67 TWENTYFOURSEVENBIOPHARMA Issue 3 / October 2025 WOMEN IN SCIENCE What types of skills do women in the pharmaceutical industry need to develop? Sonia Rasi: I firmly believe that the skills required for success in the pharmaceutical industry should not differ between women and men. Highlighting them in a genderspecific way only reinforces a gap that should not exist. Strategic thinking, project management, communication, leadership, empathy and resilience are essential qualities for everyone, regardless of gender. That said, I also believe every woman carries an innate strength that, once discovered and nurtured, can truly empower her career. For me, the focus should be on creating opportunities for both women and men to express and enhance these skills in ways that make them authentic leaders. Ultimately, professional growth comes from embracing challenges, building resilience and cultivating the confidence to turn one’s potential into results. Clara Usanna: Determination, passion, enthusiasm, curiosity and the love for my job have always been the driving force that has supported my continuous growth and improvement of my professional and personal skills, allowing me to achieve significant personal milestones, as well as important and ambitious company’s goals, and I strongly believe that these skills are a must for women in the industry. A technical and scientific background is also important. The pharma industry is constantly evolving, changing and, as women leaders, we have the necessity to be part of this modifying environment acting very fast, working in a team, inspiring and influencing, empowering the persons around us through our empathy, professional background building important relationships, being creative and developing strategic thinking emotional intelligence. Be proactive and ready to manage complex projects and solve complex problems and situations. Be open to hear the opinion of others, ready to always learn from your colleagues, partners, counterparts and mistakes, and develop excellent, efficient communication. Innovation is a key word affecting a wide range of company sectors and being innovative is a must in our sector. Be open-minded and ready to change, flexible in adapting to new business models and working environments. My ‘motto’ has always been: “never give up”! Patricia Luhrs: As we all know, the pharmaceutical industry is constantly evolving and learning is essential to keep up with new regulations and technologies. Women’s involvement is essential in both the scientific and business side of the pharmaceutical industry as we make up such a large portion of the population. Women are the key to improving the availability of medicines, especially in women’s healthcare, which focuses on treatments for diseases that impact mainly women. Personally, I have spent nearly 30 years working in this industry, mainly on the business side across various aspects of Client Services, Supply Chain, Sales and Regulatory. Along the years, I have learned that it is necessary to develop a well-balanced understanding about the process for developing new innovative medicines, as well as generic drugs, which includes the right opportunity, partnership, researching the market where a real need is required and understanding challenges such as product costs and regulatory barriers. In addition, one must be able to review the FDA Regulations and ICH Guidelines that govern the safety and efficacy of all the products under this scope. Finally, after having the above knowledge, it is so important to have a high level of skill in the areas of communication, project management and solution-based thinking to convey all the required details to various stakeholders. As natural born caretakers, women who work in the pharmaceutical industry must continue to increase their overall knowledge of ongoing research, available medicines and understanding ways to help people access medicine better to improve the health and well-being for ourselves and loved ones. I think no matter what path a woman chooses in this industry; you should be compassionate about the work. There is always something to learn. Take advantage of working with your colleagues who can guide you, ask questions, take on new projects with other members of the team and sign up for virtual and live presentations. When I first joined PROCOS in 2019, I noticed right away how many women there were in high level positions across Administration, Quality and Sales, and how our management always encourages them to succeed. That is something women need to find in this industry, a place where you can grow, be accepted and respected. What advice would you give to young women aspiring to follow your path? Sonia Rasi: It is difficult to offer advice that fits everyone, because each career journey is unique. Standardising experiences would risk trivialising them. Personally, I would recommend choosing the more difficult path – the one that seems less natural – because it is precisely those challenges that build character and help you discover your true strengths.
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