With a degree in computer science and applied chemistry, Australian-born Roslyn Stuart has worked in defense, energy, and mobility (transportation of people and goods) for the last 20 years.
“My career path has not been a straight line, but it has brought me to a fascinating place,” Roslyn says. “I started out in underwater acoustics with remote operated vehicles (ROV) in Deepwater Horizon. I also worked on underwater acoustic reference torpedo tracking systems for the U.S. Navy, submarine positioning systems with the Royal Navy, and hydrographics systems with the Royal Australian Navy.”
She then moved from naval systems to the Hitachi Rail and the railway industry. Often the only woman working on a project, she served as a bridge between people in operational technology (OT) – the hardware and software that drives machines – and in information technology (IT) – the technology focused on collecting, storing, and managing data.
As Country Manager of Hitachi Rail Australia, Roslyn reached a career milestone with the creation of AutoHaul, a joint project with the global mining company Rio Tinto and the world’s first fully automated, long-distance, heavy-haul rail network.
Seeing her leadership potential and unique skill sets, Hitachi moved Roslyn to Silicon Valley in 2023 to drive the synergies of Digital Technologies and Hitachi’s Industrial businesses across Hitachi’s Energy and Mobility sectors.
“It was a very intense change,” Roslyn shares. “I was suddenly in Silicon Valley, building relationships across the Hitachi Group of companies, and utilizing my skills and experiences to stitch together global synergy opportunities that marry OT and IT with digital capabilities in an innovative way.”
Hitachi’s HR department felt that Roslyn’s track record made her a great candidate for Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) Executive Education – specifically, the Executive Program in Women’s Leadership. “I took one look at the program and said, ‘This would be a great opportunity to strengthen my communications, executive influence, collaboration, and strategy skills; grow my network among like-minded female executives; and become a better leader. Sign me up,” Roslyn says.
Women Leading with Power
Roslyn enrolled in the one-week, on-campus program, where participants learn to navigate gender dynamics in the workplace and act with power. The curriculum is designed to help women transform the way they negotiate and manage teams, and fundamentally change the way they lead.
Though Roslyn had experience leading teams in male-dominated industries, she wanted to gain more insights, techniques, and confidence to succeed in her expanded role.
“The experience significantly changed me,” Roslyn shares. “The content was brilliant and, importantly for my data-driven mind, backed up by research. The professors, who sat down to dinner with us every night, provided an important real-world experience element. I was blown away.”
Roslyn says sessions on Acting with Power reinforced her leadership style. “We learned how to better communicate and negotiate, including the tactics and emotions often involved in negotiations,” she says. “We learned about creating and claiming value in negotiations, which aren’t all about win–lose, but about using collaborative problem solving to build effective business relationships.”
Roslyn enjoyed learning with other women business leaders from around the world.
“From morning fitness through dinner, spending my days with 50 women from different backgrounds meant new perspectives and greater learning,” she says. “Not only did I experience my own transformation, but I was humbled to see my peers transform as well. It was an amazing experience.” Roslyn’s cohort keeps in touch via WhatsApp. “The networking opportunities and connections are invaluable to my career and my influence within Hitachi,” she says.
Tools and Skills to Build Global Teams
Roslyn is using her newly learned skills out in the real world, as she continues to serve as a bridge for innovation and synergy creation across Hitachi. “I’ve learned to have the grace, gravitas, voice, and posture to lead teams more effectively.”
“The program taught me communication and negotiation strategies, along with the cultural aspects of global business, to bring people together to use data, AI, and automation systems to make Hitachi’s traditional industries smarter and more efficient,” she adds. “I can now negotiate everyone’s concerns to create roadmaps for innovation using agile digital technologies. With great technologies and effective collaboration across teams, we are delivering significant innovations in a matter of months. That’s historically unheard of in traditional OT-heavy environments, especially with physical AI. It’s a whole new world.”
To other female executives considering the program, Roslyn offers this advice: “Grab the opportunity to attend this program if offered. You will learn to capitalize on your existing strengths and tap new skills and strategies to do your job better, manage teams more efficiently and effectively, and grow as a leader. You won’t regret your participation, not for a second.”
