How Positive Leadership and Relationship Building Can Drive Business Success!
As the saying goes, “People are the heart of a company.” and no one understands this better than a leader who truly puts their team first.
In a world where profits and bottom lines often reign supreme, it’s refreshing to come across a leader who values people above all else. Meet Katarina Gotovac, a leader who has built a career and a company on the foundation of optimism and relationship-building in the aerospace Company.
It all began with Katarina’s passion for voyaging and aviation. For her, the feeling of freedom and adventure was irresistible. Fuelled by her love for travel and flying, she made the bold decision to join her family’s aerospace company. From that moment on, she knew that she was destined to take to the skies and explore the world like never before. Her journey has taken her to new heights, both literally and figuratively.
As the Vice President of LHM Technologies Inc, Katarina is a name that has been making waves in the Aerospace industry. Utilizing her passions as motivation, this young entrepreneur is making a significant impact in the field of aviation.
With her expertise, innovative ideas, a keen eye for detail and an understanding of the industry’s requirements, Katarina has helped the company achieve new heights.
Join us as we discover Katarina Gotovac’s incredible journey!
Please brief us about yourself and what inspired you to embark on this sector.
LHM is a family-owned company. I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to work for LHM at a very young age. My inspiration was initially generated by my immediate family, as well as my love for travel and flying. We, as a family, have invested heavily in manufacturing and growing with the Aerospace industry. I would not be far off in saying that manufacturing was instilled in me from a very young age. As the years passed and LHM continued to grow, my inspiration continued to be influenced more by our LHM family and the passion that derives from the understanding that we are part of a much larger picture; helping millions of individuals and families travel the world and helping the Canadian and U.S. militaries protect our countries. We, as a team, appreciate the importance of manufacturing critical landing systems that are vital to the plane’s functionality.
Could you please elaborate on your story as the beacon of your organization and how you have positioned it as a dependable player in the competitive market?
I am a team player and place a lot of emphasis on soft skills that I believe are crucial in ensuring colleagues work together and operations run smoothly. I come from a management and marketing background, but most importantly was an athlete my entire life and have a competitive mindset, always driven to win no matter what level.
I utilize the leadership, communication, organization, and teamwork skills I have learned on the many courts and fields I have played on. These skills have helped us facilitate a cohesive environment, building a team that not only works together and trusts each other but believes in each other and pushes each other to higher levels. We produce some of the hardest-working individuals in the industry who take pride in us succeeding together as a team. This is truly what we are proud of.
Could you please brief us about your company and how your expertise has contributed to the development of the company?
I believe my most important contribution to the company has been the effort toward guiding our team by having a positive influence and doing everything I can to provide I believe my most important contribution to the company has been the effort toward guiding our team by having a positive influence and doing everything I can to provide stability. I try to see the positive in all individuals and focus on developing their strengths. I work with team members to create a high retention rate through relationship-building at every level of the organization. I promote a “Don’t give up” attitude and try to continuously find ways to achieve our goals. Our people are highly critical to us, so I keep an open-minded management strategy and place focus on taking the time to connect with our employees. I always focus on what is truly important to sustaining a business in the long term; relationships with employees, suppliers, and customers.
As you prioritize services and excellence, can you shed some light on the different services & technologies and their unique features provided by your organization?
LHM emphasizes continuous growth in technology and systems to improve our manufacturing capabilities and our service offerings. We not only manage LHM well, but we emphasize building strong partnerships with our suppliers, which allows us to better understand the bottlenecks and risks in the industry. We have a lot of experience and skill with our talented team members. Our strengths lie in manufacturing highly complex parts that some may deem non-manufacturable, as well as producing parts others may have difficulty manufacturing. Our culture is one-hundred percent geared towards quality. In a world where the price is of the greatest importance, we will always consider quality the most critical factor and will continue to emphasize the importance of delivering quality products all of the time.
Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies has impacted the sector. How has your association incorporated such technologies into its daily operations?
Technology and equipment are always changing and improving, resulting in an unquestionably consistent positive impact on the efficiencies, accuracy, and quality of all manufacturing industries. At LHM, we are constantly investing in new technologies, systems, and databases, as well as training our employees to try to stay ahead of the curve. Quite often, we are the first movers within the industry and are known for investing in new equipment and technologies every year. These continual investments have broadened LHM’s capabilities and have allowed us to successfully take on new projects. They also provide employees with opportunities to increase their knowledge base, as well as further develop their skills. LHM has chosen not to stay stagnant and to help move the industry forward in a positive direction.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in the business world?
I do not have any insecurities about being a female in what used to be a predominantly male environment, and I do not let my gender get in the way of what is important to me, which is doing my part for the LHM team. I have surely had to consistently prove myself throughout my career as I came into this business.
As a young and inexperienced individual, I encountered the difficult task of demonstrating my capabilities to suppliers, customers, and even former colleagues who had become my subordinates. Among the people who expected the most from me was my father. Dealing with a worldwide market means interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds, some of whom are unfamiliar with working with women in the business field. Nevertheless, I stay authentic to myself and aspire to gain the recognition that continuously work hard for. If this does not happen, I move forward to pursue better prospects and opportunities.
What strategies have you employed to ensure the success of your organization?
There are many strategies and ideas out there which are successful. What has worked for LHM is continuous consideration of investments in technologies and our people. Implementing philosophies of hard work, teamwork, communication, etc. Focusing on building partnerships with suppliers and customers. Lastly, having a diverse portfolio (variety of components and programs) has helped LHM remain successful.
As an inventive leader, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
The key is to always believe in what you are doing, as this will be your driving force. Preserving your belief in what you are doing or manufacturing, belief in your team members, and, most importantly, belief in yourself will help you overcome the challenges that are put in front of you. Ensure you maintain an open mind and continue to learn, grow and adapt. Never shy away from difficult times. Use them to cultivate growth and knowledge.
How to envision scaling your organization’s services and operations in 2023 and beyond?
LHM will continue to stay true to itself and concentrate on manufacturing quality parts. We will maintain trust in strengthening our relationships with our customers and suppliers, which will help foster our continued growth within the aerospace and defense industries. Continual investments are a key fortitude, but our main goal is focused on leading and training the next generation of industry superstars.
Please give us a few testimonials from your clients and awards or recognition that accurately highlight your achievements in this sector.
LHM has received various awards and recognitions throughout its 47 years of operation. Most recently we were awarded the Raytheon Technologies Premier Award for Technology and Innovation. We prefer not to speak on behalf of our customers and will allow our passion, communication, quality and overall performance demonstrate our strengths and capabilities.
