Global healthcare company GSK saw International Women's Day as a great opportunity to share some insights from senior women leaders Maya Martinez Davis and Michelle Bateson, who offered career advice and the highs and lows - and learning curves - of their own career journeys.
Maya Martinez-Davis (pictured above): "I've strived to be a constant learner"
GSK President of U.S. Pharmaceuticals Maya Martinez-Davis (pictured) shares important career advice that includes taking control of your own development; embracing that career growth can be uncomfortable; understanding the importance of learning; staying curious about your industry; and finding a mentor, either formal or informal.
"A question I get often is about development - how I’ve thought about it over the course of my career, how I arrived where I am today and what advice I have for those thinking about their own career paths," she explains.
"What I usually share is that there isn’t one easy-to-follow road map – it’s different for everyone. For me, I’ve just strived to be a constant learner. No matter what my role is, I immerse myself in it entirely and absorb as much as I can. I’ve worked in different countries, different therapeutic areas, different parts of an organization. I’ve taken both lateral moves and I’ve stretched myself – but throughout each role my goal has been to build capabilities, not my resume."
Read the full article on LinkedIn.
Michelle Bateson: "I share a lot more of my experiences"
Meanwhile VP R&D, Head of Categories at GSK, Michelle Bateson reflects on the importance of being open and the value of sharing your experiences with others.
In her piece, Michelle shares her struggle with being asked to act as a 'role model' for GSK's leadership program, feeling like a 'fraud' with her life's imperfections; but also her relief that she accepted the position, and how the experience has changed the way she looks at how she gives back and helps less experienced women.
"What I'm focused on is making sure that I openly share that I’m leaving early for a school play, or that moving overseas with four kids was tough and took a lot of adjustment. I share a lot more of my experiences – the good, the bad and the ugly. I still don’t like the term ‘role model’, but what I do appreciate now is the responsibility I have to cast the right shadow – this means bringing my whole self to work," she says.
Read the full article on LinkedIn.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.