Vanguard Magazine

26 JUNE/JULY 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com G A M E C H A N G E R See the full interview online Q How did you start out in this industry and how has it brought you to where you are today? I was 18 when the war started in former Yugoslavia and I was working toward be- coming a teacher. I chose a different career direction once in Canada. After ten years in Canada, I was look- ing to re-enter the workforce after hav- ing children and a friend suggested I'd be good in the government relations role. I was hired by the vice president of gov- ernment relations for Pratt & Whitney on the administrative side in 2008. I was not a typical hire for the government relations role. I did not have a background in aero- space and defence, but I entered through the small door (that's a saying from my background). I feel he was critical to me getting the opportunity. I am grateful to Greg Hayes, now Ray- theon Technologies' Chairman & CEO, for his commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and for recognizing my hard work which led to my initial promotion to a senior manager position for United Tech- nologies. After the merger in 2020, I have become the Canadian Lead for govern- ment relations for Raytheon Technologies. Q What is your role at your organization today? I represent all of our business units in Canada. I help facilitate understanding on both sides – government and Ray- theon Technologies. I guide and advise our business units about appropriate communication and engagement with government officials and help govern- ment officials understand what our com- pany does, what we make and how we at Raytheon Technologies help and are committed to Canada. Q What was your most challenging moment? My most challenging moment was watching my parents lose everything in one day in the war and watching them figure out how to save the lives of their two children. My parents, in their late 40's and both WWII orphans, were so proud of their accomplishments and lost it all. I was old enough to see it. Their courage is why I am where I am now. I was a refugee for six-and-a-half years before I immigrated to Canada. The Ca- nadian government sponsored landed immigrant status for my husband and I and facilitated our initial integration into the Canadian system. Q What was your A-HA moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader? I would replace the term "A-HA" with "realization or discovery." For me, this is the moment when I felt proud of myself for the first time. That moment, which came in 2015 and was a pivotal moment in my career, when I felt like I belonged to this group. I was working alongside a senior vice president and this leader had faith in me - I felt so empowered. This was a milestone in my career and resonates with me to this day. It empow- ered me to make decisions in critical mo- ments. This is my personal success story. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? Fired up doesn't describe how I feel. For me, it's being motivated, encouraged and excited. The thing that has me excited is hope. Many people don't have hope but I do. I think of all the world issues, maybe more because of my career and my civil war memories, and I get reminded every day that the world isn't perfect. But I am part of this large ecosystem and I feel hopeful be- cause Canada is on the world stage, where we are contributing and being heard. I live in a country where I do have a voice. I live in a diverse community where my children grew up and are oblivious to seeing any difference in people around them. Their inclusive minds give me hope too. I'm excited because I'm part of that community. I'm also excited by where our company fits into all of this. Our portfolio contrib- utes to global health and I am part of that. Q What is the best advice you received? Be courageous. I read this in a Raytheon Technologies leadership guide. To me, this means that I am empowered by my leadership to ignore the noise around me, trust my intuition and do what I think is right and take action. Q What is a habit that contributes to your success? Achieving balance. Balance is extremely important for me. I work intensely but when I feel like I need to stop, I respect that so I can recharge. I train myself to disconnect when I need to. I take my inspiration, both personally and professionally, from my background, where I come from. I allow myself to stay close to my authenticity, even when I feel that might isolate me at times. Q What is your parting piece of advice? Trust your intuition. BILJANA JOVANOVIC CANADA LEAD, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES

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