11 Insights from Women Leading the Way at Teva
Advice and life lessons from women in leadership; 11 key insights to take away
Women make up 46% of Teva’s workforce. In 2021 the number of women in executive and senior management positions increased by 1.8%, as did the number of women successors for critical positions at Vice President level and above, and external hires represented a 50/50 men/women distribution for management roles.*
We asked some of the women in Teva’s leadership roles to share key insights they’ve learned on their journeys.
1. Diverse teams are important for success
When Vanina Faillace began working at Teva in Argentina, she was surprised to find that the majority of the members of the senior management team were women.
"In my previous job, the people who were reporting to me were women, but the management team was mainly men," says Vanina, Sales and Marketing Director for Teva Argentina. "This is the first time I've worked in a team with so much inclusion and diversity."
Her colleague, Juan Meli, Country GM for Teva Argentina and Uruguay, firmly believes that having a diverse leadership team is critical for a company's success. “The very fact that the team is diverse raises the bar. Usually, diversity and gender balance give you enhanced collaboration, different perspectives, a wider talent pool, a better understanding of market trends and customer needs.”
Read their story
2. Women bring different viewpoints to the table
“Globally, women are underrepresented both in science, and in key leadership roles,” says Dr Radha Shekar, Vice President of Teva’s Global Clinical Operations and Teva’s first female VP in India. “As a woman leader, I strive to bring patience, empathy and support to the table and be cognisant of diverse viewpoints. Managing differences is an important asset when collaborating with different functions across the organization and I often tell my team, wait, and let us look at this from the other person's perspective.”
Read more about her life insights and fascinating career.
3. Mentoring helps women on their journey
Teva board member Rose Crane has dedicated her career to improving lives, working her way from pharma rep to company president. She believes strongly in the role mentoring can play in the progression of women through their careers.
“My greatest legacy is the women that I have mentored. I always had wonderful mentors, both men and women. I believe the progression of women flows from the top. Women who mentor women help them grow.”
Rose Crane
Read more about Rose’s progression to the top.
4. Sharing skills and experience benefits everybody
Teva’s innovative and dynamic mentorship program is designed both to accelerate female advancement into senior roles and establish a supportive and engaging forum for senior women leaders. It is created to enrich the lives and experiences of not only the women who are mentored, but also those who mentor them.
“As a mentor, I enjoy sharing my experience with others and over time I’ve realized that I get back at least as much as I share,” says Shosh Neumann, General Manager at Teva’s Kfar Saba site in Israel.
She believes that programs like this open minds to other worlds, other people and other experiences and can also help to boost women’s confidence. “Sometimes women believe in themselves less and are less confident and persistent. By putting programs like this in place and supporting women, it helps them to believe in themselves.”
Read Shosh Neumann's mentorship story
5. Everyone has a part to play in the empowerment of women
Of course, it’s important that everyone feels empowered to be an inspiration for others – men and women equally. Mentor Kirsten Bauer, Teva Senior Vice President & General Counsel, reinforces this
“My first manager at Teva was a man who believed in me as an individual, although I don't think he realized at the time that he was supporting a young woman in her career journey - he just saw my potential and saw things in me that I didn't even always see in myself frankly as a young lawyer.”
Kirsten Bauer
6. It’s important to get out there and make things happen
Kirsten urges women to be confident in their careers and forge ahead. “Don't just sit back and wait for good things to happen; don’t be scared to take some thoughtful risks in your career development.”
7. Making connections can help you grow and overcome limitations
Kirsten’s mentee, Ana Horvat, Senior Director, Strategy and Program Management Global Procurement & Facilities, advises making connections as a good way to advance.
“Learning that other colleagues have the same challenges as you, that they are asking themselves the same questions is very helpful because we can talk about it and see together how we can overcome the limitations we sometimes put on ourselves.”
Ana Horvat
8. Always be proud of your ambitions
Another participant on Teva’s mentoring program, Oindrila Chatterjee, Senior Director In-line Portfolio, encourages women to speak up about their aspirations.
“Women can have ambitions and aspirations; they don't need to be modest about them and they don't need to make excuses for them. That is the biggest thing I’ve learned from the mentorship program - it's all there for me and I am welcome to have it.”
Read her mentorship story
9. Create your own networks
Women leaders should establish multiple networks, says Tricia Hew Chen, VP, Regional Finance Director, because women are a natural at relationships.
“Speak up without hesitation – you’ve already earned your seat at the table. Seek out other women leaders. Be assertive, confident and true to yourself.”
Read Tricia’s story
10. Don’t be afraid of challenges
Challenges are an inevitable part of any career, as Sara Zavaleta, Senior Director of Project/Program Management at Teva, reiterates – but challenges have solutions.
“It can be a challenge to be the only woman in a conference call, giving a major project update to the executive senior leadership team - all men. I have overcome this by working on my presence in the call and clearly bringing my point across.”
Sara Zavaleta
11. Believe in yourself
Women are often less confident than men in their own skills and abilities. “A common problem for women is that if we don’t believe that we are 100% capable of doing a job, we sometimes don’t try,” says Sara. “If a man thinks they can do 70%, they will often go for it and figure the rest out later. I thrive on investing time in women in my network to be as – or even more - successful than me, and to join me in leadership roles.”
Read Sara’s story
A supportive environment, dedicated networks and a strong ethos of advancing careers is the bedrock of Teva’s approach to women in the workforce. It’s all part of the greater aim – to achieve gender parity at senior leadership level – and encourage every woman in our business to find her own path, realize her potential and achieve her professional goals.
*Teva 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance Report
Find out more
- Meet Beata Juhasz and her team in Hungary, working to ensure the quality of Teva products, including medicines for blood pressure, pain relief and depression.
- At Teva, we believe that diversity drives innovation and creativity, and inclusion and diversity are core values that inform our entire organization. Read more
- Would you like to join our inspiring team and start your own journey? Visit our Careers section.