Leadership sometimes requires standing alone. I've chosen integrity over comfort every time because positions are temporary, but your reputation follows you forever.
Andrea R. Webster, RP · In Her Own Words
I realized my circumstances may have challenged me, but they would never define me. Strength is not about never falling; it's about continuing to rise with grace, integrity, and purpose.
When She Realized She Was Stronger Than Her Circumstances
Explore moreHer Story
Andrea R. Webster, RP is an accomplished Associate Director of Legal Innovation & Operations at Novartis, where she leads global outside counsel strategy and legal operations initiatives that drive efficiency, transparency, and enterprise-wide transformation. Based in the New York City metropolitan area, she works at the intersection of legal, business strategy, and innovation, partnering with internal stakeholders and external law firms to optimize performance, strengthen accountability, and deliver measurable value at scale. Her leadership focuses on leveraging data, technology, and process improvement to modernize how legal services are delivered across a complex global organization.
With more than 20 years of experience in the legal field, Andrea’s career reflects a steady progression from paralegal and legal technology roles into legal operations and strategic leadership. She began her career as a traditional paralegal before expanding into e-discovery, legal project management, and practice management at firms such as Venable LLP, Greenberg Traurig, and Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP. Over time, she developed deep expertise in intellectual property administration, legal technology, and operational strategy, ultimately being recruited to Novartis, where she now oversees outside counsel management across litigation, IP, employment, antitrust, and transactional matters.
Andrea is widely recognized as a transformational and servant leader who prioritizes authenticity, collaboration, and people-centered innovation. She is passionate about building high-performing teams and creating operational frameworks that turn legal functions into strategic business drivers. A graduate of Virginia State University and Iona University, with a paralegal certification from New York University, she is also currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Phoenix. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys traveling—especially to beach destinations—exploring new cuisines as a foodie, and spending time as a devoted dog mom.
Her Interview
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to staying focused and true to who and what I am, and working hard. I've learned to flip the negative to a positive. I decided I was going to go a little harder to prove that I have value, I have substance, and I am someone to be taken seriously. And as of now, that's actually happening for me. I believe more in myself now, and I move intentionally and authentically.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice I've received is to keep going. But what really stands out to me is what my best friend, who's no longer here, always told me: 'Drea, you're enough.' That's something I carry with me - I'm enough.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I'd definitely say find a mentor and build your book of business in terms of your squad. You need somebody who is in front of you, you need somebody who's next to you, and you need somebody who's definitely behind you. Everybody works collectively to push the needle forward in terms of your career and where you're trying to go. The person behind you is going to push you because you want to set the path and give them direction to move forward. The person next to you is kind of like your competition, but not really - you're working together and helping each other. The person in front of you is going to give you the nuggets and the tools that you need to keep moving forward and be that motivation. This is something I love to do in my sorority - leadership development and professional development, educating my sorority sisters in terms of what they want to do, advancing their careers, and also moving up within the organization.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is the current climate we're in. It's affecting everything in the pharma industry because a lot of our drugs are made out of the country, so everybody's tightening up their belt and moving more intentionally and gingerly as it relates to spending. We're not overdoing it - we've level set and now we're not doing anything extra and above and beyond. We just don't know where we're going to end up. But the biggest opportunity is to actually cross train and shadow other people in other departments to get the experience and exposure you might not have gotten before. It's kind of all hands on deck. I've been able to do some other things that are a little bit out of my scope, but it's been fine.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are honesty, transparency, integrity, and my biggest one is accountability.
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