From Finance to Pharma

I began my career in banking and finance in the mid-eighties, when it wasn’t common to see women in leadership roles in corporate America. The business world is changing. In 2017, women accounted for 38% of all incoming Board Director appointments at Fortune 500 companies. While this is a record high, we still have a long way to go. Only 5% of Fortune 500 companies in 2018 had a female CEO.

Looking back, my career evolved over a somewhat unconventional but invaluable journey. Following the birth of my first child, I made the switch from finance to pharma, jumping into an industry that has the power to improve patients’ lives in such a profound way, and I’ve never looked back. While the worlds of finance and pharma are different in many ways, they have one obvious thing in common - both industries continue to be predominantly led by men.

Over the years, I have worked hard and have been fortunate to advance to leadership roles in male-dominated fields. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve learned a lot along the way. Here are a few key principles that have helped me push my career to new levels:

1. Get out of your comfort zone.
   In May 2012, I moved from Business Analysis to Managed Markets Sales and it opened my eyes to an entirely different side of the pharmaceutical industry. This was a turning point in my career because it pushed me entirely outside of my comfort zone. Moving from an analytical role to leading a large, national customer-facing team taught me important lessons in leadership, and how to grow as a leader by learning from my team. I supported them as the leader of the team, and they taught me new aspects of the business that I didn’t have much experience in with prior roles. We excelled together as a team and grew professionally.

2. Remember leadership is about those around you.
   Leadership is about the many not the one, by inspiring and developing those around you. Starting out at Boehringer Ingelheim, I focused on establishing the presence of my functional group within the organization and demonstrating the value it brought to the business. It wasn’t until I moved to the Managed Markets Sales team that I realized our success was dependent on the individuals who made up the team. Give your teammates the opportunity to grow in their roles and ensure that they get the breadth of experience needed to nurture their own development. Not only will your team be stronger in the present, but you will contribute to the development of the next generation of quality leaders as they rise through the ranks.

3. Look at mentorship differently.
   We frequently point to mentorship as a key factor in career development and – I agree – mentorship is critical. However, I believe we can look at mentorship through a different lens. In my own experience, the best mentor I’ve had is my husband. He encourages me when I need support, and most importantly, isn’t afraid to tell me what I don’t want to hear. Mentorship can also come from men or women, those who work beside you, or at a more junior level within an organization, from inside or outside of your company. I also believe it’s important, as a leader, to rely heavily on the teams you lead for knowledge, expertise and strategic counsel.

And most importantly, don’t forget to put yourself first – personally and professionally.

Personally, like many women, though I have always worked hard over the years, I have had to learn to master working smarter. This means creating whatever schedule is most conducive to your own productivity and works best for you. There were countless nights I had to catch up on my work and prepare for the day ahead after I’d made school lunches and tucked my kids in bed. But for me, managing my time this way at home is what allowed me to be my best self at work.

Professionally, it took time for me to cultivate the leadership style I have today. Remember that leadership is an ongoing learning process – it is okay to change and it’s okay to adapt. Your leadership style will undeniably evolve over the course of your career – but evolution is growth, and growth happens outside of your comfort zone. Be open to learning from others – mentor, be mentored and chase those opportunities that make you feel a little bit uncomfortable.

Now that my two daughters have grown and entered the workforce, I’m excited to continue to share the things I’ve learned with them, and I’m hopeful the trend continues for the growth of women’s roles in the business world.