I did not stumble upon the aerospace industry by accident. I am Nouf Al-Juaid, chief of human resources (HR) at the Saudi Rotorcraft Support Company (SRSC).
I am the first Saudi woman to take on this role within the aerospace industry in my country.
My father was an aeronautics engineer who joined the Royal Saudi Air Force through a Ministry of Defense engineering program and retired as a brigadier general.
He is my best friend, mentor and the main reason I fell in love with the aerospace industry to begin with.
Before joining the SRSC, I worked in talent acquisition at Boeing and served as a mentor at a joint program between Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and Boeing Saudi Arabia.
I was also a co-instructor at a Boeing annual summit on diversity and inclusion, in which I had the privilege of working side by side with three inspiring women. The summit addressed how women in the Middle East can break stereotypes.
Like any military family, we moved around air bases in the Kingdom and abroad. Our travels spanned from as far as St. Louis, Missouri in the US to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Though I have been fortunate to have been exposed to different cultures, my roots run deep in Saudi Arabia.
This is where I have learned some of the most cherished values, including strength and respect.
My grandfather, a great family man, and my grandmother, a woman of strength who continued taking care of her family after losing her husband and two of her children, raised great leaders and lived beyond the age of 100.
In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, camping and going on exciting adventures.
I often hold gatherings with impressive future Saudi female leaders who inspire me.
I also have a passion for interior design and have a small project in the works that I have named “dragonfly designs” because in almost every part of the world, the dragonfly symbolizes change that stems from mental and emotional maturity and an understanding of the deeper meaning of life.
Having been certified by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in HR and personal development, I am helping out on a new project that raises awareness about the importance of mental health and employee well-being in the workplace.
We are considering calling this initiative “sunlight ” after being inspired by the quote: “Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It is about how you drive, not where you are going.”
The project is in its initial phase and we are partnering with experts in the field to ensure safer and healthier workplaces for all.