Believing in yourself, expanding your role and turning strength into opportunity

Mastercard’s Olivia Leonard discusses her role as chief technology officer, how ‘successful’ women are responsible for opening doors and how technology is changing the industry.

When we think of a STEM professional, the thought that often comes to mind is that of someone who is technical, deliberate in their studies and wants to know how the results of scientific research affect our daily lives. While this is often true, STEM professionals, like all professionals, can have interests that span multiple disciplines.

Olivia Leonard is one such expert. Growing up, the senior vice president of engineering for payment solutions at Mastercard, he was a strong student in the fields of mathematics and science, but also loved books. For him this was a space where he could explore the things he wanted to know not only about the world around us, but how people think and how language helps us to understand “shared humanity”.

“That influenced my choice to study English literature and mathematics at university,” Leonard told SiliconRepublic.com.

“Although my degree did not point directly to a career path, I became increasingly interested in computers, I had a PC at home and I was curious about the Internet and its amazing power, so I went into technology with a higher diploma course in computer science.”

Having joined the technology environment almost three decades ago, in 1998, Leonard explained that the ever-changing environment creates opportunities for continuous learning and career growth, giving him the opportunity to learn, diversify and develop professional skills. And as problems arose, he found himself relying on others for support and giving that in return.

He said, “The biggest challenge I have faced and what I see in the people I teach, was to develop the faith to continue to do expanded roles, to translate power into opportunity.

“I was very lucky to have it leaders in my career journey who challenged me, encouraged me and trained me to take the next step. Now I see this as a big part of my role as a leader, providing mutual support to fully develop others.”

Great pressure

When he started, Leonard anticipated the importance of the Internet, identifying it as a method that would “change the way we live”, but he did not fully predict how much it would change, noting that only twenty years later the proliferation of smartphones and ubiquitous high-speed communication had changed the world.

Now, he believes that we are once again witnessing a major shift in the technology ecosystem as AI and quantum computing drive the next wave of revolution.

He said, “AI will change the way we work and the way we live, the expansion of human skills, with the power of productive AI. The ability to combine information with the processing possibilities of quantum computing will open up new ideas for us. Right now, we are seeing the beginning of the next wave of technological revolution, creating opportunities to solve new challenges.”

Amidst this rapid development of technology Leonard also noted that now more than ever, it is important for women to be encouraged to continue to be involved in engineering and STEM subjects. He finds that, as AI has the potential to have a real-world impact, it’s important that all data and algorithms are taken from a broader perspective.

He said, “This brings me back to my first education, the curiosity to understand people, the greatest value is found in broad and inclusive perspectives. It is exciting to see how STEM is integrated into education and after school activities.”

“My nephew has just been introduced to the National The Lego League finals. She and her team participated in a program they completed in their National Girl Guides organization. Young people in school now have a great opportunity to use their creativity and critical thinking skills to shape technology to drive economic growth and social progress.”

And for Leonard, it can’t stop here. Having been the beneficiary of what she described as special mentoring throughout her career, she knows how important support is for women, not just in the beginning of their professional life, but in everything.

She said, “Ultimately, supporting women and girls in STEM is about being consistent, listening, encouraging and removing barriers over time, so that diversity is part of how technology is built from the beginning, rather than an afterthought.”

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