In honor of International Women’s Day coming up on March 8, we’re dedicating a special series for some of our female leaders at NuVasive. What is International Women’s Day (IWD)? It is a global day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women all over. In addition, IWD marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Internationally, purple is a color for symbolizing women, signifying justice and dignity. At NuVasive, our mission is to paint the world purple and continue to change as many patient lives as possible. Pairing the two purples together, we hope NUVA can help drive the movement to increase unity, advocacy, and action in our society.
To kick off our weeklong series of #WomenInSpine, our first feature is Janine, Senior Director of Legal Affairs for NuVasive Clinical Services™!
What woman inspires you and why?
Michelle Obama–such a class act. She carried out her duties as First Lady with intelligence, grace, and humor. She was in a unique position to have a huge impact and succeeded brilliantly. I loved the way she always seemed comfortable being herself.
What advice would you give to other female professionals in a legal department or business leader role?
Stick up for yourself and don’t be afraid to speak up. Always act with integrity. Mentoring is valuable–don’t turn it down.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?
Women don’t advocate for their own worth as effectively as they could.
How do you think the female perspective benefits our company’s mission of changing patient lives?
Here at NuVasive Clinical Services, we are very focused on all the components that it takes to provide a quality service. It takes a cross-functional effort and great teamwork to make it happen day in and day out. I think the women here at NCS really get that. They are very collaborative which is key. And when the going gets tough, they keep on going!
What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?
Getting their first start and then maintaining their footing in a more turbulent and always changing economic and business environment. Navigating an increasingly technological and virtual world. Lastly, as life spans increase, finding ways to stay fulfilled and financially independent during multiple career phases will be something they need to be constantly aware of.
To learn more about International Women’s Day and how you can get involved, click here.
