Ofelia Bernardi

I attribute my success to my father. Growing up very poor drives me, and also being a woman, especially of ethnic background, and walking into a room where back in the day it was primarily men. I get so excited now when I see a woman in the meeting, or several women. I'm so happy because it motivates me that we can do this. I'm here, and I am going to show you that I work hard and I can do this. I've come across a lot of bumps and bumpy roads in my career, especially in the very beginning, but my father really shaped my way of thinking and my ambition. He always told me as a child and growing up, don't ever rely on anyone for money, don't ever rely on anybody, only count on yourself. That has been very much the driving force for me.

The best career advice I ever received came from a colleague long ago when I first started and was trying to find my way. He pulled me aside when I was trying to make decisions in my career and said, 'Just know your value, and don't ever undervalue yourself. You're worth a lot more than you think.' I always took that to heart because as women, we get very shy, especially in the beginning of our career. Back in the day, we weren't equal pay as we are now. That advice really stuck with me, and since then, I've never looked back.

I would say to them, if they really have a strong opinion, or if they know something, speak up. Do not be shy, do not hesitate, speak up. Your word is as valued as anyone else in the room. Don't ever shortchange yourself. As women, we get very shy, especially in the beginning of our career, but you need to know that you're worth a lot more than you think and your contributions are just as important as the men in the room.

The challenges are obviously just getting in front of the customer still, the end users, trying to get in front of them and let them know who you are and what you're about. Getting that opportunity so they can see what you can do and what you're there to do to support them is still a challenge. It's about getting over that hurdle. As many people as I do know in the industry, there are still people I don't know that I want to get in front of, that I want to talk to, and it's still quite the challenge. Another major challenge is that there is still not enough women in our industry. It is growing and it is great, but we are still working through women in pharma and women in bio to try to get more women into this industry and show them that it can be very rewarding. We need more women in our industry.

In my work, integrity is definitely number one for me. Being a straight shooter is essential. Responsiveness is second because customers don't wait, they move on, and I would totally understand because I would be the same way. These values guide everything I do professionally.