#womenASCOA: Building a Successful Career in STEM
#womenASCOA: Building a Successful Career in STEM
AstraZeneca leaders gave a regional workshop on supporting women in the STEM fields and shared insights into the pharmaceutical industry.
Speakers:
- Sylvia Varela, Area Vice President, Latin America, AstraZeneca
- Peter Overheu, Country President, Andean Cluster, AstraZeneca
- Barbara Furtado, Vaccines Medical Lead, Brazil AstraZeneca
- Josefina Flores, End User Services Operations Lead, Mexico AstraZeneca
- Alejandra Herrera Vargas, Global Finance Services Controlling Associate Director, Costa Rica, AstraZeneca
“When it comes to inclusion and diversity at AstraZeneca, it’s important that we recognize two things: that we are all equal, and that we are each different,” said Sylvia Varela, area vice president for Latin America at AstraZeneca. The multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company believes that promoting equality in the workplace is not just an ethical responsibility, but a business priority. The company focuses on measuring empowerment of inclusive leadership, fostering an environment in which colleagues feel comfortable to speak up, and developing a diverse talent pipeline, explained Country President for the Andean Cluster Peter Overheu.
The company's Latin America team talked about how a diverse work culture can deliver creative new solutions to address today's global health challenges and shared personal stories. Brazil's Barbara Furtado spoke of the importance of having a strong support system with mentors and sponsors as she moved through different phases of her career. Mexico's Josefina Flores encouraged the audience to remain persistent and steadfast in the pursuit of their career goals even when facing gender-related stereotypes in the workplace. And Costa Rica's Alejandra Herrera Vargas echoed the importance of working towards achieving gender parity in male-dominated fields.
