In this interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Nataliya Andreychuk, the CEO of Viseven, about her experience and insights on Women's leadership in science.  

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in the life sciences communication industry, and what do you find most rewarding about your work?

 All my life, I have never been afraid to try new things and accept challenges. Only a few people know this, but I actually started in teaching. These days, I look back on that experience and see a lot of my teaching background when it comes to leadership, team management, and overall approach to work. How did I pursue a career in life sciences communication? Perhaps, my teaching and sales backgrounds collided, and I was at the right place at the very right time. I often say that more than a decade ago, pharma was much less digitally mature, and I wanted to change that. I was working at a digital company with great developers among the top specialists in their trade. One of them, even among the first Apple product developers in Ukraine. He ended up being a co-founder of Viseven. His brother also joined us in this great venture; this is how I ended up in pharma and life science digital communication.

I find the fact that we're making an impact very rewarding. Seeing companies change their approaches to digital marketing campaigns, implement change management processes, and apply omnichannel marketing to their daily work is tremendously rewarding for me as a CEO of a MarTech services provider and a marketing professional.

Viseven's slogan is Saving Lives by Improving Communication - I think that rings true to many of us. My reward is to see the final result. To see companies mature in their digital communication, to see the pharma world embrace modular content and implement an omnichannel approach across the board. 

2. How have you navigated any challenges or barriers faced as a woman in the life sciences field?

Women in tech as a whole are largely underrepresented. As a woman in life sciences, I prioritize supporting and encouraging other women in the industry. It is important to highlight issues relevant to women in communication as a whole.

Personally, I have been the only woman in the room at many meetings, and at times, it was even somewhat uncomfortable because

men, on more than one occasion, tend to underestimate women in any industry really. But that said, I have been lucky enough to work with wonderful and supportive men in my career. I view challenges as an opportunity to overcome something and learn from it. Going back in time, I think there were more barriers at the beginning of my career rather than today.

My main point is always this: there

 will be someone along the way that questions your idea or approaches, but if you stick to your goals and plans and find the right people to support you - you will very likely achieve your goals.

3. Can you share an example of a project or accomplishment you are particularly proud of in your career?

I think Viseven can be seen as my pride and joy. Essentially we started the company from scratch, but I always had a feeling that it would be something special. I even wrote on a whiteboard at one point a set of goals that seemed very much out of this world at the time, but we ended up achieving all of them! Now, after a decade in the industry and going as well as growing strong, I can proudly say that it was all worth it.

Today Viseven is a global MarTech Services Provider for Pharma and Life Sciences. Our products and services are actively used by the TOP 100 Pharma and Life Sciences companies in more than 50 countries around the globe. We have more than 700 employees and offices in Ukraine, the USA, Estonia, Canada, India, and working on others. We developed new products powered by Viseven, like eWizard, helping pharma businesses.

4. What changes need to happen in the life sciences industry to promote greater diversity and inclusion for women?

Let's be frank here. It is not only an issue for the life sciences industry.

Many markets, especially men-dominated, still feel the lack of women professionals. But it's possible to change that. Viseven has nearly half of the women, and women hold our leadership positions. With a bit of an open mind, encouragement, and change in approaches, the industry can certainly change. Back to life sciences, there are a few steps we can take.

Step one: Work in life sciences is cool, trendy, and something you should be proud of. This statement needs to be promoted everywhere. People who save lives deserve to be recognized and feel like real stars. Girls should know about women in the field and their stories and hear their advice, and from this follows the next step.

Step two: give more opportunities. It could include special courses, programs, and other activities. Unfortunately, a surprising number of girls still can't get a degree. Investing in girls' education transforms life science, countries, and the entire world. Taking care of the free chances they could get, we help with diversity and inclusion for women in the near future.

5. What advice would you give young women considering a career in the life sciences field?

Start now, and don't wait for a better time! Discover new things about your profession, never stop learning and being curious, share your ideas, and meet as many people as possible in your field. It seems a lot, but step by step, in the end, you will see a result.

Forget about the fair of mistakes. Starting a career, you are in an amazing stage of study and challenges. Even if you fail at times, you can get up and move forward. Never give up halfway.

And remember, empowered women - empower women. Forget about age, amount of experience, and your life and work stage. Let's appreciate all the amazing women around us and celebrate women's day every day.