Andie Smith

Background

About Andie Smith

In every team I’ve worked on, I’ve gravitated towards an unofficial leadership role, implementing improvements for the team, streamlining processes, helping management interact with the team more effectively, and absorbing information to the point that I am the person my teammates go to whenever they have problems or questions. I’ve come to understand that a strong desire to improve efficiency, collaboration, and the overall environment for my team is simply part of my nature. Working as an agile product owner where I get to make a difference every day feels like what I was meant to do. ⁜ PEOPLE FIRST ⁜ My leadership style is very team-oriented, essentially a cross between transformational, servant, and democratic styles. I’m all about cultivating a positive environment where my team can be happy and know they are appreciated, feel empowered to share their input, participate in decision-making, and grow in their careers. ⁜ SYSTEMS THINKING ⁜ I see the bigger picture: how systems, processes, and people interact; and I see the inefficiencies that make things more difficult for them. I’m drawn to challenges and problems, and I love using critical thinking and creativity to find solutions that make systems and teams operate like a well-oiled machine. ⁜ CONTINUOUS LEARNING ⁜ Learning is very important to me, so I make a point to continue learning both in my job and outside of it. I’m currently enrolled half-time in the Master of Business Administration program at Colorado State while working full-time at Lockheed Martin. In December 2025, I will finish this degree and a graduate certificate in Applied Finance. It will be my second master’s degree completed while working full-time, as I completed my Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering while working at Raytheon. ⁜ DIVERSE BACKGROUND ⁜ I’ve worked in a variety of roles over my career so far, in systems, GNC, software engineering and IT, but I also worked in retail and as a swim instructor before earning my Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. The range of positions I’ve held taught me how to look at problems from different angles and understand different perspectives, which helps me work well with others in many different situations. ⁕ Efficiency ⁕ Leadership ⁕ Collaboration ⁕ Critical Thinking ⁕ Creativity ⁕ Problem Solving ⁕