Myesha Smith, Talent Acquisition Specialist, CAE USA Celebrates with Pride

Pride Month has officially begun and at CAE our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity, acceptance, and valuing diversity is being shared throughout our global locations.  Employees are coming together and gearing up to take part in Pride parades in Dallas, Texas, Cologne, Germany, Madrid, Spain, Brighton, UK and Montreal, Canada, and celebrations alongside LGBTQ+ colleagues, allies, family and friends are taking place.

Today we are celebrating Myesha Smith , Talent Acquisition Specialist at CAE USA , Tampa, FL who is a shining example of inclusivity in our workplace and in supporting the LGBTQ+ community. We sat down with Myesha as she shared her experience at CAE and how she celebrates and honors June Pride Month.

Myesha joined CAE just over one year ago to manage talent acquisition for CAE’s System Engineering, Instructional Systems Group, and the ATS Support Group (Manufacturing & Hardware).  For Myesha, CAE’s inclusive and diverse culture has inspired her along with CAE’s mission of helping our customers prepare for the moments that matter. 

CAE’s culture has become a driving force for Myesha to pursue her career in the aerospace industry. Seeing women in leadership roles at CAE, across all levels of the organization, has inspired her and has significantly contributed to her professional growth, to where she now calls CAE her home.

We asked Myesha what aspects of her job she finds most filling.

“As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, I love the structure within my department. We have a very strong recruitment process. I think that the industry we are in brings in talent that knows they can have fun, be creative and build something for the future and safety of service members and beyond. I think what inspires me the most is the ability to introduce our culture to those who may have experienced it differently elsewhere and be a part of that process and their journey and bring them onboard. The people side of the business is the best part of recruitment for me, and letting them know that CAE is a safe place,” says Myesha

Talking to Myesha further about CAE’s culture, she adds,

“I want to congratulate CAE for building a model that is inclusive and diverse. There has been consistency across the board. CAE honors those who have an innovative mindset. We have a culture of people who stay with our company for a long time. This is a safe place where you can be your authentic self. You will be honored for the work you do. We have a family in each of our locations. We have built on One CAE, and we’ve committed to that.”   

At CAE, we summarize the depth and breadth of our approach to DE&I in five words: “Thousands of differences. One CAE.” As One CAE, we are proud to work as one passionate, boundaryless and inclusive team with one common goal: to create success for all stakeholders, whether they are employees, customers or shareholders. We know that we accomplish more together than each on our own. That is why we embrace diversity and strive to create a work environment where all employees are valued, respected and safe. We promote employee well-being by focusing on employee recognition, development, and having fun! That’s who we are: one CAE.

What does Pride Month mean to Myesha?

“It highlights the history and the building blocks that will be constructed for generations to come. To be able to be ourselves both in a professional and personal setting. Pride for me, reminds me how much we’ve overcome, but also how much work we still have to do,” says Myesha

CAE had the great privilege of participating in the Pride Month parade in St. Petersburg, FL last year, which Myesha had the pleasure to attend for the first time with the CAE PRISM Employee Resource Group (ERG).

“I was overwhelmed with the amount of people who were there. So many diverse people from all backgrounds attended. I got to walk in the parade with CAE. To see the number of allies we have within the organization was amazing. We represented very well, and it was a joyous time. I left with contacts from across the organization. There was huge support, and I was proud to be part of CAE and the LGBTQ+ group,” says Myesha

After participating in the Pride Month parade, Myesha joined the CAE PRISM ERG and today is the US Chapter Lead where she lends her voice and enthusiasm, working with group members to promote a supportive framework for CAE’s LGBTQ2+ staff and allies by representing their views and inspiring a culture of diversity and inclusion both internally and externally.   

Before we ended our discussion with Myesha, we asked her why she believes visibility during Pride Month is important.

“Visibility during Pride Month is so important as it speaks to the history of pride and commemorates its roots. It is also important as there may be people who are not comfortable with their skin and who might not have the freedom to be able to represent themselves or have a voice. Having visibility, change will happen, especially when supporters and allies are in the rooms we are not invited to,” says Myesha

We are proud to celebrate diversity and inclusion each and every day at CAE and we would like to thank Myesha for sitting down with us and sharing her experience. 

Happy Pride Month!

Are you interested in joining CAE’s team? Contact Myesha Smith