Emma Woodthorpe

Emma Woodthorpe is our chief human resources officer. She was previously vice president of human resources at Xylem Analytics and Treatment Divisions. She held multiple global HR leader positions at DuPont after her role as the HR manager of a Silicon Valley startup. Emma holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester UK 

What are your goals for the future? 

To continue to drive growth and success for Mercury with a focus on women in leadership and engineering from a talent perspective. Mercury is a fantastic company that can provide wonderful opportunities for young women. I’m a great believer in always continuing to learn but also reflecting on what has happened before and how I can improve personally. I aim to continue that, as it has been a big part of my journey in getting to this role. 

Personally, my goals are to raise my children to be the kindest and most respectful global human beings they can be. Global an important word, my goal is that my children see a lot of the world and have the same type of experiences that have humbled me in my travels during the past 20 years. 

Michelle McCarthy

Michelle joined Mercury this year as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller. Prior to that, she was Corporate Controller at Analog Devices Inc. and an assurance practice professional of Ernst and Young, LLP. Michelle is a certified public accountant and holds a BS in Business Administration, Accounting and Finance from the Suffolk University Sawyer School of Management. 

 What makes a great leader? 

A great leader is humble enough to never presume to have all the answers, courageous enough to make decisions with less than perfect information, and curious enough to maintain a constant desire to learn. A great leader instills knowledge, confidence and faith in the people she leads in hopes that they will become even greater leaders. 

Lynne Currier

Lynne Currier is our Vice President of Engineering. Prior to joining Mercury for the second time, she held leadership positions at iRobot, EMC, Network Appliance, WebManage Technologies, SecuritySource, ftp Software, and Honeywell Bull. She has a BS/CS from the University of Lowell. 

What challenges have you faced in your career and how did you overcome? 

When I first started, it was very hard to be the only woman in the room. I had to work really hard to earn the respect of my teammates. Overtime I became the technical lead and eventually moved into management. 

Stacy Spencer

Stacy Spencer is vice president of sales operations, leading strategic account managers, corporate strategic account model, and sales operations. She has held senior sales and channel director positions at Lucent Technologies, NMS Communications, Radisys and Symphony Teleca. Stacy holds a BA in business communications and a minor in marketing from Bentley University. 

What is your advice to young women? 

My kids will laugh if they ever read this because they have both heard this many times. I always say, “You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, but you have to be willing to work the hardest.” Work ethic, commitment, and a great attitude will take you far in your career. Second, there’s no such thing as a glass ceiling. I have worked in male-dominated industries for my entire career, and I firmly believe that “one’s path is up to them.” It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy—visualize success and achieve it. I’ve been the only female and often “the youngest” in many sales organizations. Don’t worry about labels, just work hard and be the best person for the job. Finally, I would tell young women (and men) to think holistically about their careers as part of their lives. Doing so will help you chart a career path that allows you to balance your personal and professional goals. 

Pam Kidwell

Pam is director, strategic relationships and government relations. She came to us from Raytheon where she held multiple positions, including director of business development for Thales Raytheon Systems and regional director for Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa for Network Centric Systems. Pam holds a bachelor’s degree in international business and foreign service from Baylor University. 

How did mentors influence your life, and who influenced you the most? 

Professionally, I worked for three different retired 3-Star Army Generals who all greatly influenced me on the importance of leadership and how to engage key senior customers. I learned much about managing every detail of international trips and engagements, and especially about meeting with senior customers (ambassadors, royalty, and foreign military general officers).   

I’ve also been fortunate to have Brian Hoerl, Didier Thibaud and Ian Dunn invest time in me. I am so impressed with the growth of Mercury Systems and its transformational initiatives.  

The single most influential person in my life, however, is my Grandfather who was a self-made man and epitomized determination, hard work, honesty and humility. He was also a great storyteller with the best sense of humor. In true Texas fashion, I learned how to ride horses and work cattle from him, and how to be tough when needed. Being tough proved especially useful working for Army generals! 

Nancy Conway

Nancy Conway is an account management director at Mercury Systems. She has worked in both commercial and defense sales at hardware, software, and infrastructure companies including Oracle, Motorola, and USInternetworking, Inc. She holds a BS in marketing/management from the University of Virginia. 

 Why technology/defense industry? 

Constant innovation. In the defense industry, you know what you do matters. It saves lives and creates a safer place for our country and our families.