Accelerating Action for Women Leaders

This International Women’s Day (IWD), which takes place on March 8, is a day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic and culture achievements of women. This year’s theme #AccelerateAction places emphasis on the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.

In honor of IWD, we recently sat down with Emily Sizemore, Vice President, Sales for the Vascular business unit at Teleflex to better understand her experience within Teleflex and her rise to a senior leadership position. *

?

Teleflex: Tell us a little bit about your career path and what led you to your current role with Teleflex?

Emily Sizemore: I started in the medical world in 2006, holding a variety of roles between pharmaceutical, laboratory, and cranial maxillofacial surgery. I was about one and a half years covering trauma calls when family thoughts and obligations started to come up, and I was looking for something with more of a work life balance, and Teleflex had that.

I came to Teleflex and as a sales rep in the Interventional business unit. I was based out of Ohio. After four and a half years, there was an opportunity to become a Regional Sales Manager in Anesthesia and move to Raleigh, NC. I had never lived anywhere else. I had a one-year-old son, and we made the move to Raliegh for the promotion. I realized through my first leadership role that I could balance work and family obligations by just taking the leap. I was in the Regional Sales Manager role for about four years and then there was an opportunity to promote to Director of Sales within Teleflex, still within the Anesthesia business unit.

I was pregnant with my second child when the interview came up for Director. I was faced again with that nagging voice “can I do this” and “what does this mean,” but I pushed through those thoughts. Ultimately, I earned the position and went to the next level. I was in that role for three years and then the opportunity came up for Vice President of Sales in Teleflex’s Vascular business unit.

At the time Lisa Kudlacz, President & General Manager, of Teleflex’s Vascular business unit and I had been in communications and had established a professional relationship. So, when the interview process came up, I went through that process and earned the position in Vascular. Over the past 12 years, I’ve worked in three different business units and four roles in Teleflex; all unique, all different, and I have learned a ton along the way. It’s been a rewarding career here.

Teleflex: How did you balance advancing your career while building a family? What challenges, or even struggles, did you face in your decision making?

Emily Sizemore: Women tend to limit themselves and we have a lot of self-limiting beliefs. ?“I can’t be strong in business and be a great mom. I can’t go to the after-school event and have a career. I can’t find time to work if I need to get in a few hours to catch up on things.” There are a lot of times that we doubt ourselves, but we’re so much more efficient and capable than what we think.

I, in the back of my mind, have self-limiting thoughts. I was raised where you have a family and go part-time in your career – you don’t push forward, and you don’t accelerate. When you are in that position, and you have children, the question is “how can you do it all?” The answer is you can. I have found a way to do the things I need and want to do. I believe in myself, and I believe in my abilities and career. I don’t apologize for the times when I need to be a mom, and I don’t apologize for the times when I need to accelerate in business. Because you can do both.

Teleflex: How do you personally look at your team and help to accelerate career growth?

Emily Sizemore: I have 126 full-time employees in my organization. The breaks down to 2 Directors of Sales, 11 Regional Sales Managers, 10 Regional Clinical Sales Managers, 24 Clinical Sales Specialists and 79 Sales Reps.

We certainly are coaching our employees within our organization to take on more roles and responsibilities. In the Vascular business unit, we have a female President, female VP of Sales, female Director, 57% female managers, and our sales force is almost 46% female.

Teleflex: You talked about the inner voice. Do you still hear that voice?

Emily Sizemore: Every day. It’s difficult to change the things you grew up with when you are in your mid-40s. My hope is that the women coming up now, and in the future, can be looked at differently, and not have those same challenges. I have a daughter, she’s four.? I want her to be the loudest voice of the room. I want her to not question herself or doubt herself. If I could give her anything, it would be that.

Throughout my career, I’ve always felt I had to balance between being too bold and too quiet and fall someplace in the middle. Because if I speak up too much, it’s too strong. But, if I am too quiet, then I am not assertive enough. I don’t feel that way now, I believe in my voice and skill set.

I didn’t always feel that confidence. And I want to change that for those I work with to not even think about it. Just say what you want to say. You’re at work. We’re here to make it better. We’re here to improve. Say what you want, and you shouldn’t be judged because you are female.

Teleflex: What advice do you have for a woman moving into a leadership role? How can they quiet any inner struggles or doubt they may have?

Emily Sizemore: First, to have belief and confidence in yourself. Know what you bring to the table and understand who you are and what you are capable of. Listen to podcasts, read books on female leadership, get a female mentor, but most importantly, constantly and consistently remind yourself who you are and who you want to be. Unfortunately for women, imposter syndrome is real. But you can quiet that voice, and if it comes back, you have to keep quieting that voice. Get someone supportive in your life too, whether that’s a friend, family member, a mentor, another female leader; someone to keep pushing you and holding you accountable. To say to you, “you can do this, you can push forward, you can make the next step in your career.”

Teleflex: How have you mentored someone or helped someone to help overcome challenges like what you have faced?

Emily Sizemore: I have hired and mentored several female leaders. I backfilled myself when I was a director with a female RSM, who is a mom and who was a first-time Regional Sales Manager as well. And she had all these thoughts – I have two boys, baseball, what’s going to happen? My advice was others will need to help you. It’s time. Rely on your network; baseball parents; all the other friends you have. You build your network and your tribe, but you can do this. And as soon as you’re in it for a few months, you realize oh I can do this, I can take this on. I am proud to say she backfilled me again as Director of Sales, and I couldn’t be prouder of watching her push forward with that confidence.

When I mentor women who are moms, they think about all the kids and all the things. For me, it’s about helping them on the personal side, because that is what they have to overcome. They will come to work and kill it, but they must get the noise out first.

Teleflex: What advice do you have for hiring managers to overcome any unconscious gender bias?

Emily Sizemore: You hire the person with the best talent. And your top performers, they are going to figure it out because they are top performers. You hire the best person for the role. Don’t think about their family, their spouse’s job, their responsibilities, hire the best person. It’s that simple.

??

*The statements in this article are personal to the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the perspective of Teleflex Incorporated or its affiliates.