Keynote Speakers
Join us at the upcoming WE Local conferences for an exceptional series of keynote sessions featuring distinguished speakers who are pioneers in their industries. Each speaker brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience, ensuring that you leave inspired and equipped with actionable insights. Don’t miss the chance to learn from these influential voices and engage in meaningful discussions that will shape the future of our profession!
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- San Jose
- Opening Keynote
- February 28, 2025
Marie Hattar
- Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
- Keysight Technologies
- The Power of Progress: Megatrends Shaping Technology and Society
- This keynote presentation takes the audience on a journey through the powerful forces shaping our future—technology evolution, AI and digitalization, and sustainability. Through the lens of personal experience as an engineer and leader, it highlights how technical expertise can pave the way for meaningful innovation and impact. From the promise of 6G to the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions, we will examine how these trends will redefine industries and society in the coming decade. Engineers and leaders need to embrace their unique role in driving progress and shaping a better, more sustainable world.
Marie Hattar is senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Keysight Technologies and is responsible for driving the company’s brand and global marketing results.
As a trained engineer, Marie brings a unique advantage to her role, combining deep technical understanding with the ability to develop compelling and precise strategies specific to the needs of customers. Under Marie’s leadership, she has established a team built to elevate the company’s brand and effectively promote its products and solutions across multiple technology sectors. Keysight’s solutions are leveraged by engineers worldwide.
Before Keysight, Marie served as CMO for Ixia and Check Point Software Technologies. She has held other leadership roles, including VP at Cisco and several senior marketing and CTO positions at Nortel Networks, Alteon Websystems, and Shasta Networks.
Marie holds a master’s degree in business administration and marketing from York University, Toronto, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto.

- San Jose
- Closing Keynote
- March 1, 2025
Ucheonye Maple
- President
- Noteworthy Consulting
- Engineering Resilience: Turning Your Career Journey into a Blueprint for Breakthrough Growth
Ucheonye Maple is the President of Noteworthy Consulting, a specialized leadership and
organizational development firm dedicated to empowering leaders and teams in aerospace,
defense, and other high-stakes industries. With over two decades of experience in aerospace
and defense, including key leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies, Ucheonye combines
deep industry expertise with an innovative approach to leadership. Her work focuses on
strength-based solutions and integrates social psychology principles, empowering companies to
enhance team dynamics, foster resilience, and cultivate forward-thinking, inclusive cultures.
As a sought-after consultant, speaker, and coach, Ucheonye has influenced the careers and
lives of professionals across STEM and entrepreneurial communities, equipping them with tools
for impactful leadership and sustainable career growth. She is also the founder of the Women
Who LEAP Community, a supportive platform empowering professional women to reclaim their
time, monetize their expertise, and prioritize well-being.
Ucheonye holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Prairie View A&M
University, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and a Master of Science in Systems
Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. She is also an alumna of Loyola University’s
Leadership Essentials Program, highlighting her commitment to continual personal and
professional growth.
An author of Bitter Not Better and co-author of Resilient: A Key to Being Brilliant, Ucheonye
combines her industry knowledge with her passion for development to inspire transformative
change. Through Noteworthy Consulting, she is dedicated to building leadership that thrives
amid complexity and drives cultures of innovation and inclusion.