STEM Rising – Women Lead at the Intersection of Creativity & Tech: Amy Bunszel

Amy Bunszel transformed from a hardware engineer working in the lab to a software company founder and world-renowned product manager. Attracted to math and science early on, she studied Electrical Engineering at Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts and worked at GE Aerospace before co-founding Linius Technologies, a Massachusetts­ based computer-aided design (CAD) software company – which became part of Autodesk seven years later in 2003. Bunszel currently manages product strategy and execution for Autodesk’s 3D design and creation portfolio.

Over the first 10 years of my career, I had a new job about every two years. In retrospect, it’s clear that I was experimenting. With each job I learned more about myself, what I wanted to do and what kind of company I wanted to work at.

Amy Bunszel, Senior VP Design and Creative Products, Autodesk

“Diversity fuels new ideas, creativity and business growth.”

For most of my early career, I was the only woman in the room. I didn’t think much of it and we didn’t talk much about it. I focused on hitting my goals and looking for new challenges. More recently, organizations are catching up to what has always been a good idea: to cast a wide net for many kinds of people who can solve complex problems for today – and tomorrow’s world. Empathy drives the best innovation.

When you join a company through an acquisition it’s a different path than starting as a new hire. Why do I stay at Autodesk? From the start, there was a great fit with the company’s culture. Autodesk is unique in that we have an incredible purpose – to help our customers imagine, design and make a better world – and they really do it – there are examples everywhere you go.

Diversity and inclusion are integral parts of our story. We believe that creating a diverse workforce and fostering a culture of inclusion will better enable us to deliver on our vision. Diversity fuels new ideas, creativity and business growth.

Not only does it make good business sense, it’s also the right thing to do. Autodesk is committed to an inside-out diversity and belonging strategy. If our employees feel anyone can belong and do their best work at Autodesk, then they will be able to attract others from diverse backgrounds, which only positions us to better meet our customers’ needs.

My advice for women considering a career in technology: Push past your comfort zone – don’t be reckless, but take calculated risks. Embrace feedback – ask for it, give it to others, become an expert . And invest in relationships – think about creating a posse of mentors and advisors – each may be able to help you with something different, and chances are you can give back something meaningful as well.