Julie Lockner: Setting the Standard for Women in Technology
By Akbar Ali
As Solix Technologies’ vice president of sales operations, Julie Lockner has made a name for herself selling Solix’s industry-leading data management solutions to large companies around the globe. More importantly, she’s also something of a pioneer.
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Lockner is the first woman to work in the office of the chief technology officer at EMC, the world's leading provider of data storage systems, and she is blazing the trail for women in technology through professional leadership and innovation.
Lockner first became attracted to the field of technology because of her father, who worked as an electrical engineer for Kodak. When she was young, her father designed the electrical system for the Kodak Disc Camera, and he would frequently bring home new camera prototypes for Julie and her brother to test before they hit the market.
"I wanted to continue in that field to improve the quality of life through imaging and technology," she recounts.
She attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA, where she received her degree in electrical engineering. She describes her specialty as "image processing using software to automate manual processes to improve our quality of life."
"I chose Worcester Polytechnic Institute because of its practical approach to applying engineering theory to real life situations. It was an excellent school and a great experience. It was also strange to go to a school with such a predominantly male population (7:1 at the time)," she recalls.
While in college, Lockner immersed herself in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, including the school's music program, which enabled her to travel across the globe to give concerts in diverse places such as Egypt, Romania, and the former Soviet Union. She was also a member of the campus organization Women in Engineering and was involved in campus Greek life.
Lockner's career as a technology professional began prior to graduation, when she worked as a co-op for Sikorsky Aircraft. Her primary task in this position was the modeling of real objects in software (i.e. landing gear and ground) for the 3-D simulator for the Apache and Comanche helicopters. This simulator was used by the helicopters' pilots who logged hours.
After graduation, she moved on to Raytheon, where she worked as a design engineer building test equipment for field-based radar and satellite communication systems utilized by the national armed forces.
Shortly thereafter, she began to yearn to return to the image processing industry. She found herself at Cognex, where her primary duty was "applying machine vision technology to guide robotic systems in the semiconductor industry and discrete manufacturing systems for improved quality control as a pre-sales engineer.
At that point, Lockner decided to move her career in a markedly different direction, transitioning from design to sales, which she describes as an "eye-opening move."
"From that point on, I continued to work in a customer interfacing capacity in sales, marketing, engineering, and business development, moving through several startups of various stages, mostly in the database application software market," she affirms.
Typically, most individuals in her position would have elected to pursue an MBA, but Lockner chose instead to work for a series of software companies that were sold into the industry. This move would help broaden her experience and build her knowledge base.
"I went to Concentra, a Salesforce Automation software company, to learn sales. Concentra was later acquired by Oracle. I then went to work for Verbind, a marketing automation company, which was then acquired by SAS Institute. From there, I went to EMC to learn about the infrastructure that is required for these enterprise business systems," she recalls.
Lockner ultimately left her position as a software portfolio architect at EMC to join Sunnyvale-based Solix Technologies, where she is actively working to improve the way the industry views the market, not only through her work with the company, but through her association with industry organizations such as the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA).
But her professional ambitions don't end there. "My goal is to … run a startup company that will continue to make improvements to our quality of life through the use of technology," she reveals.
Having worked in a variety of industry sectors and technology companies, Lockner has had more than a few successes along the way. Among her most memorable experiences is working on the simulator at Sikorsky Aircraft, which was rewarding for both professional and personal reasons.
"When I was modeling 'Ground', I knew I was making an impact on pilots training on the Apache and Comanche helicopters, improving their effectiveness when flying the real thing. I felt instant gratification knowing that I was having an impact on a soldier's life. Having a brother in the military at the time, it was rewarding."
Aside from her own learned capabilities, Lockner highlights her professional experience as a source of not only success, but of important lessons learned.
"During my transition from engineering into sales, I learned the importance of good communication skills, especially listening. In addition, I learned how important it is to focus on solving the problem or task at hand."
Though many aspiring techies look up to Lockner's career as a source of inspiration, she has had her own role models and mentors over the course of her academic and professional careers which she recognizes as having been vital to her success.
"My first mentor was my college advisor, Professor Nicoletti," Lockner says. "She recruited me into the Women in Engineering group, where I met with and presented to students after I graduated. She was an inspiration, and I miss her.
Lockner explains that Professor Nicoletti was sadly killed in a car accident a few years ago.
"Since then, my most influential colleagues or mentors have been those who challenged me to take on new roles in areas [where] I had no experience, and [they] support me during those trial days," she says. "I also thank those who told me when I was making a mistake and why — I may not have listened at the time, but I am listening now!"
To the expanding field of young professionals — especially the growing number of women in the industry — trying to make their mark in the competitive technology field, Lockner advocates constant education, awareness, and self-responsibility.
"Never stop learning and learn to embrace change." Things change all the time, expect change to happen — if you don't see it coming, you will end up surprised or caught off guard," she says. "Don't blame others for your failures. Take responsibility and accountability for your own actions. For women in this industry, this advice is especially true."
Q. What do you do for fun?
A.With three boys, one husband, two dogs, one cat, and a grandpa in one house, my family is what I do for fun!
Q. What CD is in your CD player right now?
A.Led Zeppelin — Houses of the Holy
Q. What was the last magazine you read?
A.Us (dentist waiting room)
Q. What is your favorite TV show?
A.Red Sox Post Season — after watching them win the World Series at Game 4 in St Louis, I can't help but be part of Red Sox Nation!!
Q. Who is your role model?
A.Hilary Clinton — she is adapting to change, learning from her lessons and mistakes, overcoming incredible obstacles, and she is doing it all with class.
Q. What makes you laugh?
A.Gary Larson's The Far Side and The Monty Python
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