Lisa Matthews Director of New Business Development Visionary Training Resources, Most Aviation WomenLeaders of 2021 Profile

Lisa Matthews
Director of New Business Development
Visionary Training Resources


Lisa Matthews Director of New Business Development Visionary Training Resources, Most Aviation WomenLeaders of 2021

“Taking Aviation Entrepreneurship to Another Level”

From as early as Lisa Matthews can recall, she has loved people. Lisa naturally gravitates toward almost any conversation and loves the feeling of networking and connecting with someone, and watching that play out over time. Usually, (eventually), that personal connection results in helping someone. “I love helping others, and I love watching problems get solved. Working in Business Development, Sales, and Marketing for almost two decades has taught me the value of relationships,” says Lisa. “As Director of Visionary Training Resources’ North American Business.

Development Team, I always open a new conversation with a client with: We’re here as problem solvers. We have a great platform, and transformational resources, but at the end of the day, what we really want is win-win. If we can offer you a solution that makes your life easier, great! If not, let’s keep in touch. Odds are, in an industry as small as this one, we’ll be able to help each other somewhere else down the line.” As a leader, Lisa wants to help, and networking with clients ensures they are always on the leading edge of that opportunity.

 

Lisa’s mother was an Airline Pilot: Trailblazing her career through the ’80s and 90’s in a time where women were barely starting to make their mark in an office, let alone a cockpit. She was exceptional in her ability to truly “have it all.” She was an incredible Mom, a devoted wife, and always had a wonderful home. “She made it look easy. As I grew older, however, she began to confide in me how much she felt her career had cost her, personally. I didn’t realize the impact those conversations had on me until I began my own career. Establishing that balance took me about 10 years,” says Lisa. “It really was all or nothing for me. For me, I have found that my work-life balance comes from finding the right employer, amazing leadership at work, and a supportive foundation at home are where I found my balance.” Armed with this ideology, Lisa has been taking the company to new heights.

According to Lisa, leadership is often viewed as one person pushing the limits of possibility: fearlessly slaying their obstacles. But the truth is that a leader can’t lead without someone to follow them. Success in leadership lies in a team of talented individuals who stand beside their leader, rather than behind them, to continue to push the bubble of potential outward. “But there is also leadership of thought. Just as you can lead a team, you can also lead yourself to success.”

In Aviation Entrepreneurship, as a woman, it can be lonely. With both Entrepreneurialism and Aviation taking the lead as male-dominated industries, it is not unusual for Lisa to find she is the only female in the board room that day or out on the ramp. She strongly advises others not to view being different as a handicap but rather think of these obstacles as opportunities to provide a unique view on a subject. “I made my mark in this industry not because I was just like the majority demographic: seamlessly gliding into inclusion. I’ve made my mark in this industry because I was the one person in the room like no one else: With a different perspective, a different idea, and the initiative to speak up—even if my input did not reflect the majority.” She adds, “Leadership of thought is supporting yourself and your ideas in a way that makes you feel safe to speak up—to be different. People rarely change the world maintaining the status quo.”

Lisa suggests that the upcoming era of Aviation is an exciting one. They are experiencing unprecedented growth, and they also see unprecedented challenges, but 2021 has been an incredible year for VTR. “We were re-branded, launched, and have secured our first customer with our proprietary build. 2022 is sure to move at an even faster pace. We love our tradeshows,” says Lisa. “We see sometimes an upward of 150-250 demos in one show. The reactions of our attendees are priceless. Their excitement and passion for what they are seeing is almost instant. They are as excited as we are!” IEWL


Company

Visionary Training Resources

Management

Lisa Matthews
Director of New Business Development at
Visionary Training Resources

Description

Visionary Training Resources, VTR, is a virtual reality software design company co-founded by experienced airline captains who are dedicated to improving pilot training. Standardized, efficient, and modern pilot training is our passion. Since 2017 we have been leveraging the latest technology available to bring airline pilot procedure training into this century.


Aviation WomenLeaders Special Magazine