The Challenge

I started out my working life in the public sector, then moved to the private sector, joining Novo Nordisk eight years ago as a business assistant. I really like the company, but found I wasn’t able to move to a more senior role from the position I was in. I suspect it depends where you work in the business, plus the fact my educational background was in business rather than science or pharmaceuticals, but I definitely felt there was a limitation to my career path. Even though I was going the extra mile, I got thanks, but no professional progression. You can’t put thanks in the bank or on your CV. I wanted a promotion. 

In recent years, Novo Nordisk has acknowledged it has a problem with a lack of women in its leadership team. My senior colleagues recognised me as a talent and a loyal employee, so when I approached them saying I’d like to take part in the Women in Business course at London Business School they agreed. I’d first read about the course during the Covid pandemic in an LBS newsletter and obviously I knew the business school’s reputation. Had the course been face-to-face, it simply wouldn’t have been possible for me to participate, but because it was online, I was able to do it from where I live in Slovenia.

There were personal factors that also influenced my decision to do the course. I had a miscarriage at the beginning of 2020, which was a great trauma. I was back at work by May, but I decided it was time to invest in myself. I was determined to get more knowledge, to build on my skills and develop networks, and to learn how to use the capability I already had to better effect. It was all part of my process of healing. 

It was a challenge in many ways, but the time commitment was manageable and being online made studying flexible. I really liked how the course was set up. You get a lot of contact hours with the faculty as well as your peers, plus independent homework and reading, and you’re in touch right across the seven weeks. Fundamentally, it was a chance to move into a better life. 

I will admit that I found it all a bit intimidating at first. I loved the live interactive sessions with world-class faculty, but, when I was put together with my peer group, initially I felt a bit scared. I was less experienced than many of them, as they were middle managers, whereas I had no management experience at that point. But, when we got into smaller groups, it quickly became easier and much more familiar. Talking to my peers helped me to learn about their experiences and to see how to network effectively. 

 

My Learning Journey

My group on the course was very diverse, with participants from all over the world – one in Singapore, another in the US, one from Dubai, many from different parts of Europe. One of my peers had just had a baby, which really inspired me, showing me that having a family while still developing professionally was an achievable aim. 

My experience of learning at LBS has taught me so much. I now know how important it is not to apologise for myself unnecessarily. Women can be harder on themselves than men and often we tend to want to be polite. Too many people in the workplace think that if you’re polite, you can be overlooked. I’ve learned to speak up more and how to set boundaries. Men are also better at knowing how to sell themselves. I now recognise the power in sharing your knowledge and experience at the same time as being prepared to ask questions and admit what you don’t know. Women should support each other, but too often we’re shy to share things. The Women in Business programme taught me how valuable communicating these things can be. 

The Impact

The course gave me a broader understanding of what networks really mean, but an essential thing I learned was what a sponsor was. I’d heard of mentors before, but not sponsors and it was getting a sponsor myself that has made all the difference to my career. When I found my sponsor within Novo Nordisk, I knew I needed someone who knew me and my work, who had a good network themselves and, vitally, it had to be someone who had power. I chose one of the directors in Slovenia and he has proved enormously helpful. 

Not long after I finished the Women in Business course, I got pregnant again. It was a risky pregnancy, so I had to stay in bed for six months, but it was a joy when my son was born. It was while I was on maternity leave that I saw the job I'm in now being advertised. I applied and, with my sponsor’s support, I was given the role. It’s in human resource management, which is a new area for me, and it’s been quite a rollercoaster, but it’s been a very positive experience and I’m enjoying the new challenges.

When I started the new role, one of my first tasks was restructuring some of the top management in Slovenia. The whole experience was tough and involved hard emotions, but I quickly built a network among my peers in the region, as well as with some of my colleagues in India. It was a reflection of what I‘d learned on the course – it's not bad to ask questions and to ask others for information and support. 

The course showed me that you have to start from yourself, then take action. I developed the tools I needed to succeed, the framework to progress and the knowledge of how to apply those things in the day to day. The main thing I gained was confidence. After the course, I had a new sort of energy and the feeling I could move myself to a new role. 

When I got my new role, I really wanted to acknowledge how much the course helped me to get here. Women need to invest in themselves and the Women in Business course can really help them to do that. I hope companies also see what they can gain by investing in the talent they already have.