10/03/2022
According to recent research less than 17% women are Airport Managers.
During will share the inspiring stories of women in aviation today to empower all the women and girls who have or dream of a career in aviation. 💪 👩✈️
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AviAll x Jessica van Zeijderveld
How it started: I graduated from Cranfield University's MSc Airport Planning and Management in 2020. Right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when there were few opportunities for graduates. I utilized this time by checking in with my network and enrolling for a second master's in marketing, the same field as my bachelor's. Nonetheless, my
mind was set on finding an opportunity that would bridge my interests.
How it is going: Copenhagen Optimization is a company that offers Better Airport, a data-driven optimization solution, and
Virtual Queuing. As I was studying near Copenhagen, I applied for their part-time Sales Representative role,
which has since transformed into the full-time role of Business Development Manager, starting in April. Being
able to initialise and maintain a dialogue with airports, discuss their needs and wants, and provide a fitting
solution, has been the opportunity I was looking for.
Change on thing: A change that I would love to see in the industry, is for airports, both large and small, to embrace the opportunities that data and digitalization can have for their operations, expenses, employees, and passengers. Having done my dissertation on it, I can attest that Airport 4.0 is coming, and it is coming in fast. Are you ready
for take-off?
Share with other women: There's a certain number of women within the field that come from a non-aeronautical milieu, myself being
one of them. Within the aviation industry, I have met women whose backgrounds ranged from consultancy all the way to fashion! It may be intimidating to enter such a specific and technical field, but persistency and soft skills will always translate well. If you're thinking of switching industries, I recommend that you book a one-way ticket, and get on that flight.