Episode 2: Wanda Hill — On Mission and Purpose

On Board with Transparent Leadership Podcast

October 23, 2023

Episode 2 Show Notes

Welcome to another episode of the On Board with Transparent Leadership series with Easterseals President and CEO Kendra Davenport and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) executive, Wanda Hill. In this episode, Wanda reflects on her career philosophy and the importance of mission as a motivator to make a difference in the world. She also shares advice for budding leaders.

Wanda’s career has traversed the ranks of the pharmaceutical industry, starting as a sales representative with Merck, and currently in a senior advisory role at GSK. She has extensive experience building and leading teams and driving strategic initiatives across various functions, including regulatory affairs, legal affairs, health advocacy/policy and compliance. Throughout her career in health care, she’s proven herself as a trusted people leader, business partner, and advocate, helping companies achieve the competitive advantage of a values-driven, people-centered approach to business. Currently, she drives strategic initiatives at GSK, Government Affairs and Public Policy, to optimize GSK’s product portfolio and increase medication access to patients.

Prior to this role, Wanda led US Commercial Regulatory operational and strategic functions, including promotional regulatory, policy, and labeling functions. Under her leadership, she drove the transformation of the regulatory function as a strategic business partner and enabler, upskilling technical capability and business acumen, and simplifying internal policies and processes to effectively manage risk, while driving innovation and business performance.

Wanda holds degrees in pharmacy and law, with a concentration in healthcare law and policy. She is particularly passionate about mentoring and leadership coaching, constructing diverse and welcoming-to-all workplaces, promoting STEM careers and industry-academic partnerships. Wanda is a founder of a groundbreaking postgraduate fellowship program in regulatory affairs and policy—a partnership with the FDA and the Howard University College of Pharmacy, where she also serves as a board member.

Wanda is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband Erick.

Transcript

Kendra Davenport:

Hi, I am Kendra Davenport, president and CEO of Easterseals, and you are listening to Onboard With Transparent Leadership an Easterseals podcast where I speak with leaders from some of the country's top organizations. Together we explore how transparent leadership can impact communication, trust building, and foster a culture of openness and accountability. I hope that our conversations can offer you practical insights and tools to positively impact your organization. In this episode, I'm joined by Wanda Hill. Wanda, thanks so much for being here.

Wanda Hill:

Oh, Kendra, it's great being here. Thanks for inviting me and I'm looking forward to chatting with you and sharing some insights about leadership.

Kendra Davenport:

Wanda is an executive at GlaxoSmithKline, that's GSK. GSK is a global biopharma company and she's currently a member of Easterseals' National Board of Directors as well. Inspiring, collaborative and innovative, Wanda brings as much humanity to a room as she does drive and business focus. Throughout her career in healthcare, Wanda has proven herself as a trusted people leader, business partner and advocate, leveraging her regulatory experience to help companies achieve a competitive advantage by using a value-driven approach to the advertising and promotion of medications. Wanda's career has traversed the ranks of the pharmaceutical industry, starting as a sales representative with Merck and working in various regulatory affairs and policy roles, and currently driving strategic initiatives at GSK in government affairs and public policy. Wanda's education, career and volunteer experiences, advocacy roles, and lifelong DEI practices make her uniquely qualified as an advocate for advancing health equity. I can't wait to get into some of these questions I have for you and hear more from you. So let's just jump right in, Wanda. I just appreciate so much, as you know, I've told you, having you on Easterseals' National Board of Directors for a number of reasons, but mostly, if I'm being honest, because I feel I can come to you for advice and guidance. So can you talk to me a little bit about why you serve on Easterseals' board and if you serve on any others? And secondly, are there any other professional groups that you belong to that you enjoy participating in? So two questions.

Wanda Hill:

It's been a pleasure to serve on the board and to help advance the mission of Easterseals and to support you as CEO. I really admire you and your leadership.

Kendra Davenport:

Aw, thank you.

Wanda Hill:

The mission of serving people with disabilities and impacting the community really resonates with me. And for me, it's all about making a difference in people's lives and that is my personal mission to make a difference in people's lives. So throughout my career, I've always viewed myself as an advocate for mission-driven people focused organizations, and I think that's why I gravitated toward an industry like pharma where we're making a difference in people's lives through medications. Another board role I serve in is with Howard University College of Pharmacy, my alma mater. I'm very proud to support Howard and-

Kendra Davenport:

HBC.

Wanda Hill:

That's right. And I just really feel it's important for me to give back to an institution that has given so much for me as I reflect on my leadership journey. Your second question was around professional groups?

Kendra Davenport:

Yeah, do you belong to any? Is there a group that you participate in that you feel you get something from that helps you as a professional?

Wanda Hill:

Yeah. Yeah, there are many, many groups, particularly ones that foster networking for female executives that I really enjoy, and they include Chief. There's a group called Woman of Color in Pharma and another group called WBL, Women's Business Leadership Network. And for me, especially after the pandemic, I am embracing more of making connections and expanding my network and learning and growing from others. And these organizations really help with that, they help women connect with each other.

Kendra Davenport:

I think the most successful leaders are people who are willing to learn, open to learning as they get into the latter years of their career. Not saying that you are, I'm applying my own experience, but I do feel that distinguishes and separates a good leader from a great leader because when you're closed to learning, how are you growing?

Wanda Hill:

Absolutely.

Kendra Davenport:

Another thing I really am curious about, you and I have actually spoken about this offline, so love to pose this question for our listeners, and that is how you balance it. You've had a really successful career. Your career is certainly a big part of your life, although maybe not a defining part of your life. Can you talk about how you've navigated your personal life and maintaining and growing in your career? How are you doing it?

Wanda Hill:

I'm not quite sure. I think, especially work-life balance, it's a challenge. But I've tried to maintain a balance and that balance has become easier now that my husband and I are empty nesters. So for me, I may not necessarily have the perfect work-life balance. I think it's being comfortable with not having a perfectly balanced life, and that's okay. But again, the support and understanding of my spouse has always been a factor in my being able to have a life and also have a career, especially as I've moved up the ranks. And frankly, I've been fortunate to work for companies, even before the pandemic, who respected the work-life boundaries and encouraged balance and encouraged taking care of yourself and family.

Kendra Davenport:

I think it's so important and I think it's wonderful that in this day and age now today, companies are paying a lot more attention to that, to enhancing and supporting work-life balance among employees. Because I'm sure like me, you remember a time when that wasn't the case.

Wanda Hill:

Absolutely. Absolutely. It's great to see that more companies are allowing people to bring their whole selves into work and really respect those boundaries.

Kendra Davenport:

It's kind of a nice segue to my next question for you, which is, it hinges on something my children... My daughters are all in their 20s now and they are resolute in their commitment to taking good care of themselves, mentally and physically. And they chide me a lot for not practicing self-care, which I'm getting better about, I really am. And I know that one of the people I work closely with at work says, "Self-care looks different for everyone." What does your self-care look like? What do you do to replenish? What do you do to fulfill yourself when you need to be replenished?

Wanda Hill:

Yeah, self-care, definitely, it's so important, it's so critical. It's an area, I'll be honest, that I didn't pay attention to until quite recently. I just think it's important for us as women and especially to look at selfcare as not being selfish. You can't take care of other people and do the things that you need to do without putting yourself first.

Kendra Davenport:

So true.

Wanda Hill:

So, for me, it's something as simple as just starting my day off in the right mindset. I just think that's so important. I'm actually an early riser and in the morning I journal, I love to write and I meditate, and it's just so important for me at the start of my day to think about, "Okay, what goals do I want to accomplish? What am I just thankful for?" And so for me, just that piece of it is important to my selfcare, just that reflection.

Kendra Davenport:

I love that. I love that. And I agree with it because I really believe you touched on something, I place a tremendous amount of importance on gratitude because I think gratitude sets the stage for opportunity and having an attitude of gratitude really, I think as trite as it might sound is important. But I love that. And I love to journal as well, so we are kindred spirits in that respect.

Wanda Hill:

Yes. But there's another thing that I want to share as well.

Kendra Davenport:

Yeah, please.

Wanda Hill:

It's just staying active. I just stay active and I emphasize the try, but walking, riding a stationary bike, those types of things. And then when I can't do that, stay active, I try not to be so hard on myself when I fall down on that eating healthy and being active part because as I've gotten older, I've allowed myself a bit more grace.

Kendra Davenport:

Those are words to live by Wanda, so thank you. Thank you for sharing that. Let me switch gears for a second.

Wanda Hill:

Sure.

Kendra Davenport:

Throughout my career at various times I've experienced career judgment, judgment about being ambitious, from both men and women. Have you ever experienced that? Have you any similar experience? And if so, how do you feel about it? How do you manage it?

Wanda Hill:

Yeah. I, in my career, have experienced judgment, I have experienced people who've been threatened, I guess by my ambition in my career, by my focus on being exceptional in everything I do, quite frankly. I think the drive came from my grandmother who I admire greatly. And her advice to me, don't do anything halfway, put your whole heart into things. I've learned in my career that people who feel threatened, it's more about them, not me.

Kendra Davenport:

That's what I tell myself too. I experience it less and I think it matters less as I get older. I really think... And I told my team today, you just need to remain true to yourself.

Wanda Hill:

Absolutely.

Kendra Davenport:

And that can be challenging sometimes, but I really believe women shouldn't have to apologize for being ambitious or wanting to excel or do more or ascend the latter.

Wanda Hill:

Absolutely. We shouldn't have to apologize for our achievements. And I just learned about a term called tall poppy syndrome.

Kendra Davenport:

Which is?

Wanda Hill:

Professional women essentially getting cut down for standing out at work. And then that tendency for women who are these high achievers to minimize their accomplishments, to make other people feel comfortable. So that really resonated with me, especially early in my career, and I downplayed my accomplishments to make others feel comfortable. So yeah, it's important that we embrace our accomplishments and we promote our achievements and learn to toot our own horns and to celebrate ourselves as women.

Kendra Davenport:

I could not agree more. And I think probably every woman in the working world has felt that way at some time or done something consciously or unconsciously to dim their light to make other people feel comfortable. And I think it's important that leaders like you speak out about it and share your personal experience so that other women can see, it is shared experience and this is how we get past it. This is how we rise above.

Wanda Hill:

Absolutely.

Kendra Davenport:

So to that point, at your point in your career right now, I'm curious about what's on the horizon for you? What remains undone, or on your professional bucket list, is there something there? Or are you happy with where you are right now? Are you just enjoying where you are in your career journey at this point?

Wanda Hill:

I'm happy with the journey and where I am, and I still am motivated to make a difference in this world. I mean, as corny as that might sound-

Kendra Davenport:

No, not at all.

Wanda Hill:

... I just feel really deeply about this deeply. I want to continue to advance those causes where the mission resonates with me. As I said, I'm motivated by the mission and helping people in Easterseals and the work around STEM equity and elevating the importance of HBCs like Howard University as a training ground, all of the things, all of these things-

Kendra Davenport:

All of the things.

Wanda Hill:

... I want to do

Kendra Davenport:

I love that.

Wanda Hill:

... and make that difference.

Kendra Davenport:

I love that because it means you're still passionate about being in the workforce, being a professional woman, and I think that's critical to staying on top of your game is bringing that energy.

Wanda Hill:

Absolutely.

Kendra Davenport:

So thank you. Is there something that you consider, I mean I have many vices, but is there something-

Wanda Hill:

Oh, do tell.

Kendra Davenport:

Is there a particular-

Wanda Hill:

You go first.

Kendra Davenport:

All right, I'll go first. I have a lot of vices and I like to tell my husband, "Oh, this is what I'm reduced to is black licorice." And last night, in fact, I made him go out at 10 o'clock to get me a bag because we had none in the house and he's a saint and said, "Kendra, I'll go out and get it." And I said, "No, it's really a weakness error. I shouldn't need black licorice right now. But I really do, so if you don't mind, could you go out?" Is there a vice you have that you really enjoy, whether it's food, or whether it's watching movies, or what is it because I think people would love to know a little bit more about what makes Wanda tick.

Wanda Hill:

There's so many, Kendra, I don't know where to begin. I love to shop for clothes. I love fashion, and I think that just relates to my artistic side. It's not really a vice... Well, I like to eat, but I'm passionate about cooking. I make a mean Chilean sea bass dish.

Kendra Davenport:

All right, I'm filing that detail away for when I come visit.

Wanda Hill:

Yeah. And I'm passionate about reading. I focused a lot in my career on leadership books and self-help books. I'm back to reading fiction for fun. So it's not really a vice, more of a passion. You won't judge me if I share that I have a vice, I do watch The Housewives shows.

Kendra Davenport:

No, that's exactly what I wanted to get at. I wanted the truth.

Wanda Hill:

Okay, [inaudible 00:14:10] truth.

Kendra Davenport:

No judgment here. And I share your passion for reading, and we'll get to that in a second, but I love having the time to read fiction and I was recently on a vacation and read three books, and that to me is definitely I think time that I consider a luxury and maybe a vice, if you could. One last question specific to your career, and that is, and I know people shy away from giving advice, but it would be valuable, I'm sure, to many of our listeners to hear what advice you have for young women who are just beginning their careers, but who envision themselves becoming leaders at some point in the future. What advice would you give them?

Wanda Hill:

[inaudible 00:14:54]. I have a lot of advice to share, and we would need another podcast, but I'm just thinking, reflecting in my career, first of all, just my philosophy. I just really do believe leadership isn't a title, it's a mindset. So whatever role you have, no matter what the title, no matter what level you're operating, if you bring a leadership mindset to the role, be solutions oriented, business focused, performance driven, those titles will eventually come. And for me, it's about approaching your career, your work with a people first mentality. I try to follow the platinum rule, treat people the way they want to be treated and just get to know people. The way to understand how they want to be treated is to get to know them. It is important, and don't leave people in your wake as you climb the corporate ladder, respect people. And I think always just taking that opportunity to develop and grow. Just be open to learning new things, and it's okay if you don't know something and be comfortable in being uncomfortable as you learn new things.

Kendra Davenport:

That's great advice. It's very humble. Everything you're saying is really, I think attached to or underscored by adopting an attitude of humility as a leader.

Wanda Hill:

I think you have to. I mean, it's important to connect with people and put people first because I think that is how you drive business performance. I think culture is so important.

Kendra Davenport:

I couldn't agree more. Wanda, thank you. I have so enjoyed our conversation today and appreciate your taking the time to talk with me. We like to end these episodes with an Ask us Anything segment with our co-host from Easterseals podcast series, Everything You Know About Disability is Wrong, so stick around for that. But before we go, I would like to ask Wanda just one more final question. Wanda, you know me, and we touched on it earlier in our discussion, we both love books. I want people to know what you like to read. So what's one book, and it can be a self-help book or it can be a fiction book, whatever you think, but if you were going to recommend a book to a leader that you think every leader should read, what would that book be?

Wanda Hill:

My favorite leadership book is called The Leadership Pipeline, and I'm hoping I'm pronouncing the author's name correctly, Ram Charan. It describes the skill sets and expectations of a leader as you move up that leadership ladder from individual contributor to a manager of people, to leaders of leaders, to an enterprise leader. So what are those skill sets? What are those expectations as you move up the ladder? And I'm just grateful for one of my mentors in business for sharing it with me. It was in the middle of my career, I wish I had it earlier in my career, but I've given this book to people I mentor to really help them see and understand what are the critical skills needed as you move along the ladder.

Kendra Davenport:

I'm going to put that on my list. I just wrote it down, so I will definitely get it. Thank you so much. I love everything you say and I thoroughly enjoy whenever we get to spend time together, but really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to join me on this podcast. Thank you.

Wanda Hill:

Oh, you're so welcome, Kendra. My pleasure. Thank you.

Kendra Davenport:

All right. Take care, Wanda. Erin and Lily, I am so glad you can join me today as leaders in your work and as co-hosts of the Everything You Know About Disability Is Wrong podcast. What do we have for today? Lily: Thanks for having us on again, Kendra. We love the Ask Us Anything segment.

Kendra Davenport:

Oh, it's great to have you on. Lily: Today's Ask Us Anything is, how do you handle failure and mistakes both personally and within your organization?

Kendra Davenport:

I love this question. There's a saying, and I don't know who said it, I don't know whose phrase it is, but, "Show me a winner and I'll show you someone who's failed." I think people don't get failure right, I think we all avoid failure like the plague. And in fact, I don't think you learn as well as you do from failure. I don't think anything else is as good a teacher, I guess as failure is. And anyone who's succeeded in business, in sports, in life will tell you they've had their share of failures. And I think it's just sort of become this un-American thing to embrace failure. We don't look upon failure favorably, we don't look upon it as the teaching tool it really is.

But if you think, just take a moment to be introspective and think of something you consider a failure, you didn't meet your goal or you fell way short of what you thought you were going to be able to do, and then look at where you are today, I would bet that most people took from that failure the lessons learned, you learn them well and you don't commit the same errors that led to that failure. I think no one wants to fail, but I think there is tremendous learning in every mistake we make. And I've made some doozies throughout my career, and yet I just really believe failure is never fatal and success is never final. And you just have to keep pushing every day, take from your failures, learn from them, move forward, and don't commit the same mistake. Lily: I think that's such an important piece of advice, especially for young people who want to get into leadership. With social media out there, it can seem like everyone's first try is perfect, and I think it's a great reminder that behind every perfect TikTok, behind every perfect Instagram post is a ton of failure. I think that's really important, thanks for sharing that.

Kendra Davenport:

I just want to say I think social media has done wonderful things for us societally, and it's done terrible things. It's the root of the anxiety so many young women feel because of this unattainable body image that social media portrays. But similarly, you look at social media and it's one of my last vices, truly, Instagram, my children will tell you, is my last vice. But it's not healthy. It's not healthy to spend too much time on social media because just as you just said, Lily, there is this false sense of perfection and no one's perfect and the veneer that is social media, there's really a lot more to it. I think most people's lives are not as perfect and clean and well-ordered as they are on social media. And I think if we think about our careers that way, it's a mess before you actually iron it all out and get to where you want to be, where you're making an impact, that's a healthier place to live. Lily: Absolutely. Thanks for that great advice and we'll see you on the next episode.

Kendra Davenport:

Great, look forward to it.

Kendra Davenport (Commercial segment):

You may not know that Easterseals has been trusted by families nationwide for over a hundred years. At Easterseals, we share a commitment to the people we serve, and each of our locations offers a variety of important services to meet their community's needs. Services like early intervention to help young children achieve their developmental goals, adult day and in-home services, community mobility options, behavioral health and wellness programs, caregiver and veteran services, and much more, so that all people of all ages and at all stages of life can have all the access they need so all people with disabilities can feel empowered and included and so all families can continue to receive support they can trust. Learn more by visiting easterseals.com.

Kendra Davenport:

That concludes our episode. Thank you so much for listening. If you like what you heard, be sure to write a review, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And join us next episode as we discuss how we can all get on board with transparent leadership.