Wisdom From The Women Leading The VR, AR & Mixed Reality Industries, With Marta Stylianou of Canon USA

Leadership is not about a title, or about providing solutions, it’s about the ability to create opportunities for action in others’ listening so that they make choices that inspire them. We cannot force anyone to do anything, but we can open a conversation about an idea that inspire others to take action.

The Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality & Mixed Reality Industries are so exciting. What is coming around the corner? How will these improve our lives? What are the concerns we should keep an eye out for? Aside from entertainment, how can VR or AR help work or other parts of life? To address this, as a part of our interview series called “Women Leading The VR, AR & Mixed Reality Industries”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Marta Stylianou.

Stylianou is the Director of training and Service marketing of the Engineering Services and Solutions sub-group of Canon U.S.A.’s Business Information Communications Group. She is responsible for overseeing direct operations of service training strategies and service marketing. Prior to joining training and service marketing, Stylianou was leading the award-winning Customer Solutions Center which utilizes augmented reality technology to deliver excellent service and support.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about your backstory and how you grew up?

I started with Canon as a product support specialist over 25 years ago, providing phone-based technical support to field technicians on the company’s solutions. At that time, commercial internet access was in its infancy, and since then, many technological advances have occurred. The “holograms” we saw in Star Trek do not seem farfetched anymore. From DSL modems to fiber optics, from beepers to cell phone access, from voice to video calls, augmented reality and virtual reality, I have lived through this amazing part of technological history, and working in this industry and watching these advances has been such a tremendous learning experience.

Is there a particular book, film, or podcast that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

The Matrix was a movie that opened up a new realm of possibilities before my eyes. Watching as humans created artificially intelligent computers that took over the world and a brain being uploaded as if it was quite normal was very interesting to me. The idea of this simulated reality felt real and it was a virtual reality experience that resonated and stayed in my mind.

Movies like The Matrix have inspired me to pursue a career in a field where humans and technology can work together to create amazing advances using virtual reality and artificial intelligence. It helps to make every day interesting.

Is there a particular story that inspired you to pursue a career in the Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality industry? We’d love to hear it.

While working in the Canon Customer Solutions Center, I was a part of a team that provides high-level technical support on complex hardware equipment. At times, witnessing the technical struggles of those on the other side of the phone can be very challenging. A specific moment that stands out and inspires me in my career is when a member of the support staff said, “I wish we could provide technicians with a helmet containing a Canon camera to show us what they see.” Since this predates video calling, we started looking for solutions that would address this need. It was like a call to the universe because soon after that, new technologies started emerging everywhere.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

During my career at Canon, I have had the opportunity to work with amazing individuals who have supported, encouraged and taught me so much. My managers have always supported my ideas and provided mentorship. The skills that I have today are a reflection of what I have learned from the brilliant people working with me every day.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

At this moment, one of the pressing needs in my industry is remote virtual learning. We are researching various technologies to make virtual technical learning as engaging, exciting and as productive as possible. This will allow us to connect with more people anywhere, and provide them with the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful servicing our products in the field.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. The VR, AR and MR industries seem so exciting right now. What are the 3 things in particular that most excite you about the industry? Can you explain or give an example?

1. Development of applications that can enhance human learning and productivity. Virtual reality simulations can be used to train individuals in all different fields and technology.
2. The need for distance learning can help create a new opportunity to use virtual reality to bring instructors and students together in the same room in an immersive, interactive way.
3. The introduction of 5G communication networks can provide even further possibilities for augmented and virtual reality as it increases the bandwidth and responsiveness of wireless communication. Augmented reality applications combined with physical objects are revolutionizing the service industry. For example, the Canon Customer Solutions Center utilizes ‘Virtual Presence” to allow a support specialist to virtually reach out and touch what the field technician is working on through their mobile phone, assisting in resolving complex issues rapidly and precisely.

What are the 3 things that concern you about the VR, AR and MR industries? Can you explain? What can be done to address those concerns?

The main concern I have about the future of this industry is the dependency humans will continue to have on technology, which can lead them to lose some of their creative element and work ethic. Yes, we can certainly create applications that make certain jobs, tasks and maneuvers easier, but at the end of the day, humans and technology need to work together. We cannot replace the humanity in humans.

I think the entertainment aspects of VR, AR and MR are apparent. Can you share with our readers how these industries can help us at work?

These technologies can help in almost every field. Earlier, I shared one example about how Canon’s technical support specialists have been utilizing augmented reality to provide high-quality service to our customers. Virtual reality will transform education. It is already being used in healthcare training simulations. Soon these technologies will even bridge the distance between people around the world, bringing them closer together in a collaborative virtual digital experience. I look forward to seeing the impact of virtual reality applications as more and more are developed to support other areas including engineering, infrastructure, sports and many other industries.

Are there other ways that VR, AR and MR can improve our lives? Can you explain?

As long as we put technology to work for humans, and not to replace humanity, the applications are unlimited. If we focus on developing applications that enable people to be more productive while minimizing the level of effort required to achieve certain goals, the quality of life can also improve.

Let’s zoom out a bit and talk in broader terms. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? If not, what specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?

Although women are making a significant gain working in STEM related fields, and I am happy to witness some of the positive strives women have made since I joined the workforce, I’m not satisfied with the current status. In areas like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, there are less females in the workplace than there are men. I think at times women can get discouraged because often they do not find the level of support that they need in a field that is largely dominated by men. To help make this field an environment where women feel comfortable, inspired and motivated, we need to inspire young girls through science-related activities that may include exposure to robotic competitions and computing. We also need to encourage men working in these fields to mentor and support women as they come onboard to be successful.

What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in Tech” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Be open to learn from every opportunity. If you always assume that you know something, you miss the opportunity to enhance what you already know and learn a new way. It is better to find answers together.
2. Leadership is not about a title, or about providing solutions, it’s about the ability to create opportunities for action in others’ listening so that they make choices that inspire them. We cannot force anyone to do anything, but we can open a conversation about an idea that inspire others to take action.
3. Be courageous and never give up. Be persistent in achieving your dreams. When you focus on what you really want, there is always a way to overcome obstacles. There are as many reasons not to do something, as there are to do them. So every time you think of quitting, remember the reason why you started and find your inspiration again.
4. Always voice your opinion or ask questions. There is always someone listening. Sometimes we shut down before we even try because we give ourselves an invalid excuse. I’ve learned throughout my career that if I am curious about something, there is always someone else with that same curiosity. Communication is of paramount importance in every aspect of our lives.
5. Be present, authentic and honest. When we are present and listen to others, new opportunities open up. Never be afraid to show your true self while treating everyone with respect. You always get back what you give.

Thank you so much for these excellent stories and insights. We wish you continued success on your great work!

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Wisdom From The Women Leading The VR, AR & Mixed Reality Industries, With Marta Stylianou of Canon… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.