February 11th was International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It reminded me that the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are currently the fastest growing segment of the economy with employers desperately seeking talent— and that talent includes women!  

When I received a job offer from the IBM Corporation as a Scientific Programmer, l was thrilled. So, I accepted without reservation. At that time, I was in graduate school studying mathematics with a focus on analytics (analyzing patterns in data or searching algorithms). I loved the work, but one day after hours of testing, I was told that they wanted me to transfer to IBM’s Owego, NY site to work on their NASA contract. My male colleague (who later became my husband) was the other programmer assigned to the project. I was assigned to code and test the operational programs for Gemini flights 10, 11 12, and my future husband was performing the mathematical analysis to calculate the aerodynamic impact on the rockets, etc. I took his analysis and translated it into machine language codes. It was very hard work, but a lot of fun and very rewarding. I learned innovation, speed, and zero-defect execution from this project.

I have carried these three key principles throughout my entire career. As I look back, so many projects that my teams and I worked on were all strategically positioned and not reactive. Later, these disciplines greatly contributed to my teamwork at State Street Global Technology Services, rewarding us with 32 industry technology innovation awards. 

With the recent pandemic, the demand for technology innovation, speed, and zero-defect execution is expanding. All innovative ideas demand technology, and that calls for a math, science, and engineering background to make them happen. The world needs more people, and specifically women with this background, to help accelerate innovation. 

Everyone can be an innovator. However, not all innovators are successful. In my book, The Innovator’s Path, I describe eight key disciplines: Listen, Lead, Position, Promote, Connect, Commit, Execute, Evolve, all critical to innovation success. We need to Listen to the market and our customers; Leaders should create a vision and Position strategically. Then, we need to articulate our vision, and brand and Promote value for our customer’s business. Promote every chance you have, then Execute. Vision without Execution is a daydream. Execution without a vision is a nightmare. After Execution, we cannot stand still. We must Evolve based on the market and customer requirements to make their products and services better, faster, and cheaper.

A very brilliant innovative leader told me “The race is against yourself.” This is so true. Even if a company or organization is at the top of the competition, it still must evolve and continue to improve and be better. I like the line saying, “The best is yet to come.” As an innovator, this mentality is critical to your success!  

As a woman and Asian immigrant, I urge all girls and women to consider the excitement of these fields. If any STEM discipline interests you, “go for it.” Ask your school for a mentor. Your contributions can impact the world around you! 

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Op-ed by Madge Meyer. Madge is a retired Chief Innovation Officer and Technology Fellow at State Street Corporation, where she served as Executive Vice-President for over a decade. Prior to joining State Street, she held executive positions at Merrill Lynch and IBM, and began her career as a scientific programmer for IBM. Madge is also an AACA board member, and serves on boards for several venture capital firms and non-profits. She has been a trustee for the Boston Children’s Museum for eight years and is now an Honorable Trustee.

SAMPAN, published by the nonprofit Asian American Civic Association, is the only bilingual Chinese-English newspaper in New England, acting as a bridge between Asian American community organizations and individuals in the Greater Boston area. It is published biweekly and distributed free-of-charge throughout metro Boston; it is also delivered to as far away as Hawaii.