Doctor Jo Salter MBE, the first female RAF fast jet pilot, spoke at the first Empowering Women in Fleet meeting where she shared her inspiring and personal story.

The first meeting of the Empowering Women in Fleet (EWIF) initiative on Friday June 27 brought together fleet managers, operational heads, finance executives, and other fleet professionals to celebrate the achievements of women in the sector.

Salter, who joined the RAF at age 18, spent the last few years as the director of global transformative leadership at PwC, where she has recently taken the role of GenAI director.

Speaking at Empowering Women in Fleet, Salter discussed her time in the RAF as a fast jet pilot, and her experience as a woman in predominantly male environments.

“I learned a long time ago to look at intent, not action,” Salter commented.

Touching upon her experience with male colleagues in the RAF, Salter noted the importance of recognising an advocate, even if he expresses it using sexist language.

“His intention was good; he was just using unfortunate language. But so what?” Salter said.

“If I had spent time worrying about that, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere. We have to learn to let things go, learn about intent and be forgiving in how we approach things.”

Salter’s success as a pilot has also opened up other opportunities for her. She discussed how, as the 2022 film ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premiered, she was interviewed by the BBC about her experiences as a fast jet pilot, attended the red-carpet premiere, and was introduced to Tom Cruise.

Confidence was a frequent talking point, with Salter emphasising how important it can be. In particular, she pointed to the large numbers of young people – male and female – entering the workplace in need of encouragement.

“There is more of a level of anxiety and fear sitting over people than we would ever believe. How do you take that and make it something?”

Salter spoke about overcoming such fears by learning to be comfortable in discomfort, and giving yourself permission to act and be confident, even if you are only pretending to do so. She highlighted that people who do this can be seen as inspirational figures for doing so, encouraging others to do the same.

Source: Fleet News