As we continue to shine a spotlight on the career success of Hult alumni as part of our 12 over 12 series, this month we’re honored to feature Class of 2017 Master’s in International Business graduate Lisa Faymonville. 

The Faymonville name is renowned in the world of trailers and heavy-load transport, and Lisa has been involved in her family’s business from a young age. Undeniably, trailer manufacturing is a male-dominated sector, but Lisa has embraced both the challenges and opportunities to make her mark in the company. Driven by curiosity and an entrepreneurial spirit, she’s built her credentials and worked her way up at Faymonville, from back office jobs and internships to a business-critical, people-centered role as Head of Human Resources. 

A proud Hult alum, she’s shared her advice and insight on what it takes to excel as a woman in a family business within a sector traditionally led by men.

Hult: Tell us a bit about growing up in the family business

Lisa: My sister, my cousin, and I all really grew up in the business. We’re all girls, so the next generation of our business will be girls. We’d spend our Saturdays and holidays helping—we learned how to weld, we shoveled snow, we counted screws. We learned how to work in a male-dominated industry before that was even a concept, because our parents never differentiated.

As I grew older and really got into the business side of things, I discovered that I knew absolutely nothing. I had no technical background. And I was very aware of the fact that I was the daughter of the boss, so I didn’t want to impose myself or make a mistake or say something stupid. 

As a consequence of me feeling a bit intimidated, I decided to study business at Hult. I continued to be present at Faymonville meetings, but for a long time, I just listened and took notes. I learned about the industry and all about our trailers, until at one point I was confident to speak up in a meeting. All the men in the room looked at me and thought, “Oh, what she’s saying is actually relevant!” I felt like that was a pivotal moment for me in finding my place.

“We learned how to work in a male-dominated industry before that was even a concept, because our parents never differentiated.”

H: Why did you choose Hult for your master’s?

L: I think people sometimes feel it’s nicer to be in a bubble surrounded by like-minded people, where everyone just says, “Yes, you’re right. I fully agree with you.” But that doesn’t add value at a certain point. Bringing a diverse group of people together is something that Hult specifically is known for, and one of the main reasons I chose Hult.

The different languages and cultures, the constant questioning of belief systems, and the growth mindset in continuing to learn are all extremely important. I think this is what will keep you going in the long term to succeed. 

H: What motivates you in your career?

L: What propels me forward has always been curiosity. I am OK with not knowing something yet. “Yet” is a very important word. I am OK saying, “Hey, I don’t understand, can you repeat that?” 

I have this inner drive to understand things. I hate participating in conversations or being part of a meeting where I don’t fully get what’s going on. I don’t need to be a pro in everything, I don’t need to be the one engineering our trailers—I’m not an engineer, I cannot do the calculations, and I cannot use the programs. But, I need to understand what they do, how they do it, and why they do it the way they do it.

If I discover something that’s kind of in the gray zone for me, I dig in, I go deep, and I discover what is going on. The basis of this comes from Hult: it’s about having a growth mindset. It’s about not limiting your capabilities. 

What we don’t know can be intimidating, and that’s just human nature. But fear should never be the factor that holds you back. Curiosity will lead to success, it will evolve you forward, it will create new opportunities. 

“Fear should never be the factor that holds you back.”

H: What advice would you give to other women interested in pursuing a career in a traditionally male-dominated industry?

L: There are plenty of different anecdotes I was taught through the family business that helped me. I remember one specific one from when I started to learn how to drive. My dad would sit next to me to teach me, and he would say, “Hey Lisa, why is it that sometimes, when people get into car accidents, they’ve driven straight into a tree they happened to find in a field of nothing? How is that possible? It’s because they focused on the tree. If you focus on the tree, you’ll hit the tree.”

The point is, if you focus on barriers, all you’ll see are barriers. If you stop focusing on barriers, you’ll see options, possibilities, and opportunities. That combined with the humility of being OK to not know something yet, and to be willing to learn and grow is the key takeaway I have from my years growing within a business that is dominated by men in a technological field. What you focus on grows. So, don’t focus on barriers.

If you stop focusing on barriers, you’ll see options, possibilities, and opportunities.

H: Congratulations on your career journey in the family business, Lisa, and all the best for the future. Thank you for inspiring us to stay curious!