Astellas Pharma is changing gears in India, led by its gritty woman chief, who has moved up the ranks in the industry acing multiple roles along the way, including some in yesteryear’s traditional male bastions.
Breaking The Glass Ceiling
“The glass ceiling exists, but in your mind. You need to break it,” declared Sampada Gosavi, general manager and managing director, Astellas Pharma India, recounting her journey from her early days as a medical representative at an Indian firm to the helm of the major Japanese multinational.
Gosavi recalls being the lone women MR covering the Bombay Hospital in the initial years alongside many heavyweight male counterparts at a time when companies like Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited were an emerging force and the sales function was primarily the domain of men.
There was also a stint where Gosavi took on the role of sales head for Chattisgarh, previously part of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai, and literally “worked out of a bag for 20-25 days in a month” alongside balancing time to raise her then three-year-old daughter.
“It's not been easy. I am not going to stand anywhere and say that it's been a bed of roses. It's been full of hard work,” Gosavi said, underscoring the value of a strong family support system.
The executive is also unabashed of leveraging female leadership traits such as empathy and other soft skills in a sector that’s predominantly led by male colleagues; in one prior leadership position, came the suggestion on the need to “behave like a man” but she would have none of it.
Gosavi underscored the need for women leaders to keep at it when the going gets tough – “build your network, a group of friends, with mentors who will pull you up,” she advises young aspiring leaders.
Gosavi herself has had a “great set of mentors” along her corporate journey and hopes that she can someday similarly be there for a young woman leader down the line.
Nevertheless, the “hard work” will always need to come from the mentee - you have to be on point, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the guys, she emphasised.
Gosavi has previously served as associate director, sales and marketing for Abbott India
In a wide-ranging interview with Scrip, Astellas Pharma India general manager and managing director, Sampada Gosavi, discussed how the Japanese multinational expects to put the pedal to the metal in the country, the thrust on capability building, the Indian operating and regulatory environment
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