Women in Wind 2020 Q&A: Judit Szasz

What sort of challenges did you encounter in entering the sector? 

I transitioned to the wind industry from telecommunications, therefore, the technology was brand new to me back in 2008 when this switch happened. However, as I continued on the line of project management and became more familiar with the basics of the wind power generation, the initial technology-related loophole shrank in size. 

In a nutshell, I can say that I was fortunate not to perceive any specific challenge when entering the renewable energy sector.

If you had to pick one key issue facing women in the wind power sector, what would it be and why?

In my experience, the hoops a woman ought to jump through, in order to be accepted by men as almost equal, are higher than the hoops to be jumped through by for the same reason.  In my opinion, strong and assertive women are considered as “threats” by most men in leadership and are not welcomed with open arms. In contrary, strong and assertive men are perceived positively as “challengers” by the same male leadership and welcome to join the club. This is certainly not my wind power-specific observation, but rather a generic one.

Finally, what do you hope to achieve as a mentor in the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program? How will you contribute to the next generation of female leaders in the sector?

I am honored to have been selected as a Mentor for the 2020 Program. By sharing with my Mentee my experiences, successes and failures, I believe I contribute to her development, to shaping her views and to supporting her ability to respond to situations that women in leadership face professionally. This is my time to “pay it forward,” and I am happy to contribute.