Women in Pharma Conference Agenda

Women in Boardrooms: Empowered Women, Empowered Businesses

With more and more women taking the lead in joining the previously male –dominated industry, the talk will highlight upon what it takes to not just be a successful leader but also encourage the next generation of women to take the lead in this sector.

Recent studies have pointed towards a new way companies think about D&I. Organizations have shifted their focus on meeting the needs of individuals. They no longer put the spotlight only on having diversity within the company, but also towards leveraging that diversity to produce better products and services. With compelling evidence that points towards diversity driving innovation and market growth, organizations have begun to incorporate D&I as a strategy towards achieving inclusive growth and better profit margins.

With a lot of studies pointing towards ‘gender diversity reaps better financial results for a company’, organizations have increasingly become more sensitive to making diversity and inclusion (D&I) a part of their strategic priorities. As per a global report by Grant Thornton, ‘India ranks third lowest in having women in leadership roles’. However, with the latest SEBI guidelines on board representation, these figures are slowly changing. As per a McKinsey & Company report, ‘Achieving gender equality in India would have a larger economic impact there than in any other region in the world.’ Some studies also reveal that the highest percentage of women executive directors in the pharmaceutical industry is only 7.69%. Organizations are now channelizing their efforts towards building a gender rich workforce, with a special focus on women in leadership roles. This panel discussion will be addressed by highly accomplished women from the pharma, biopharma and healthcare industry who are at leadership positions and have broken the glass ceiling in a previously male preserve. Key points of discussion:

• Understanding and addressing the reasons for the ‘leaky pipeline’
• Women as agents of change in ensuring a level playing field for peers
• Crafting an effective D&I organizational strategy  
• Fostering a culture of learning, grooming and mentoring 
• Strategies for self-promotion       
• Reinventing leadership for the 21st century

Breaking the status-quo: Evolving role of women in leadership Leadership styles have evolved over time, with a prominent shift from the autocratic and directive leadership of the twentieth century to a more participative and democratic style of the new generation. With the current generation of women leaders being looked up to more as mentors than just managers, there seems to be a transformational shift in the leadership styles of the previous generations vis-a-vis today. This fireside chat will explore the evolving role of women in leadership in organizations.