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It is always great to see young women excelling in science! As with any field, success is driven by energy, passion and competence.

While the last 25 years has indeed seen a better representation of women in STEM, we have not overcome the stereotypes that may prevent girls from choosing a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

And we are not yet there in equal representation of women in senior and executive leadership roles, particularly in these disciplines. Hence my engagement at FiDAR, an association that works towards increasing the representation of women on German corporate boards.

So where to start? Parents, brothers, sisters and teachers, I challenge you to encourage girls at an early age to ask questions. How do things work? Feed them with amazing insights about nature and beyond. Let them be proud if they get great grades in maths, physics or chemistry.

Later in life, I challenge companies and their leaders to support women by engaging in programmes that introduce young women to career possibilities, while sponsoring mentorship programmes.

To my fellow senior and executive leaders – be aware of your unconscious bias and how it impacts your decision-making in recruitment and talent development.

Personally, I have always been passionate about engaging in mentoring. These brought humility and insights about the role I play in my professional environment, as a model female scientist and businesswoman, as a proud mother of two girls, and a loving wife of a husband who was all-in to share family work.

Ultimately this change is for a great purpose – the biopharmaceutical industry has made amazing progress thanks to great scientific and technological innovations, truly changing how humans treat themselves in sickness and in health.

Women must be equitably represented to push the frontiers of science and technology!

I have huge expectations in 2024 for women in science. We’ve raised awareness for women, many of whom were highlighted as forces of progress during the COVID pandemic. We’re better at encouraging young women to choose careers in STEM, and it’s time for lasting action.

During my 20+ years in the industry, I have been given opportunities based on my abilities and accomplishments, although it has not been a straightforward path.

But, in leadership rooms where strategic decisions are being made, I am often the only – or one of few – women. And once my term expires from those places, it is up to me to ensure that my replacement is also a qualified woman. Let’s change that in 2024.

Supporting a culture of successful women in the workforce requires the women in leadership to not only set a standard and be a model, but hold the door open and coach the next generation of women.

Sitting here in 2024, I am encouraged to see the increased presence and impact of women in healthcare and pharma.

While we still have a way to go to get full representation at the highest levels – only a third of C-suite positions in pharma are held by women – having the opportunity to look around and see more peers and mentors in these positions is inspiring to me and makes me believe we will get there.

In my career journey, I have been fortunate to learn from amazing female leaders who have influenced and shaped how I lead. I saw them lead not just to drive results, which of course they did, but also with empathy and a sense of purpose.

They taught me that caring for and developing your team so they can succeed is the most important thing you can do as a leader.

They were also leaders who understood the magnitude and impact of what we are doing. It is more than just hitting our metrics or delivering for the sake of the business, it’s about a patient at the end of it and making an impact on their lives.

In this field, we also have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies that hold the promise to truly cure disease.

I now work helping drive CRISPR cures into the clinic – a technology we couldn’t have imagined only a little more than a decade ago. And one that was driven by two women, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, who won the Nobel Prize for this work.

We stand on the shoulders of the women in science and healthcare who have paved the way for us, and we owe the next generation the support to make their own lasting impression.

It’s refreshing to see that, today, more women are thriving in science.

It’s a great time to be in pharma, as the industry experiences a paradigm shift in how medicine is practised, driven by continued innovation and scientific advances that are making a meaningful impact on human life and the world.

Specifically in genomic medicine, we’ve unlocked an exciting chapter – one that has transformed healthcare as we know it – with the FDA’s landmark approval of the first commercially available CRISPR-based gene therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease late last year.

Incredible progress has been made that reinforces the potential that cutting-edge technologies like gene editing have to enable the treatment of a wider range of diseases.

As a leader, I have a platform to help drive change and influence others, and to support those who need it via allyship.

I am proud to say I am living my values, and working to build a safe space and inclusive culture for everyone at Danaher operating company, Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT).

Being surrounded by other leaders who hold themselves to high standards in this area has also been very helpful and meaningful in the journey – we challenge and push one another to do more.

But there is still much work to be done to overcome the persistent barriers that can hinder one from entering this profession and to correct gender imbalances in the corporate world.

Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies need to take note and create opportunities for those who want to pursue a career in science.

It’s something we have prioritised as one of our strategic pillars at IDT when attracting and retaining top talent.