Tech Power Breakfast: Unveiling Potential: Illuminating the Path to Professional Empowerment

Kick off the new year with an event designed to set you on the path to succeed in 2024.

This virtual event will have 3 presentations which will discuss self awareness, mentorship/sponsorship, and diversifying your career path.

Speaker: Eugina Jordan, CMO, Telecom Infra Project (TIP)

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, personal and professional success is no longer just about what you know; it’s about who you are. Building internal and external self-awareness and embracing authenticity are the keys to finding your voice, negotiating your worth, talking about your accomplishments with pride, and securing the sponsorship and opportunities you deserve.

This talk proposal explores the core themes of the book “UNLIMITED” and how its principles can empower individuals to rise and bring more people like them to the table. It delves into practical strategies and actionable insights, providing a roadmap for personal and professional growth that aligns with the book’s empowering message.

Speaker: Shanna Owens, VP Strategy and Growth, Mercury Systems

Whether you are early, mid, or seasoned in your career, there is always an opportunity to augment your skillset by working in a new discipline whether it’s functional or in P&L.  In fact, you may notice some of the most senior people in your own company have made these transitions.  By taking the opportunity and smartly navigating your career through different disciplines, it provides a unique ability to gain perspective, connect the dots, and have agility in your skills, and eventually shape your leadership style.

This talk addresses one woman’s perspective on diversifying her career path through movement from engineering to program management to business development and how it helped her rise in her career. 

Speaker: Cara Gillespie, Director of Engineering, BAE Systems

 You may have heard the advice that having a mentor is important in your career, but sponsorship is a key relationship that can open up opportunities for advancement. This talk will discuss the differences of mentor and sponsor relationships, why they are important, and how you can go about creating meaningful relationships that will help you navigate your career, and achieve your goals.

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Thank you to our sponsor:

About the speakers:

  Eugina Jordan, CMO, Telecom Infra Project (TIP)

Eugina started her telecom career as a secretary and now has become the CMO of the prominent industry organization Telecom Infra Project (TIP).

She has over 20+ years of strategic marketing leadership experience and was instrumental in creating the Open RAN market category.

She is an inventor, holding 12 patents on 5G and Open RAN.

Her passion is to mentor other women in tech. Her leadership book “UNLIMITED: The 17 proven laws for success in a workplace not designed for you” was published in June of 2023.

She won the outstanding achievement “Diversity in Tech” GLOMO Award by GSMA at MWC 2023.

Ms. Jordan has a Master’s in Teaching from Moscow Teacher’s College and studied computer undergrad at CDI College in Toronto, Canada.

Shanna Owens, VP Strategy and Growth, Mercury Systems

Shanna is a proven leader with two decades of business development, program management and engineering experience with multiple defense industry leaders. She focuses on identifying, shaping, and capturing critical customer programs taking advantage of all business area’s capabilities. She develops and leads teams in collaboration, market analysis, and strategic development with a focus on winning new, high-value business for both domestic and international customers. Her focus is on inclusive behaviors and fostering a highly collaborative team through mentorship and individual employee development.  

Shanna currently leads a team of 30 growth members as the VP of Strategy and Growth at Mercury Systems bringing rigor and discipline to the business development process with a focus on increasing book to bill.

Shanna also has experience in both weapons and space while she worked as both a PM and BD director at BAE Systems.  She graduated the executive leadership program with INSEAD in 2019.

She has also worked at both Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, CA as well as Northrup Grumman in Redondo Beach with a focus on classified space.

Shanna has a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Shanna lives with her two children outside of Boston with a passion of fostering special needs cats.

Cara Gillespie, Director of Engineering, BAE Systems

Cara is a Product Line Engineering Director for one of BAE Systems Electronic Combat Systems Product Lines here in New Hampshire. She is responsible for overseeing all engineering content, bids, and execution of large development and production programs that support the warfighter. Cara has over 17 years of experience in various engineering discipline, and project leadership roles, in both the commercial and defense industries supporting sensor development and deployment. 

Cara spent time in the Automotive Safety industry on Automotive Radars, working internationally to support active safety radar development. 

Throughout her career, Cara has enjoyed supporting the mission of the company’s she has been a part of and focused on protecting lives. She enjoys collaborating with the business to support continuous improvement projects, development of high performing teams, and working to ensure solid execution of the projects she oversees. 

She studied Mechanical Engineering at University of Maryland- College Park with a focus in Automotive Design, and received her Masters as part of the Engineering Leadership Development Program at BAE Systems, graduating from UMass-Lowell. She is also a graduate of the Brand Leadership Institute Program.

Cara is a member of the Women in Defense Organization, and committee member of the NH-Tech Alliance- Tech Breakfast series. 

Cara lives in New Hampshire with her husband, three children, and one puppy. She enjoys traveling with her family to new locations in New Hampshire and across the United States. Cara enjoys being active in her community and supporting local events.