Blog

It is in everyone s speech. It is in every second social media post and every third Instagram quote.: find your WHY. Find what motivates you and everything will make sense. Find your purpose and follow it.

I have met people who are struggling so much to find their WHY, people who are putting their whole life up for discussion. Some are changing their life style, job, or even country…

My path to find my WHY was kind of…unplanned.

At 17 years old I choose to become a pharmacist because I loved science, and a pharmaceutical  academic path looked more appealing then chemistry or biology. My role as pharmacist is to help patients and, with time, I understood that I prefer to work in a big company supporting and leading projects rather than to be out front in a pharmacy. I always  feel the be on a mission; working to help patients in need is my duty and I’m very good at it.

Then I joined Professional Women’s Group of Zurich. My volunteering journey started out of a very personal need. I wanted to move forward with my career in the pharmaceutical industry, which was stagnating in an associate role. After reading the book “Career Advices For Ambitious Women” from Miss Moneypenny, I better understood how to develop my career – who I know was more important than what I know. After a quick assessment of my lack of professional network in Zurich, I started to volunteer in a female networking group- The Professional Women Group of Zurich- to increase my professional connections.

What started with a personal need soon become something more. Event after event, connection after connection, the realization of how much work still needs to be done to ensure women are treated, paid and evaluated like men, grew.

The birth of my first child pushed this awareness to a new level, as I was now living first-hand and seeing how difficult is for a mother to keep a professional life in Switzerland. From that moment, I became a fervent advocate of gender equality and started dedicating even more time and energy to this cause. I found my WHY.

Without my first step as volunteer in PWG, then later part of the board at the end as PWG President, I would have never found my WHY. At the same time, I’m very much aware that I cannot to dedicate my entire life only to my WHY. I have duties, as a mother, a citizen and a scientist. I have passions – writing and reading books, and I have other causes I want to support, like sustainability and education.

Coming to this clarity was only possible because in the last 7 years I was surrounded by fantastic women. Thanks to PWG I had the chance to work and meet to some of the most inspiring women in Zurich. My volunteer work had enabled me to achieve great things and develop so many new skills! Leadership, public speaking, digital communication, event & partnership management,…

I will be forever grateful to PWG and to the women who surround me.

My volunteering time has come to an end. It is time now to give the chance to other women to volunteer in this amazing group and it is time for me to dedicate my energy to other projects, while always keeping my WHY in the center.

Thank you, everyone, for these amazing 7 years!