Issue 04: Stand Your Ground

Meet Lizy Paul, Director of Technical Strategy for the Advanced Solutions, Data Links, and Tactical Communications businesses within Mission Systems at Collins Aerospace (the second largest defense organization in the world).

Lizy is the first woman to be elected Chair by its 400 members, of the National Spectrum Consortium, in the US.

The National Spectrum Consortium is comprised of technologists, engineers, scientists, manufacturers and program managers from an assortment of over 400 U.S. companies. These include defense contractors along with commercial, academic, non-traditional commercial companies and telecom companies. It will be Lizy’s job to get all of these companies to work together to provide innovative solutions to the Department of Defense around next-generation (5G and spectrum superiority) technologies.

Overcoming Traditional Expectations

Lizy was three years my junior in St. Charles High School, Bangalore, India. Her sister, Mary, was my classmate. I was honoured to be able to have a long chat to Lizy via Zoom from my study in HK and her living room in the US. She talked to me about her journey to where she is now, with a combination of pride, humility, vulnerability, gratitude and a touch of angst.

Like most nice girls from traditional families, Lizy’s family had high expectations of educational success, but even higher expectations of her becoming the ideal wife with the perfect family.

But Lizy always knew that she was meant for more. From a young age, she was game for any challenge, topping her class, excelling both in studies and sports, and showing leadership throughout her school and university years. Her father was her strongest champion and mentor, encouraging Lizy to try anything, and seeing a bright future in medicine for her. However, that was not the career she saw for herself…blood made her squeamish. Always passionate about engineering, Lizy quickly enrolled herself in that stream in college before anybody had much say in the matter. When she graduated with her bachelor’s degree, Lizy ranked 10th in India, a tremendous achievement for a women in the male dominated world of STEM, and the competitive educational environment in India.

Choosing to Challenge

Despite concerted efforts at being groomed for wifedom, Lizy had mentally mapped a path of independence for herself which did not include a husband, and most definitely not one who would demand a dowry. But neither did it include staying in India. Lizy had dreams of getting a scholarship to an Ivy League school abroad. So she finally conceded to her parents’ demands that she marry, provided her future groom would not expect a dowry and could take her out of India. And so it happened, a marriage was arranged to Lizy’s requirements, and Lizy moved to the United States with her new husband.

Once in the US, Lizy quickly got scholarships to a number of schools, but accepted an offer at Johns Hopkins… the first undergraduate they’d ever hired! She very quickly out-did herself, gained a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and soon landed roles that took her up the corporate ladder, and across 19 countries. She later completed an Executive MBA from the University of Iowa.

Success has not come easy. Lizy has made many sacrifices in her journey as a woman leader in technology. She moved cities frequently, and being the mainstay of the family, had to resettle her young son and husband each time the family moved.

She has had to adjust to being a stranger in a new land quite frequently, with no family or friends; a wife of a husband with extremely traditional expectations; a mother raising a young child; and a woman in leadership in the very male dominated Defense industry. She has sailed through it all, never missing a beat, and succeeding spectacularly.

A Force to be Reckoned With

Speaking openly, Lizy tells me about the many micro-aggressions she has faced. From male bosses and colleagues, who would speak over her or dismiss her ideas, later to accept those same ideas from male colleagues, to downright rudeness about her suitability as a leader. She learned to assert herself, when being interrupted, looking directly at her interrupter to say in no uncertain terms “let me finish”. She also learned to speak up in defense of herself to those who sought to belittle her.

Lizy also endured open racism. Once, she was not allowed in to her own office premises by her organisation’s security guards because she looked Mexican. She escalated this discriminative treatment to her HR and leaders, and soon every employee in the security company had to undergo cultural sensitivity and unconscious bias training.

Lizy is proud that she has chosen to challenge injustices, regardless of who generates them. Her motto is Stand Your Ground.

“If everybody runs, then we’re part of the problem” says the intrepid Ms. Paul.

Gratitude and Balance

Up at the crack of dawn, Lizy starts her day with a run, a healthy breakfast, and then gets to work, energized. When she’s not working, Lizy hikes, runs, skis and spends quality time with her son and biggest fan Matt, who is now 23.

While standing up for herself and others, Lizy stresses the need to maintain professionalism and taking the high road, regardless of the treatment she has had to endure. She credits good friendships, sponsors and champions for bolstering her and giving her the encouragement to keep going. She has raised a well-grounded son who has witnessed his mothers’ journey and is now an ally and champion of women.

No wonder then, that she now chairs a Consortium comprised of such high powered leaders. Who better to lead than a confident, intelligent, fearless woman, with the collaborative skills that women leaders can now proudly own? Add to this her cultural adaptability, and you have a leader that understands what it takes to find solutions to the problems of the 21st century.

Congratulations, Lizy Paul! You inspire young girls and women to challenge traditional expectations, pursue their dreams and stand their ground!