To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March, the companies in the Spectris Group are coming together to show own commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging. For the next fortnight, we’ll be featuring some of our ‘Inspiring Women of Spectris’, sharing their stories and their advice for women and men to support achieving the goal of true inclusion. Today, meet Robyn.
- Please summarise who you are, your role and where you’re based.?? I am Legal Counsel – Americas for HBK, based in beautiful Evergreen, Colorado.
- What sparked your interest in Legal?and can you share a bit about your journey leading up to your current role? I started my career within the Spectris group as an inside salesperson at Particle Measuring Systems. After being trained to negotiate our terms and conditions of sale I eventually pitched the idea of a contracts manager to support Spectris’ US legal counsel and transitioned to working for Spectris Group Legal.? Shortly after I began that role, I decided that I would like to fulfil a long-time dream of becoming an attorney which I did over a period of 5 years.? After passing the bar exam I was hired by HBK to continue my journey within the Spectris Group, and I am delighted to be here.?
- What do you enjoy most about working in law and your specific role?I love working through how to balance the law, our risk as a company, and the potential benefits we’ll see by working with our customers and other parties.? Sometimes we need to get creative to find a solution that works for everyone and it’s so satisfying when we find those!?
- What’s been your greatest achievement during your career? My greatest achievement so far during my career has been going to law school and passing the bar exam while working full time at Spectris.? It wasn’t an easy path, especially when Covid hit part way through my second year of school, but I’m so glad I took the leap!
- What advice would you give to a woman starting their career today? Seek out mentors and be open to opportunities that may not be the expected path from your current role.? I never would have expected to go from inside sales to attorney! In addition, work life balance is important to your mental health and your ability to do your job well.? Make sure you have activities and hobbies outside of work and take the time to enjoy them.? I love escaping into nature whether that be hiking with my dog, skiing, or cycling.
- What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?? Reflecting on your career path, what pivotal moments or experiences have shaped your passion for [your discipline]??
- What skills do you think will be essential for the next generation of women leaders? I think communication, including speaking and listening, is key to success but we must also be adaptable to change within ourselves, our company, and the larger society.
- Who is your role model and why? My mom. ?She never graduated from college but through networking and career long learning she worked her way up to a senior position in project controls with Dow Chemical while fighting a painful battle with rheumatoid arthritis.? When she passed last year many of her colleagues flew out for her memorial and spoke so highly of her as a colleague, mentor, and friend.? I hope that I can have that effect on women around me, helping us all to succeed.?
- In what ways do you hope to inspire others who are considering or currently pursuing careers in legal, based on your own experiences and insights gained along your journey?? I love being a mentor to other women, especially those taking a non-traditional path towards the legal world. The path towards being a licensed attorney isn’t easy and those of us who have been working for a while must tackle additional challenges to do so but we also bring significant benefit to the learning with our life experience.?
