Braving the Wilderness: Navigating the Path to Leadership Courageously - Dr. Sarah B. Hiza, Ph.D., Vice President and General Manager of the Strategic and Missile Defense Systems Line of Business at Lockheed Martin Space

This episode is sponsored by Lockheed Martin!Dr. Sarah B. Hiza, Ph.D. is the Vice President and General Manager of the Strategic and Missile Defense Systems Line of Business at Lockheed Martin Space. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Lockheed Martin UK Strategic Systems Limited. In these roles, she is responsible for over 7,500 employees across 18 US and UK sites, supporting a broad portfolio of programs in strategic deterrents, missile defense, reentry systems, directed energy, and hypersonic strike. Dr. Hiza works to infuse innovation and emerging technologies into these programs to deliver for national security missions for the US Department of Defense and UK Ministry of Defense. Sarah brings tenacity, ownership, and people-focused leadership in the defense industry with a focus on execution excellence, customer partnerships, and risk management in high-risk operations across developmental, low-rate production programs to highly mature complex programs for defense systems. Dr. Hiza's technical expertise includes work in polymers and energetic materials, including explosives and rocket propellants, chemistry, and missile hardware subsystems. She holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech State University and a doctorate degree in polymer science from the University of Akron. She has one patent, has authored eight national publications, and has been highlighted for cultivating an inclusive work environment, which is evident in her people-focused approach to leadership and how she encourages the next generation of leaders to think about how their decisions impact the place of business, their coworkers, the community, and the world around them.Today's Pioneering Woman is Lolita Taub. Lolita Taub is an early stage investor and the founder of Ganas Ventures. The daughter of immigrant Mexican parents, her venture capital firm is driven by and for historically overlooked communities. Taub first began investing as an intern for K-Fund and then served as a principal and director of strategic initiatives at Backstage Capital while making investments for Indie. VC and NextGen Venture Partners. She is determined to be on the Forbes Midas list.Thank you for your Pioneering Contributions, Lolita Taub!Learn more about our story and mission at www.wonderwomentech.comPodcast Hosted by Lisa Mae Brunson, Founder of Wonder Women TechSound Engineering by Cari FavoleOriginal Music score by Carleigh StrangeIllustrated Artwork by Jessenia Hernandez - @sen.i.a on Instagram