Lockheed Martin’s Lorraine Martin, Deputy Executive Vice President of its Mission Systems and Training business, spoke on the ‘Women in Leadership and in Business’ panel with Her Excellency Fatima Al Jaber, Board Member, Al Jaber Group and other industry leaders, at the Women in Industry Forum on May 23.

The day-long series of panel and roundtable discussions were designed to “discuss, define and drive the timetable for cultivating and advancing the role women play within the global corporate and cultural landscapes within industries.”

“When we expand the overall number of qualified women in the workforce, we will see an even greater, exponential impact on the global economy,” said Martin.

“Therefore, it is of global importance to educate young women and provide everyone equal opportunities to work, to lead and to succeed. The more intelligent, problem-solving human capital we have in the marketplace, the more innovation and growth we will see, particularly in emerging markets,” she added.

In offering advice to the next generation of female leaders, Martin said, “It all starts with education and that learning should never stop. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education provides a distinct advantage in our field. It is critical to innovation, and I would encourage any young woman to consider STEM subjects – or career development opportunities in these fields.”

In closing, she added: “Have confidence in yourself, look for opportunities outside of your comfort zone and above all - focus on performance. The philosophy I developed over the years is ‘every commitment, every day,’ which underscores the importance of consistently delivering and ensuring you are contributing to projects that make a difference in your business.”

As a trusted partner of the UAE with more than 50 years of regional experience, Lockheed Martin supports the UAE’s strategic objectives of advancing women in leadership and business. Underscoring Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the region’s human capital development, is the world-class training offered through Lockheed Martin’s Center for Innovation and Security Solutions at Masdar City, which opened in December of 2014.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.