What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first job was with Xilinx working as a summer student in 1985. I had one year of engineering courses under my belt. It was a marketing/applications job where I tested design software and developed logic libraries. This was the first time I could see some of my engineering courses being useful, especially the digital logic ones. The company was in a start up stage with only 40 people.

This experience gave me exposure to the start up environment where there's much activity and everyone's expected to "wear many of hats". The people were a lot of fun and it was nice to see a company being people oriented. It was also great to see results on things that I worked on appear immediately and get quick feedback (unfortunately in big companies it takes a long to see results).

What inspired you to choose your current field or the position you currently hold?

Interestingly enough I work at the same company I did as a summer student 12 years ago. When I graduated I knew the field that was going to best fit my needs was not in the engineering ranks. I had a picture of "nerdy" engineers in my mind who seemed to be holed up cubicles spending late nights with computers. Sales and marketing looked much more appealing. So I worked for VLSI Technology in sales and marketing for four years and went back to Xilinx as a major account manager in sales.

As a major account manager there's a lot of creativity. You have to be able to solve customer problems by working with different functions in the company. This way I also get a broader picture of what my company does and how it operates. This is important because my eventual goal is to be a general manager. I can also be as technical as I need to meet our customer's needs. To resolve design, manufacturing, test, quality and delivery issues, I direct the right "experts" in the factory and know when technical issues aren't getting addressed appropriately. It comes down to flexibility, creativity, and the ability to work with different people and functions. These attributes inspire me most.

Why would you encourage other women or young women and girls to choose careers in your field? What advice would you give someone who wanted to choose your career?

I would absolutely recommend that women and girls get into sales and marketing for high tech. With an engineering degree, you have the credibility to get a job with a high tech company (there are people who don't have the technical degrees, but they do feel it's harder for them). Working for a high tech company doesn't mean you have to be an engineer. There are many other disciplines including legal, marketing communications, operations, strategic planning, new product development, etc. I like sales because the pay is high. I would definitely recommend it for that!

My advice to women and girls is to find mentors. I can't stress that enough. It's important to find men and women who will tell you what jobs you can find in a corporation and if they are a good fit for you. Or maybe starting your own company is your goal. There are many resources to find out more about these things. For girls there is SWE, Society of Women Engineers, WITI (of course!), parents and friends of parents many of whom work in high tech. Don't be afraid to ask. Ask lots of questions because many times people are really happy to help others out. The are mentoring programs through schools, colleges and the Internet so you just have get out and look.

One last point: remember that things are really changing for women these days. Actions unfavorable to women that were accepted practices 5-10 years ago have (almost) gone by the way side. Don't be afraid to stand out, ask for what you want, and take what you can get because we women deserve it! And the resources are there now to help.

What motivates or inspires you on a daily basis in your field or job?

I like to find new ways to get things done. This has allowed me to take a leadership position in my group. I hope this inspires others in my group to take the lead as well. We all have great things to contribute and we should always be willing to truly listen to and internalize others' comments. It's really exciting when a new idea takes off and gets momentum. Then, when results occur it's important to recognize the accomplishments. These events are what inspire me!

What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?

Working with customers is the most interesting. Customers can be difficult to work with sometimes, but they are regular people just like we are. There are many levels on which to relate with customers. The more we treat them like regular human beings, the better we will understand and address their needs. In working with customers, what's interesting is that many times the issues are not "technical" in nature. They are usually business or communication issues. These are the ones I like to resolve.

Why is your field or industry important to society?

Xilinx makes programmable logic. It invented FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) which at the time 12 years ago, revolutionized the logic industry. On a large scale Xilinx gives equipment manufacturers a way to go to market quickly and release important products. These products include computers, medical equipment, telecom and industrial equipment which make everyone's lives better in terms of quality. On a smaller scale, Xilinx hires a lot of great people and gives back to its community. I have significant respect for high tech companies that do this like Xilinx, HP and Cisco.

What is your vision for your industry's or field's future? What are some of the exciting things to watch for in your field or industry?

One of the newest areas is reconfigurable computing. This is when programmable devices can change their configurations very rapidly which allows for new ways of using digital logic. It's a whole new frontier. And because programmable logic is so flexible, what we might see in the future is hardware that adapts to its environment and reprograms itself. Today all programming is dictated by the programmer. Some day machines based on a certain set of rules can start changing how they operate (evolving) so they become more efficient at solving problems.

What values are the most important to you and what do you value in others? How do you prioritize these values in your daily life?

I really appreciate people who are honest and don't try to "spin" their comments in order to get what they want. By the way, that is a common practice in sales. I make honesty a priority in my life. I also respect people who work with people and kids who need extra help like the disabled. That's an area where people have to give a lot of themselves. I respect that because it's harder to do than the work we do in the corporate world. I don't necessarily "prioritize" my values. They get used all the time in different ways depending on the situation.

What do you think are the most important character traits to develop in order to succeed professionally?

You have to be good at understanding people and issues. Listening skills are very important here. It took me a long time to realize that doing things precisely doesn't necessarily mean you've been successful. Many times it's how the people you've worked with feel about what's been accomplished and how it was done. You may accomplish your end goal with a team, but if they had a miserable time in the process they still might not feel "successful". Being responsive is also important. Just replying to an email or voice mail to let someone know you got it makes people feel like you heard them and action is being taken.

I also believe it's important to view what you do in your company on many levels. Activities you do for your company have different effects on different scales. You may have a project for your group that you think only affects your group. The more you can see how that project affects other groups, the organization as a whole and then your end customers, the more you see how important that project can be. It's necessary to make sure you communicate what your project is to the right people and celebrate your accomplishments with them when you are done.

All these recommendations are nice but won't get you very far unless you take the last step which is to communicate your accomplishments. As women, I think we try to down play our accomplishments, but how is anyone to know what they are if we don't announce them? This doesn't have to be a "one-upsmanship" thing. It can be a very factual declaration - this was our goal, we accomplished it on time and exceeded our original target by 30%, for example. Then go have a party. One last recommendation is to make sure you enjoy your work. If you don't like your situation, only you are responsible to change it.

Who is your hero, mentor or person you most admire and why?

My father is my hero. He started two semiconductor companies, Synertek and VLSI, and helped many others get off the ground. He has a B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. and inspired me to get into engineering. I'm sure he would have approved any field I chose as long as I went to college (but I'm sure this made him happy). He made sure I had what I needed to be successful including schooling and resources.

A recent mentor for me has been Wim Roelandts, CEO and President of Xilinx. He came to Xilinx a year ago and has really integrated well into the environment. I came to him with a proposal for a business opportunity and he took the time to read it, consider it and give me feedback. Subsequent to that he has committed to meet with me on a regular basis to give me advice on career goals. What's been significant for me is to see a CEO who is personable, honest, outgoing and responsive. I think sometimes we all see CEOs as being somewhat unapproachable and we worry that we can't continue to be "ourselves" as we gain authority and responsibility. Wim has given me faith that as I become a high ranking manager, I can be personable, honest, outgoing, responsive and successful too.

What is your favorite book and why?

One of my favorites is "Plain and Simple" by Sue Bender. About a year ago, I felt like my life was getting out of whack. I had an eight month old and thought I had all things coordinated, but I still wasn't feeling happy or satisfied. So I made a concerted effort to fix this. It included reading some self improvement books to help me slow down and appreciate life. As everyone knows you can have a million things to do each day, be attached to email, voice mail and a computer and then feel like you haven't gotten anything done.

"Plain and Simple" is about a busy Berkeley women who goes to live with the Amish and learns that to them, all jobs are seen as important and worthy (many of which we'd see as mundane). The book helped me realize that I can't do all things at once and the things I do should be enjoyed as I do them. It's important to live in the present and not focus on the future (new lists to be created) or the past (what didn't get done).

What technology has changed your life professionally or personally for the better?

The computer without a doubt! The computer and Internet are limitless (and are also blind to whether you're a man or woman!).

What are your future goals?

On the professional level, I'd like to become a general manager and continue to learn all the facets of a company. On the personal side, I like to help the community by working with kids. I am already involved with a non-profit organization, High School High Tech which gives disabled students exposure to the high tech work place. I'd also like to learn to be a better cook and gardener.

What do you do to relax?

I love tennis, skiing and sailing. I also enjoy (almost) every minute with my one and a half year son, Jared. My husband and I have many of the same interests so we get to do a lot together.