At GE, we recognize the value of diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where employees feel accepted, respected, and that they belong. This month, GE is celebrating Asian Pacific Heritage Month by spotlighting our employees’ unique identity, backgrounds, and experiences. In this month’s profile, we feature Lakshmi Krishnan, technology manager, GE Aerospace-Research, and Kit Siu, principal engineer, GE Aerospace-Research.
Lakshmi Krishnan
Technology Manager - Polymers & Performance Coatings
GE Aerospace-Research
Lakshmi Krishnan joined GE in 2010 and is currently the technology manager for the Polymers and Performance Coatings lab at GE Aerospace-Research. In this role she leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers who deliver innovative, application-specific, high-performance coatings and processes. She sat down with us to discuss how fostering diversity within the workplace can lead to change.
How do you hope to leave an impact on the world with your research?
I am proud to be part of and lead a team, for the larger GE Aerospace mission to invent the future of flight, lift people up, and bring them home safely. In my current role, I lead a team that pushes the boundaries of coating technologies for GE and the world. Enabling the team to develop new skills and capabilities to deliver for our commercial fleet, invent new coatings and material systems to strengthen our national defense, and coaching and mentoring early career professionals to be part of this larger mission is highly fulfilling.
What is the most important part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month to you?
I can truly resonate with this year’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month theme, “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” I came to the United States as an immigrant and was fortunate to have great mentors and several opportunities for personal and professional development and growth. As a people leader, I am excited about investing in my team’s personal and professional development by providing them opportunities to learn new skills and competencies that enable them to pursue their career goals.
Who is an inspirational Asian historical figure that has influenced or shaped your career/life?
Mahatma Gandhi and his quote, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” inspires me both in both my professional and personal life. As a mother of two teenagers I strive to be a role model for professional success to my children, but also enjoy teaching them to do the little things right. I am a big believer that “change starts at home.” While global warming is a global challenge to tackle, using less water and electricity and recycling are small but powerful changes we can make at home to do our part to help reduce global warming.
What will you be reflecting on and discussing with your network this year?
This year I would like to reflect on all the opportunities, mistakes, and learnings I have had as a graduate student, a researcher, and now as a people leader. While GE has made tremendous strides in retaining a diverse workforce, I would like to lead and continue to drive diversity in our workplace to create a world-class team that is the destination of choice for industrial Aerospace researchers.
Kit Siu
Principal Engineer – Knowledge Discovery and High Assurance Systems Lab
GE Aerospace-Research
Kit Siu is a 23 year veteran of GE and a graduate of GE’s Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP). Kit is currently a principal engineer in the High Assurance Systems lab at GE Aerospace-Research. In this role, Kit designs safety critical and high assurance software for military jet engines and avionics applications. She also leads a project through the Defense Advanced Research Agency’s (DARPA) Automated Rapid Certification of Software (ARCOS) program that works to speed up certification of software for critical military and industrial systems.
How do you hope to leave an impact on the world with your research?
I hope my research makes a difference in creating safe and secure software for airborne systems where failure is unacceptable. Along the way, I hope to write some very good research papers that are also fun to read.
What is the most important part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month to you?
The most important part about Asian Pacific Heritage Month is to empower and support one another in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. This can be through conversation, referrals, or just a friendly nod to fellow employees in the hallway.
Who is an inspirational Asian historical figure that has influenced or shaped your career/life?
Recently, I was inspired by two Asian Americans who both hold leadership roles. First is Linda Zhang, who is leading a team to deliver Ford’s first ever all-electric F-150 pickup truck. She is a Chinese immigrant who came to the US when she was eight years old and worked her way up the ranks at Ford. She’s now transforming the industry. The second is Kim Ng, who was just recently named the general manager of the Miami Marlins, making her the first female GM is baseball history. I was in awe when I learned about each of these stories because their careers overlap my interests—engineering and baseball—and they showed the world that passion in what you do can take you very far in your career.
What will you be reflecting on and discussing with your network this year?
I will be reflecting on all the people that have advocated for me throughout my career, both within the Asian American & Pacific Islander community and others.
GE employees who identify as Asian Pacific Islander (API) have created a great community through GE’s Asian Pacific Allies & Friends (APAF) employee resource group (ERG). For the last 25 years, the group has offered its members and the greater GE community opportunities for volunteering, education, mentoring, and more.
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