Osnat Bacher

I really care a lot and work really hard. I'm very driven to solve problems and assist people. I'm willing to be flexible and think about new approaches to whatever is required, so being relentless is a big part of it. I don't give up easily, and I'm always looking for ways to help and make a difference.

I had a mentor when I worked at EA, where I was an engineering director at the time. I talked to him about some challenges I was facing, and he told me something that really stuck with me: 'It's all about relationships.' That was a really important message for me, coming from technology and thinking it's about knowing the right solution or having the right answer. But it's not - it's all about building relationships and maintaining them, accepting that people are different from you and their perspective matters, and really listening. That advice changed how I approach my work.

This is actually why I'm doing what I'm doing - it's my mission to help young women enter the field of engineering and STEM, because I think it's important that we have a place at the table. My advice would be to be yourself. I think many women try to fit in and try to be what someone else expects them to be, but if you know who you are and what you bring to the table, that should be enough. Strengthen the things you're already good at - don't try to be someone else. Many times women are in a position where they're trying to satisfy someone else's wishes or requirements or ideas, but being able to sit in the driver's seat and say 'this is where I want to be, this is my contribution, and these are my values' is very important.

One challenge in my field is that there are so many wonderful coaches and many different approaches and ways of doing things. It's less structured compared to engineering, where there are methods and tools and more structure, and more ways to evaluate progress. In coaching, it's softer - it's more about chemistry and trust and building relationships. It's not as clear as computer engineering, where it's either 0 or 1, either working or it's not. As a coach, I have to learn to accept imperfections and understand that I'm learning and on my way. Sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. That's a challenge, especially when you're coming from the outside and not part of the company.

Values are very important to me because if you have clarity about your values, it's like a compass that can guide your everyday decisions and how you act. It shapes what you do and how you do it. I think knowing your values, defining them, and having a very clear vision is like being in the driver's seat in your life. My values are very simple and basic: equality, respect, collaboration, and innovation. These represent the society I want us to all live in. I also believe strongly in contribution - understanding what I'm here for and what I want to give to the world. That's the essence for me. Many times women are in a position where they're trying to satisfy someone else's wishes, so being able to sit in the driver's seat and say 'this is where I want to be, this is my contribution, and these are my values' is very important.