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Interview
Women in Power!
Femininity does not mean weakness!
The Danish laboratory LEO Pharma trades its products in over 100 countries and it is now a reference when it comes to development of new medicaments for Dermatology and Thrombosis. The company, which already owns several plants spread all over Europe, contributes to the treatment of diseases like Psoriasis, Eczema and Skin Infections.
Managed by LEO Foundation, a private and independent institute, LEO Pharma started in 2011 their direct activities in Brazil after breaking their partnership with Roche, which traded some products o the company in the country.
Competitor of companies like Johnson &Johnson and Sanofi-Aventis, LEO Pharma has Heloisa Simão as the president of the Brazilian site. Graduated in Economics from FEA-USP and attending Leadership and Strategy Planning Programs in London Business School, Columbia Business School and IMD, the executive, married and mother of two 18-yeard-old twins, has already worked in several segments of the pharmaceutical industry and has over 25 years of experience.
She has already worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she started as a trainee and became the director of the Oncology/Immunology Business Unit and at Zodiac/Interfarma, as the director of the Oncology Business Unit.
Check out below the main parts of the interview with Heloisa Simão:
Top Team: Which characteristics does a woman need to stand out in the pharmaceutical industry?
Heloisa Simão: A woman must naturally have some important and essential characteristics in order to build a solid career in the industry. For instance, she must be able to easily share ideas and knowledge, besides being a good listener, never stop studying and be willing to constantly know the market better.
Top Team: Is there any prejudice in the industry when it comes to women working as executives?
Heloisa Simão: I don´t like the word prejudice, I prefer obstacle, barrier. This is closely associated with moments in which women go through their entire life when taking decisions.
Top Team: What kind of decisions?
Heloisa Simão: Having a child, for instance. A woman must take such decision in the right moment, considering that with a child at home, she will have less time to travel on business and to attend some meetings.
Top Team: Is it necessary, therefore, to constantly balance both personal and professional life?
Heloisa Simão: Absolutely. A woman must, for instance, evaluate if the company she works for supports a female leadership. If so, she must take the opportunities and reflect about it; that´s what the market demands.
Top Team: To wrap up, which hints can you give to women who want to become entrepreneurs?
Heloisa Simão: There are three main aspects. The first one is to be aware that femininity does not mean weakness. Besides, you need to share distress and moments and also invest in trainings. Updating is increasingly becoming more important and required.
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