Her Story
About Velinda
My journey into project management began at Lucent Technologies in 1998, where I started as a facilities manager. My boss saw something in me and suggested I move into project management, placing me in a junior PM position, and that's really where I took off. At Lucent, I worked in an engineering-type field with the motto 'We make things work that you can't see,' focusing on technology for phones, fiber optics, and wireless communications until around 2003. After that, I worked as a project manager for Accor North America (Motel 6), implementing their new front office guest registration system called FOLES. For the last 15 years, I've been managing national projects for T-Mobile, doing software projects and engineering work. I focus heavily on the packet core side, which is like the repository for all network configuration changes, along with software upgrades and other project management activities. What I love most about my work is getting things done - I'm a finisher. I like to check that to-do box and mark things as complete. That's true across my entire life. The key to my success has been showing up, taking complex projects and simplifying them along with all the requirements, and most importantly, speaking up. A lot of people, especially women in male-dominated fields like engineering, are afraid to speak up in the room. But I've learned that you need to be your authentic self and have enough courage to speak up when you don't understand something.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Velinda
01What do you attribute your success to?
The key factor to my success is showing up, taking complex projects, and simplifying them along with all the requirements, and speaking up. A lot of people don't speak up, especially women. You need to be your authentic self and have enough courage to speak up when you don't understand something. I've spent most of my career in male-dominated fields like engineering and aviation, where the men kind of just take over, but women really do need to speak up. That's probably one of the bigger things - always speak up.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be your authentic self. You don't need to change anything about you, because you are your superpower. Be yourself, and speak up. Don't be afraid. I've spent most of my career in male-dominated industries like engineering and aviation, where it's mostly men in the room and the men kind of just take over. But women really do need to speak up. You are your superpower, so be yourself and speak up - that's the most important advice I can give.
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