholders, solving problems for your customers, or supporting your team – be a light to inspire others.”
