Women of Aviation: Jackie

1. 

   My favourite part of my job is honestly the challenges. I love being busy and thrive in a challenging environment. I think that’s why I’m addicted to aviation because the industry is always evolving. 

   I’ve been in aviation for over twenty years. I started as a part-time customer service agent and now lead the Contact Centre team here at Swoop. I joined Swoop to be a part of the excitement of getting an airline off the ground, and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. 

   I have found a lot of my career success has come from never getting too comfortable and always being open to change. I believe that if you’re always changing, you’re always growing and moving forward. 

   COVID-19 has been devastating but has also made us better in a lot of ways. It has been a very challenging environment for our small team, we’ve had to be nimble, quick and as a leader, it’s been so important for me to remain positive and ensure that my team has the support they need. 

   When I think about my role as a leader, I don’t want to be known as a strong female leader. I want to be known as a strong leader. One of the things I love about the leadership team at Swoop is the diversity of gender. I don’t see anyone treating me differently because I am a woman, and I feel confident speaking up and voicing my opinions.

   As an industry, we need to continue to advocate for the value of diversity at the table and ensure that we are taking steps to create equal opportunity for all. We can start doing this by challenging those around us to see things differently and confronting our own biases. 

   If I had one piece of advice to share, it would be to remember that everyone has self-doubts, no matter their role or gender. Continue to stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone and remember to speak up because your opinion matters. It’s that simple.

   Jackie

   Leader, Call Centre