Joanne Jervis joined Daiichi Sankyo in 2016 and has experienced working in multiple countries across Europe – she now holds the position of Managing Director in Italy.
We asked Joanne what she felt has led to her success throughout her career and at Daiichi Sankyo Europe. Read on to hear more about what she has learnt, what challenges she has faced, how she pursues professional aspirations and the advice she has received and in turn, would share with others.
I’ve lived in the UK, Ireland and Italy over the past seven years, and I’ve enjoyed the opportunities and challenges that each of these countries has. Each country has specific health care systems and cultural aspects you need to learn and be aware of. But they also have commonalities; clinicians, patients, and health care systems all have very similar challenges. It’s been great to learn and then share examples from other countries with my colleagues. And in return, my colleagues have helped me learn the aspects that make their country unique – I’m really grateful for this!
When I began working in the industry, there weren’t many women in senior roles. I sometimes felt I wasn’t being taken as seriously. However, the industry has evolved since I began my career and I see woman being more supportive and encouraging to younger woman, and there are many more female role models in senior positions.
When working in the UK, I had a significant project which focused on ensuring a cardiovascular treatment was recognised fully by the National Health Service (NHS) Scotland. It was a long and complex project that required a lot of planning, teamwork and resilience. I learned to take informed risks and keep going, leveraging the power of an effective team working closely together towards a common goal. We set ourselves small goals and learned from every small success and failure we had along the way.
I also found the launch of a compassionate use programme in Ireland for women living with breast cancer was a truly memorable moment. It gave the team such a sense of pride that we offer this treatment to women who really needed it.
I am very grateful of the opportunities to grow and develop that Daiichi Sankyo Europe has given me. From the beginning, I felt listened to, valued and encouraged to take an entrepreneurial approach, which I really appreciated. I’ve been given the space to explore areas of interest and stretch my thinking, as well as on-the-job training.
Daiichi Sankyo Europe has allowed me to grow through professional development but also provided mentorship within the company. When I sometimes didn’t see my own potential, they did, and they encouraged me to keep developing. I also chose to prioritise a good work-life balance when my children were young, and I didn’t actively look for promotions. I don’t regret that at all as it was the right choice for me at the time.
The best piece of advice I was given was to always be yourself and be true to what you believe to be correct. Never try and be something you aren’t and always be transparent, honest and kind when you deal with people.
It’s sometimes hard to stay up-to-date on industry trends and developments, as you can get caught up in the day job. I would say that people shouldn’t forget how important this aspect of the role is. I really enjoy keeping up to date and it is a genuinely interesting area to me – whether it’s scientific data, policy updates or market changes – I am keen to learn and understand more and would encourage everyone to do this, whatever role they are in.
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