“Instilling Confidence Effortlessly”

Throughout Ann Hewitt’s career, she has been willing to learn and take on greater challenges, leveraging her experience and analytical abilities to create a path forward. The SVP & CIO of FARO Technologies, Inc., a global leader in 3D measurement solutions, strives to build a sense of purpose aligned to the business needs and then rolls up her sleeves and works side by side with her IT team and peers to deliver the results necessary to achieve the objective. “I believe this type of approach builds confidence in everyone around me,”says Ann.

"Information Technology Executive with a proven track record in developing and executing strategies at a global level, in alignment with business objectives. Creates, and inspires innovation to drive profitability, while concurrently increasing efficiencies, and reducing complexities to lower costs, and increase speed to market."

Ann has been a true inspiration for women in all industries, and whenever a situation presents, she is quick to share her own story with others. She encourages people to look beyond their current roles and be opportunistic in taking on challenges and new roles offered. She also empowers colleagues to find their voice and be confident of their contributions to the company’s success. “My advice is to share your successes to help inspire great leaders of tomorrow,” says Ann. “It is also important to build and support your own network, including on social media.”

Early in her career, the steadfast leader had the opportunity to be exposed to several publications from Tina Nunno at Gartner. “Later, I actually had the opportunity to meet her and talk in more detail about such topics as ‘finding your voice’ and ‘presenting in compelling ways,” Ann adds. “Recently stories of strong female leaders brought to life in movies like Hidden Figures (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson) and On the Basis of Sex (Ruth Bader Ginsberg) resonated with me regarding how women persevered to make change. On a more personal level, growing up, my father instilled a sense of confidence and purpose. He grew up on a farm and achieved a Ph.D in Civil Engineering before finding his passion creating innovation at companies like John Deere and CADSI. With his first 2 children being female, we were taught that we could do anything, whether it was constructing things at home, changing a tire, or creating a successful start to a career with a technical degree.” Armed with such strong ideologies, Ann has been helping take FARO to new heights over the last 3 years.

FARO was established in 1981 by Simon Raab and Greg Frasier, true pioneers of early 3D measurement who launched the tech start-up from their garage as Ph.D. students. Derived from the ancient Greek word ‘pharos,’ meaning lighthouse, the Pharos of Alexandria stood on an island off Egypt and was one of the original 7 Wonders of the World. “A lighthouse is a powerful symbol of technology and enlightenment often used as a metaphor to gain awareness by illuminating the unknown using man-built precise measurement,” says Ann. “By extending the human ability to ‘see and probe farther,’ throughout history, lighthouses have served as a ‘source for inspiration’ and generated a profound impact on global business -- saving lives, money, and goods delivered to market. For 40 years, FARO has developed precision technology to serve the needs of our customers. From our first 3D devices that enabled health care to measure the inner workings of the human body to the array of leading measurement solutions we provide today, FARO has continued to enable customers with the ability to ‘realize their vision and successfully navigate the world in all directions.”

As a female executive at FARO, Ann is proud that the company recognizes that inherent and acquired diversity leads to better innovation and transformational ways of thinking. “As a part of our commitment, we invest in formal programs designed to foster diversity through networking, talent management, and targeted career development,” states Ann. “It is important for me to ensure that we are not only hiring diverse groups of people, but we are spurring on creative thinking that happens when people with different perspectives and backgrounds come together.” IEWL