Rippon Ubhi is the new Country Lead for Sanofi UK and Ireland, marking the latest milestone in a career characterised by energy, passion and strategic leadership

Having spent close to twenty years in senior commercial leadership roles – living and working in Japan and the United States for ten of these – Rippon Ubhi brings the global experience needed to deliver Sanofi’s ambition to be the leading immunology company by 2030 and the first pharmaceutical company powered by artificial intelligence at scale.

A woman at the helm of UK leadership is nothing new for Sanofi (Rippon is taking the reins from her predecessor, Jessamy Baird), yet is still noteworthy in a sector that has typically seen underrepresentation when it comes to women in senior science and research roles.

In 2020, women made up less than 30% of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workforce in the UK, and despite remarkable discoveries, only 18% of senior scientific roles are held by women in Europe.

In the ever-evolving field of life sciences, we’re starting to see businesses go some way in redressing the balance. But what more can be done?

To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024, Rippon jumped at the chance to chat with Shiva Joshi, a member of Sanofi’s Shadow Board.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome as you progressed in your career?
From very early on, I was confronted with the daunting task of finding my voice in a male-dominated industry.

In this environment, my biggest challenge has always been resisting the temptation to be someone else and fit a specific mould. Like many women in STEM, I grappled with the pressure to conform to these predefined expectations – and it’s exhausting!

Luckily, at the start of my career, I was fortunate to have some amazing male mentors who encouraged me to be myself. And in recent years, as female leaders have become more visible, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from both male and female mentors who have helped me remain authentic.

I’ve learnt to value and embrace my unique perspectives and see them as my strengths. And it is these strengths that have meant I’ve become better at serving my colleagues and becoming a team and organisation leader.

It’s definitely not easy, but with perseverance and resilience, the challenges of self-doubt can be overcome, and remaining true to who I am has played a huge role in getting me here today.

Is there a particular time or experience in your career where you felt you overcame these challenges?
Working in the United States was definitely an eye-opener because I was forced to confront questions about myself.

I rhetorically asked, ‘can you handle this?’ and ‘can you test your own leadership?’ I went into the experience as a blank piece of paper, removed any preconceptions and made the decision to carve out a new path for myself.

Moving to Japan was a challenge as well. It was a culture shock and daunting at first, but it ended up being a really rewarding experience.

I learnt a huge amount from my Japanese colleagues around balance, precision and respect, which helped me to become a better leader. Most importantly, I learnt the concept of going slow in order to move fast.

But it’s important to be clear that I don’t think there’s ever a point where you feel 100% sure you’ve overcome your challenges. From my experience, women are often innate perfectionists.

And when you continually aim for perfection, the inevitability of falling short of this impossible standard often prevents women believing in their ability.

I’d say, try not to let perfection get in the way of excellence. You don’t always have to be perfect.

During your career, have there been any women who have inspired you?
I’m surrounded by inspiring scientists, so I’ve had to think about this one – there are just so many to choose from.

What it boils down to, however, is my sisters and my mother. Both of my sisters studied science, they became scientists, and they moved into the industry.

And my mother, she’s the core person who’s inspired me throughout my life.

The combination of her strong work ethic and the tough times she herself has experienced has instilled in my sisters and I to always remain strong and to never give up.

I often lean on my family for support and guidance, and I use this relationship as a shining example of the power of helping the women around you to succeed.

Beyond my family, I acknowledge the importance of drawing inspiration from different perspectives – men, women, people at the start of their careers and those who’ve had years of experience.

True innovation often thrives on diversity and I try to always look around me for inspiration.

What one action needs to be taken in 2024 to support more young women getting into and succeeding in STEM?
I think it’s about being very purposeful in taking the time to support women as they enter and grow in the life sciences industry.

As I get started in my new role as Country Lead here at Sanofi, and as more and more women enter leadership roles in similar organisations, we have a responsibility to try and make this pathway easier for women who are just starting out.

It’s about taking away some of the barriers that still exist for women and making it much simpler and more flexible – whether these are related to childcare, fertility, other care duties.

I can see lots of improvement, but we still need to do more. And I want to help with that in my new position.

I’m also very passionate about mentoring, I always have been. I would spend pretty much all of my day mentoring young people if I could!

At Sanofi, we really value apprenticeships and see them as an opportunity to empower people from a wide variety of backgrounds to enter and stay in the industry.

These apprenticeships also mean leaders like me get some reverse mentorship where we’re learning from those coming in.

This year, I want to encourage everyone to take that time out, be fully present in leading and listening to your teams and just try and provide a platform for them to succeed.

If you had one message to a woman looking to get into a career in science, what would that message be?
When asked this, I always say the answer is twofold. Firstly, ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’ and secondly, ‘be your own biggest advocate’.

Throughout my career, I’ve made mistakes, learnt many lessons and I’ve grown into my role as a leader – it didn’t just happen.

Yes, you need to adapt, especially as you move countries, move jobs, but it’s so important to stay true to who you are. Everything shifts and evolves.

If you remember your own unique strengths and stick to them, then you can be part of an ever-changing environment and succeed within it.

So, don’t overthink it. Be curious, be confident, and if you want it, go for it.