Becoming a female leader at West

I started my career at DuPont as a customer service representative many years ago. I did a few different jobs before I joined West as an account manager for sales, spending 14 years there before moving into a materials manager role. In October 2021, I was delighted when after seven months in an interim role, I was named site director for our contract manufacturing and medical devices site in Puerto Rico.  

I face some specific challenges as a female in this job. I encourage all young women who are just beginning their careers to educate themselves through a mixture of study and real-life experiences. Surround yourself with mentors from different areas of the business. Listen to the wisdom they’ve gained through their professional experience. Learn from their mistakes and don’t be afraid to take on a challenge with the right support.  

Most importantly, don’t ever underestimate your abilities. I never doubted my own. Having belief in yourself is so important. 

Today, I am responsible for every aspect of the West Puerto Rico site. I enjoy my role and have a lot of fun. Some days are sunny, whilst others are rainier. But at the end of the rainy days, there’s a rainbow of hope for a new opportunity to shine, to make things better and to support our customers. Every day brings new challenges and new opportunities to develop.  

My success comes from a mixture of soft and hard skills. 

I need to be knowledgeable about lots of different topics, including finance, planning, analysis, and human resources. That’s why it’s important to find people from all different functions you can learn from. I am a careful negotiator, well versed on the different technical aspects and compliance requirements. I take a step back to understand all the angles and different perspectives before working out what to do. I pride myself on always focusing on our team members’ health and safety to support site performance. 

My goal is to make sure everyone across our different teams are aligned behind the same goals and priorities. What I’ve learned over the years is it’s important to show interest in others, encourage dialogue, try not to take things personally and base decisions on facts and data, not emotions. My leadership style is to listen, connect with people, respect others’ opinions and I always strive to lead by example.  

I believe a successful leader also needs to be available for their people, to support them on personal issues, to be their cheerleader, coach, mentor, and partner, as well as their leader. I am always looking for ways to provide opportunities for professional growth and development. 

If we continue to invest in our people and look for innovative ways to remain cost competitive and to improve, I am confident we will continue to provide our customers and patients with the exceptional quality West is known for, for many more years to come.  

We make parts and devices that saves patients’ lives. I’m proud to be part of West, proud to be a woman, and proud to make a difference.