Meet Ebony Buehler
Volunteering with the HBA is especially important to me because it allows me to further develop professional skills while working with women equally passionate about gender parity and the importance of life sciences.
Volunteering has impacted my career by helping me develop my network in the life sciences and pharma industry.
My favorite HBA event I ever attended was Bringing Patient-Engagement Principles to Life within your Healthcare Role. This was the kick-off to our educational series for the Patient Centricity Affinity Group and it was so engaging and proved to me (once again) the potential of great minds coming together around important issues. I left that event so energized.
Volunteering has expanded my network by putting me in community with other like-minded healthcare professionals. Before HBA, many of my contacts were clients I worked with in my role in management consulting. The dynamics were simply different. In HBA, we were working together at eye level and my understanding of the industry has grown exponentially as a result
The most valuable lesson I learned from a fellow volunteer is from the head of the EMEA Mentoring Committee, Susanne Volkwein. She is amazing at bringing motivated volunteers together, organizing a supportive environment and then simply stepping back and letting talented professionals do their thing. We have had incredible results as a team for the 2 years I have been an active volunteer on the committee. I admire this and do my best to follow such an example in my work.
What skills have you acquired or fine-tuned during your time as an HBA volunteer that you feel will help you Accelerate Transformational Leadership?
Volunteer engagement and management.
Cultural fluency (both of different countries and also the culture of pharma)
My favorite part of volunteering for the HBA is working on the different committees, affinity groups, and working groups I have had the honor to serve in my 2+ years with HBA. I really love the energy and insights coming from these interactions.
I first got involved with the HBA when I attended an event in Berlin while I was on maternity leave. I really admired what the members were doing, and the interest they brought to their work and the lives of the people they served. I knew then, I needed to get involved and later joined the Berlin Chapter of HBA.
I applied for my current role with the HBA because I am passionate about patient engagement and was excited to see HBA members were equally motivated by the topic.
I volunteer for the united force for change because I see it as a mandate. I believe we all stand on the shoulders of giants. I am where I am because brave women and people of color broke barriers. Pay equity is one of our remaining barriers and I want to do my part now for those coming after me. And in this work, I am building community.
What would be your advice to someone thinking about joining or getting more involved with the HBA? Just go for it! You will learn so much and grow a network of highly engaged professionals.
Connect with me on my personal social media channels:
LinkedIn