Can you share your journey into a STEM career? What initially drew you to this field, and how did you navigate your pathway into it?

Purpose. In my career, I have always been driven by purpose and finding opportunities that could help me fulfill my desire to serve others. At its core, the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are industries that serve patients and help patients build better lives and in some instances, save lives. I am grateful to be able to serve in an industry that is driven by such an important purpose. If you connect to the purpose, then everything else will flow from there.

Have you had a mentor or role model who influenced your career trajectory? How important do you think mentorship is for women in STEM?

Without question, I stand on the shoulders of the incredible women and minority leaders who have paved the path of opportunity for me. I was lucky to start my career as an attorney for a female federal judge who was invested in my success – not only in my role as her law clerk but also in my future career aspirations. She took every opportunity to introduce me to potential employers and to advocate for me when opportunities became available. Her mentorship did not end at the conclusion of my clerkship year but continued throughout my career. In fact, it was at a bar association event that I attended with my judge that I met NJ’s first African American Attorney General, who then brought me into the AG’s office in a leadership capacity. When I moved into my career in STEM, I was emboldened by the support of a female Chief Human Resources officer who supported my career aspirations to do more to support our colleagues and to move into an HR role.

As a woman in STEM, have you encountered any challenges or barriers along your career path? How did you overcome them?

Of course, as a working mom, one of the biggest challenges I continually face is how to manage the needs of my family, and particularly my children, while working. At Ferring, I am so grateful that, in my role as Head of DEI for the US, I am able to help create programs, initiatives and benefits, to support our colleagues as they balance work and life. Even just having the type of environment where you can voice the challenges you are facing, either through HR wellness initiatives or through programs created by ERGs such as our Ferring Families Council, can help create understanding, support and an inclusive work environment.

What are key skills or qualities that you believe have contributed to success in your career? How can aspiring professionals develop these or similar skills?

Being proactive about owning my own development and fostering the relationships to build my network of support. You are responsible for your own career success.  That means that you have to be proactive about understanding what skills and experiences are necessary to move to the next level or role and work to fill gaps. Additionally, I have found that the best way to gravitate into leadership roles is to develop an expertise in an area and then take every opportunity to share that expertise with others, inside or outside of your organization. For example, serving as an expert on panels not only gives you the opportunity to share valuable knowledge with others, but it can bolster your perceived leadership capabilities and can help build brand recognition for the Company, as well.

What initiatives or strategies do you think are essential for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM workplaces? How can we inspire more diverse young people to pursue a career in STEM?

One way to inspire diverse talent to pursue careers in STEM is to expose them to the variety of opportunities available in the STEM fields. There are a diversity of roles and career paths available and so many rising professionals are completely unaware of them because they haven’t been exposed – in their schools, homes or communities. As a Company, we have started to become more proactive in sharing this information in colleges and through outreach programs with non-profits and schools. In addition, our interns will all participate in a career panel to expose them to a myriad of career options in STEM.

What advice would you give to young women who are aspiring to pursue careers in STEM fields?

Find your passion, seek out mentors, build your network, embrace opportunity, be confident in your abilities, don’t be afraid of failure and help others. On this last point, helping others has been one of the best things I have done for helping my own career. Every time I help someone else, it gives me an incredible feeling of positivity and good Karma. For me, without question, helping others has been the best way to build my network with communities of supportive colleagues at all levels in a diversity of roles. I also find that a collateral, unintended benefit of helping others is that it builds relationship capital.  “Lift as you climb.”