Tracey Hudson

What is the biggest challenge facing women in our industry today and how do you overcome it?

The biggest challenge facing women in our industry today is the CHANGING landscape…. which actually presents an OPPORTUNITY for women.  Companies are adopting new hybrid models of working from home and many companies are going global which makes the work available more diverse and cross functional.  The skill sets are changing to adapt to the current environment which means there are new roles being created to meet the needs of our customers.  Virtual, AI, Omni-Channel, Digital… all new skills to compliment the core competencies that are always required; customer focus, collaboration, and critical thinking.  Now more than ever we need to understand the culture and values of our organizations and our place in the system to execute the biggest impact for our teams

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To what do you attribute your biggest career successes?

I attribute my career success to my work in this industry being aligned to my core values. In some ways I got lucky that my first job after  university was with J&J and I learned about the Credo; patients and people first. I think it is very important to be aligned to your values to truly thrive leveraging your strengths in your career. I have been very fortunate to have worked with amazing people and companies that offered excellent training where I could always be refining my skills and building on my strengths. As a lifelong learner I love that I can always be learning and applying my knowledge and skills to bring education to health care professionals which fuels my passion for improving quality of life for patients.

What is the leadership or business framework you use most often to help you lead effectively?

I follow the International Coaching Federation Competencies and framework for leading High Performing Teams.  I am currently enrolled in a program at UBC where I will get my certificate in Organizational Coaching later this year.  This builds on my leadership style which is to empower people to be the best version of themselves. This involves staying curious longer, listening at a deeper level and working with people to build on their strengths.

What healthy habits do you employ to maintain your mental health and wellbeing?

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is so important to me and something I take very seriously. For my mental health, I need to exercise! Whether it is running with my friends, jumping on my Peloton, going to yoga, or playing golf.  I book "ME time" in my schedule every day- even if it is a 10-minute meditation.   I also block time in my calendar to think….as a creative mind, I need to block time to do focused work.  Days where there are back to back meetings all day it can be a challenge and therefore, I do my best to make sure I have blocks of time in the week to do my focused work.  Another thing I have implemented in Covid with the endless zoom calls and working from home is “Self Care Fridays”. Friday afternoons when I am done work, I reward myself with something. It could be a trip up the mountain, a visit to the spa, a walk with a friend ,  or a nice glass of wine! It is so important to reflect & celebrate.

What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your career path within the Pharmaceutical Industry?

My advice to anyone is follow your passion and do what you love. If it is helping people and advancing science and medicine either from a commercial or medical perspective, this is a great Industry.  Coaching, mentoring, and networking are also great tools available to anyone.  Joining groups such as Women Leaders in Pharma are also amazing opportunities.  I was not aware of these tools when I was new in my career and I certainly would have benefited from having this knowledge early on. Final words of wisdom:  Build your network, give back to others, and treat people with kindness and respect - It is never to late too get started!