At the 15th annual Women in Industry Awards, held in Paris on September 23 by L’Usine Nouvelle, Elif Gürdal, VP Sales & Marketing Support and Services at Safran Helicopter Engines, received the Commercial Woman of the Year award. The award recognizes nearly 20 years of experience in the aerospace industry, spanning sales, production, and customer relations. Here’s a look at a career built on close engagement with the field.
Women in Industry Awards: a showcase of careers across industry
Created by L’Usine Nouvelle, a media outlet specializing in industry-related economic and technology news, the Women in Industry Awards recognize women whose work, decisions, and achievements contribute to the growth of their companies, professions, or industries. For the 15th edition, nearly 100 applications were reviewed across 10 categories. Among the finalists, Elif Gürdal represented Safran in the “Commercial Woman” category, which recognizes women in industrial sales roles who have demonstrated outstanding and proven commercial performance and results.
Elif Gürdal, a sales professional with a deep understanding of both the product and the customer
From a passion for aerospace to a career in industrial sales
Passionate about aerospace from an early age, Elif Gürdal grew up in Istanbul in a French-speaking environment. After studying business administration at Galatasaray University, she moved to France to study air transport management at the French National School of Civil Aviation (ENAC) and Toulouse Business School.
She began her career in 2008 at Sabena Technics, where she helped develop business with airlines in Western Europe and Central Asia. “I was a salesperson through and through, a real go-getter. I loved starting from scratch, building my network, negotiating complex contracts, and, above all, creating value for my company,” she recalls.
A stint in production to become a better sales professional
In 2013, Elif Gürdal decided to step away from sales temporarily and take charge of Sabena Technics’ painting operations in Bordeaux. She learned the business from the ground up and, as she puts it, moved forward “with my hands, my heart, and my gut.” The experience gave her first-hand insight into production constraints, quality requirements, and the day-to-day realities faced by operational teams.
This immersion in production would later change the way she approached sales. After returning to a key account management role, she developed a structured approach to managing strategic customers and introduced key performance indicators, business reviews, and contracts tailored to their needs. She went on to help secure contracts with the 12 customers that accounted for 80% of the business’s revenue.
Support and services: a major industrial priority
After heading up customer service at Sabena Technics for its repair and manufacturing activities, and then working at Eaton Aerospace, Elif Gürdal joined Safran Helicopter Engines in 2024. She initially helped transition the sales forecasting and billing management teams before being appointed Executive Vice President, Support and Services, in December 2025. “This position is the culmination of everything I’ve built,” she states.
She now leads an activity that is critical to helicopter operators, with a particular focus on minimizing Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events, when an aircraft is grounded and unable to fly. “Every nine seconds, a helicopter takes off somewhere in the world. Our goal is to minimize AOG situations as much as possible,” she explains.
A goal set from the start
On her first résumé, Elif Gürdal had already written down her career goal: “To hold a leadership or decision-making position within an aerospace organization, preferably heading up sales.” Nearly 20 years later, that ambition has become a reality. Today, she draws on her career path to offer a few words of advice to women starting out in their careers: “Be yourselves: authenticity is essential to leadership. Trust yourself and take risks. Learn from your mistakes with humility so you can keep growing and help your teams grow as well.”
Safran’s other finalists
Alongside Elif Gürdal, four other Safran employees were among the finalists in the 15th edition of the awards, in the categories “Project Woman,” “R&D Woman,” “International Woman”, and “Woman with a Promising Start.” Here is an overview of the careers and achievements that earned them their nominations.
Bénédicte Bonnet: “Project Woman” category
As Executive Vice President and CFM Programs Director at Safran Aircraft Engines, Bénédicte Bonnet leads the commercial strategy, customer satisfaction, and profitability of CFM International’s programs, a joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace. A materials science engineer with a PhD in materials science, she has held positions spanning materials and processes, airline support, quality, continuous improvement and digital transformation. “Managing a program like CFM is like leading a giant project: you have to anticipate customer needs, align strategies with our partner GE Aerospace and ensure the performance of our engines, all at the same time,” she states. It is a cross-functional role that relies heavily on her ability to bring teams together around common goals.
Véronique Marcel: “R&D Woman” category
As Director of Materials and Special Processes Quality and a Safran Senior Expert at Safran Landing Systems, Véronique Marcel has spent nearly 40 years working on materials and industrial processes. A materials science and engineering specialist, she has notably contributed to the development of more durable paints, more environmentally friendly surface treatments, and composite brake component prototypes. Since 2020, she has worked with suppliers in Morocco, India and Asia: “The challenge is to help them reach the required level of maturity so they can meet our specifications while minimizing their environmental impact,” she explains. She also makes knowledge sharing a central part of her work, mentoring apprentices, young talent, and international teams.
Kelly Svihla: “International Woman” category
President and CEO of Safran Aerosystems Evacuation since October 2025, Kelly Svihla leads nearly 1,300 employees across several sites in the United States and Mexico. An engineer by training and a former athlete, she joined the company in 2014 and went on to hold positions in programs, sales, and operations before taking the helm of the business. Leading a business specializing in aviation safety equipment, she has notably overseen performance improvements at three production sites and the construction of a new plant in Mexico. For her, international leadership is above all about listening and adapting: “Every culture has its strengths and its own ways of doing things. My role is to build bridges.”
Lina Brazi: “Woman with a Promising Start” category
As Head of Innovation in Engineering and Research & Technology at Safran Aircraft Engines, Lina Brazi coordinates and supports the teams working to develop the civil and military engines of tomorrow. She joined Safran Aircraft Engines in mid-2023 and helped establish the department she now leads. For the 32-year-old engineer, a graduate of Polytech Angers, innovation is above all a team effort: “At Safran, we experience successes and failures together. In the innovation department in particular, every idea has value.” Beyond advocating for greater representation of women in technical and scientific professions and promoting disability inclusion, Lina Brazi also champions diverse career paths. “I think it’s essential to encourage people to speak openly, start a dialog, and show that every kind of career path is possible,” she explains.
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