Her Story
About Aiswarya
Aiswarya Veedu has spent 15 years in the automotive industry, which she describes as male-dominated. At Scout Motors she handles system architecture responsibilities including all body functions, acting as a problem solver who approaches issues from a solutions perspective. She earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from India as the only woman in her class and began but has not completed a master's program due to work and personal priorities. She values integrity and teamwork over workplace politics and advises failing fast to identify problems early.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Aiswarya
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success in automotive industry is that I am trying to have a footprint in the company that I work right now, Scout Motors, and I have been given the responsibility of all the body functions, which is very rare to see in the industry. I have proven myself that I actually can take over more work on me and make it work without compromising my values.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of my managers who told me, if everything is running smoothly in the beginning, something is really wrong with it. We need to fail fast, always. I have taken it as my motto in life, that it's okay to fail in the beginning so that we get to see all the problems.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Speak up. They tend to ignore us. When you have to shout, you have to shout. Speak up. Don't hesitate. And make sure that you prove your point. I am in automotive industry, very male-dominated. It took some time for me to find my own footing. If you speak softly, they don't take us seriously anymore. Speak up. Don't be scared.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Opportunities: getting calls from other OEMs or other big auto companies to join them for bigger roles. Challenges: The way of working is changing slowly, so we need to adapt to the new way of working. The biggest challenge is the senior management that I work with. They are not adapted to the new way of working. They just put in buzzwords but they themselves have not adapted to it.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity. I don't like politics at work. I tend and same with my personal life. I don't like anyone bothering me with my own personal choices, and I don't do the same to others. At work, I would like to work as a team, rather than playing politics, saying that one has to win, one has to lose.
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