Heather Bullard

I attribute my success to the values instilled by my military parents, particularly bravery and confidence. As a first-generation college graduate who earned my degree while raising my children and running a household, I learned early on about determination and resilience. Entering the male-dominated aviation industry, especially in technical fields like engineering, science, and math, required me to develop thick shoulders and not be intimidated. Supply chain management is highly stressful work where everything tends to be supply chain's fault regardless of the cause, so you have to be tough. Throughout my 31 years in aviation, I've been in six to seven meetings a day where there were typically never more than one to two women in attendance, and that continues to be the dynamic today. I've learned that success comes from being brave enough to walk into the room and being outspoken professionally, sitting in the space with confidence, knowing who you are and your value. It's about not being afraid to fail, because failure happens and life happens. When you fail, you have a decision to make - either give up and do it the easy way, or push on and figure out how to be successful next time. I restore my energy through gardening, which is very peaceful, and teaching myself how to paint and draw, which is very therapeutic. Spending time with my husband, children, and grandchildren, watching them grow up and turn into successful people, also brings me great joy and helps me show up as my best self every day.

The best career advice I ever received was to have a mentor. I absolutely believe that mentorship has been extremely helpful, especially in the field that I'm in where there is lower participation of females. It does make a difference. Now, mentoring doesn't have to be one-to-one, male or female, but I can say that strength does come in numbers. When women who have faced an uphill challenge in a place where by percentage she's in the minority connect with each other, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and confidence. Confidence is so key in what we do every day, in our knowledge and where we are both professionally and personally. Having a mentor also provides advocacy, which is absolutely important. I currently have a couple of mentees now, and I also have a mentor that I check in with from time to time. We talk about career goals, how things are going, and how to continue on a positive path, or if things aren't positive, how to redirect, reframe, reorganize, get some breathing room, and address challenges.

I would tell young women entering this industry to learn about it and go into the technical piece of aviation in general so you can speak the language and understand the general technical jargon and the way things work. Some people have a natural mind for it, but the key is to just try not to be afraid. Be bold and brave. Sit in the space with confidence, know who you are and know your value. I think that, more than anything, makes a person successful. I would also absolutely recommend having a mentor. In fact, I have a couple of mentees now, and I also have a mentor that I check in with from time to time. We talk about career goals and how things are going, how to continue on a positive path, or if things aren't positive, how to redirect, reframe, reorganize, get some breathing room, and address challenges. Mentorship is extremely helpful, especially in a field where there is lower participation of females. Strength comes in numbers, and when women who have faced an uphill challenge connect, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and confidence, which is so key in what we do every day.

One of the biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now is effective risk management. Supply chain continues to be a challenging space for companies and businesses, both globally and domestically. COVID taught us a lot about what we should be planning for in terms of risk management. Unfortunately, in the aviation community, we learned some lessons the hard way as a result of that pandemic. However, I think it's improving. I think companies will do better in planning for bad days, if you will, or bad periods of time that extend beyond just a couple of days of a part arriving short or what have you. With 31 years of experience in the aviation industry, I currently manage supply chain operations and have seen firsthand how the pandemic tested supply chains and highlighted vulnerabilities. Today, organizations are better prepared for potential disruptions, making strategic risk management more critical than ever.

The values most important to me are honesty and gratitude - those are two very big things in our family. Hard work is essential, and I believe in not being afraid to fail from time to time because it happens. Life happens, and failure is a guarantee. It's what you do once you've been through it that matters. You have a decision to make - either give up and do it the easy way, or push on and learn from the failure so you can figure out how to be successful next time. I find great fulfillment in being a positive influence on other people, which I think is sometimes more important than networking. I believe networking comes as a natural byproduct of being out and communicating with other people. I'm passionate about volunteering and have contributed to several causes that are dear to me. I volunteered with a group home for young women who were single mothers, helping prepare them for adult life, raising children, and building careers. I also contributed to Dress for Success, a program that helps women with resume writing, getting them ready for interviews, and providing appropriate clothing for interviews. Additionally, I support Freedom House, an organization specifically for young women and women in general who are addicts, helping with addiction programs, attorney fees, and preparing them to go back into the workforce. Quality time with my family is equally important - I'm married with grown children and grandchildren, and I love spending time with them, watching them grow up and turn into successful people.