Author: amanda.manconi

An inside view of your candidate journey—from application to onboarding

Applying to a new job can feel anticlimactic. After careful research, getting excited about your potential fit, polishing your resume, and writing a thoughtful cover letter, you’re likely energized and excited about the possibility of a life-changing role. Then you submit your application and where there should be fireworks, there’s silence. At Danaher, we try to communicate as much as possible along the way, but rather than risk you waiting and worrying, we have created this step-by-step guide to give you a behind-the-scenes view of our recruiting process.

The step-by-step Danaher hiring process

Note: While timelines can vary by role, this guide provides ranges that apply to most hiring processes at Danaher and our OpCos.

Step 1: Application

Once you find a role that fits your experience and career goals, submit your resume and additional details through our online portal. Afterwards, U.S. candidates will be prompted to set up a candidate homepage, which you can use to track your application status.

Timing: Our recruiters typically spend two to three weeks reviewing applications before selecting qualified applicants and scheduling phone screens.

Step 2: Reviewing your application & scheduling a phone screen 

If your experience and ambition satisfy the job requirements, we’ll reach out to schedule an initial phone screening, where you’ll have a chance to share more about your background and learn about the role and our company. Depending on the position, a recruiter may then send you additional skill-based assessments.

Timing: If you’re selected to move on to the next round, a recruiter will get in touch to schedule your in-person interviews—all of which will happen within three to five weeks. If you are not selected, we’ll let you know within 10 business days.

Step 3: In-person interviews

Meet members of the hiring team in a series of interviews.  At this stage, we want to get to know you better, through stories about your experience, your preferred learning style, and the environment where you do your best work. Depending on the role, you’ll meet with between three and eight stakeholders. We may ask you to complete additional skills-based assessments at this point in the process.

Timing: The in-person interview process can take three to five weeks, depending on scheduling and the number of interviews. You should receive an offer or rejection five to ten days after your final in-person interview.

Step 4: Receiving an offer

If you’re selected for the role, you’ll receive a verbal and written offer including information on your new job title, team, compensation, and benefits.

Step 5: Onboarding & preparing to start your new role

Should you accept our offer, we’ll send you new-hire paperwork and ask you to complete a background check and drug screening.

Timing: Onboarding can take approximately three weeks, but timelines vary.

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Thinking about realizing your potential at Danaher? Now that you know what to expect, check out our jobs page to learn more, or to browse open roles.

The Danaher Business System (DBS) sets us apart from every company in the world. DBS is who we are and what we do. It’s a set of tools and processes that help us guide our work, measure how well we execute and create options for doing even better. What does this culture of continuous improvement mean for our people? DBS accelerates associates’ learning and propels their careers. It gives everyone a seat at the table, a common language—and confidence in the value of their work. Read on to find out how DBS can empower you.

Danaher is made up of 16 independent operating companies, or OpCos—these are companies Danaher bought because they’re doing really well, and to take them to the next level. That’s how I became part of Danaher, and it’s how I learned to use the Danaher Business System (DBS) to generate growth for myself and others. When Danaher acquired Cepheid, I was a sales leader there—my whole career had been in sales. Then, some folks from the DBS Office came in to work their magic with us, and I just loved it. Many in sales believe, “It doesn’t matter how I do it, as long as I make my revenue target.” But I like to see a plan. So I was very drawn to the process and structure of DBS. Not everyone takes to DBS as quickly as I did, but trust me, it’s a game-changer for your career at Danaher. 

I ended up working in the DBS Office myself, and now I’m in HR to help Danaher implement DBS more thoroughly at the corporate level. DBS works best not when we push it on OpCos or associates, but when people bring us in and ask, “What’s next and how do we get better?” Any time we’re using DBS, it’s about understanding what people need from us, discovering how we go about doing it and then understanding the impact of what we’re doing. The common language and processes we apply to everything we do helps unify the entire organization and create a common language.

Building up from the foundation

For DBS to work, especially innovating across so many different businesses, we have to be open to different ways of working and learning so we can repackage and repurpose concepts and tools. It’s not plug-and-play as I had originally thought. For example, I had a big “aha moment” with one of Danaher’s Life Sciences OpCos. When I was working in the DBSO, I went to their headquarters ready to set up Funnel Management, a tool I knew really well after working at Cepheid, where we had an instrument and reagents that customers ordered on a regular basis. When I got to this company, which has a made-to-order sales model with thousands of orders a month, I realized Funnel Management wasn’t going to work the way I’d thought. I had to basically unlearn everything I knew and listen to what this team needed and how their business ran. Then I figured out how to use Funnel Management as a framework to get started, knowing it was going to be different from other operating companies.

Now, all of their business is managed through the funnel. It just took me shifting my focus from what we couldn’t control to what we could. As part of this, we installed a “Growth Room” so that they would have visual and Daily Management around all the components of the Commercial Engine, from sales to marketing to operations and how they all interact. Growth Rooms help us see how we’re going to get from where we are to where we want to be. It’s a safe space where we continuously pose the same questions: Where are we, where do we want to go, what’s the impact of what we are doing and what needs to change? And even though this all started out as a push, instead of a pull, that OpCo is currently thrilled with the ability to better predict their business and understand fluctuations that happen. 

Making change through a Policy Deployment breakthrough

In the past year and a half, we’ve been using DBS to make Danaher a place where everybody wants to work—and where current associates don’t want to leave. Whenever we’re looking to make a breakthrough change, whether it’s with a product or a hiring practice, we do it by implementing Policy Deployment. We’re not actually making or deploying new policy, though; we’re figuring out something we don’t already know how to do. And while every OpCo has things they’re doing well, we want to take D+I much further and really look at opportunities to improve recruiting and retention. When we dove in, every single OpCo started identifying gaps. Then, instead of assuming we knew what the root causes were, we used DBS to dig deeper, understand the issues and pose data-driven solutions.

Just like with the work in that OpCo I mentioned earlier, constant feedback and regular monitoring are important components of the kind of problem-solving we do to arrive at a Policy Deployment breakthrough. Keeping an eye on impact helps us visualize the trend quickly and start to pivot when it’s needed. Talking to people, or using Voice of Customer, is an important monitoring tool we continuously apply. It’s a matter of making sure we understand what people are saying before, during and after the process. It’s a way to get that constant feedback and eventually see the change we’re aiming for.

Pulling it all together

At every level, the expectation at Danaher is that people are developing as leaders. DBS is the most certain way to grow in your career. It’s who we are and how we do what we do. Not everyone gets it right away, but I’ve found that patience and persistence are sometimes all it takes for DBS to show its value. And it’s definitely true that people using DBS are more likely to advance their careers than those who don’t use these tools. 

When we map our talent, a process we call “chess-boarding,” we use DBS and the Danaher Go program—the set of guiding principles for internal career transitions—to look at where people are, what their potential next role is and what opportunities are open at other OpCos or within their current organization. These principles help reinforce core behaviors with DBS values interwoven throughout. These are meant to help us deliver results, instill trust, apply insights and win as a team. It’s a way for people to advance their development, capabilities, knowledge and understanding. 

We are early in the journey, but my current focus is to make sure Human Resources is using DBS in a way that drives business impact. Bringing in DBS helps to create the sort of operating rigor that leads to strategic action. We’re asking, “Do we have enough leaders in the talent pipeline? Do we have a good funnel, both internal and external? Are we developing appropriately?” When everything’s a priority, nothing is a priority, and you end up being very tactical. Now I’m actually taking the Growth Room tool, meant for the commercial space, and I’m repurposing it for leadership development, and to track the progress of the HR initiatives we’re developing.

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Want to build your career at a company where you are respected for exactly who you are? Search our open jobs and join our talent community to take the first step!

posted April 28, 2022

Processes that make work and life easier have always fascinated Michael Reinholt Andersen. When he learned Danaher was one of the world’s best companies implementing lean manufacturing, he applied to Radiometer, a Danaher operating company focused on diagnostics solutions for acute care settings. Soon after, he landed his dream job as Danaher Business System Leader (DBSL), and after several progressing leadership positions at Danaher, he is now Radiometer’s Vice President of DBS. For over 15 years, Michael has helped associates across Europe drive DBS for real results, teaching them how to eliminate frustration from waste and non-value adding activities in their work—ultimately empowering them to make medical products that improve patient care. 

What are you working on day to day at Radiometer?

I’m responsible for DBS implementation across all functions at Radiometer. The DBSL team and I make sure we grow our DBS maturity and build DBS muscles within the organization. We make sure we tackle today’s challenges for the benefit of our customers, associates and stakeholders by training our associates in DBS behaviors and techniques hands-on where value is created. At the end of the day, we’re enabling impactful strategy implementation as well as tactical execution. 

Working in the acute care industry, there’s of course a great need for our products; our priority is to always serve our customers well and meet their demands. One of the best ways we support that priority is through perhaps the greatest tools in our DBS arsenal—the kaizen, which is the ultimate problem-solving method. At Danaher, a kaizen is a collaborative, weeklong process where a team focuses on a predefined problem and uses DBS tools to identify opportunities for improvement. The team removes what’s not adding value for the customer and implements a new way of working.

The results are often phenomenal. For example, we’ve recently identified an opportunity to reduce lead times from three to four weeks down to less than 24 hours on a product line, meaning we can react flexibly to customer demand. In another example, we increased the volume coming out of a production area by over 50%, just by taking out the activities that did not add value and by improving quality. It’s amazing. 

Where did your career start and how did you end up where you are today?

I started out in operations, and I’ve been working in manufacturing for many years. Back in 1998, I learned about the lean philosophy. I have always wanted to understand how to improve processes, and I was really interested in how the lean toolbox could help drive results. Through research, I learned about Radiometer and our parent company Danaher, which was described as one of the best companies in the world at implementing lean. And I thought, “I’ve just got to try to figure out how to work with them!”

After applying for a role here at Radiometer, I spent a year in Operations, where we made improvements by focusing on daily management. That work led me to a role as a DBS Leader—my dream role. Everything else has felt like a bonus. In my 15 years here, I’ve had 9 different positions across Danaher, in most of our platforms, including being a DBS director for Danaher Europe. 

And as Danaher has grown, I’ve been fortunate to bring my DBS skills to wherever they’re most needed. I’ve lived in Finland and Germany, but now I’m back in Denmark. Throughout the operating companies and countries, DBS has been a shared language, and I attribute my success to it, and to the many colleagues I have learned from. DBS simply gives you great results. 

Why has DBS been such a career motivator for you personally?

DBS fascinates me because it’s really about keeping things simple. Basically, you look at what customers are willing to pay for. What is valuable for them and what isn’t? It’s much easier to remove something that’s not valuable, which gives you time back to focus on what is. As a person, this really resonates, because I don’t like to do things that I know are a waste of time or something I will have to constantly rework.

By removing waste, you automatically become better. If you don’t have to do things twice, you will be faster. But you have to do it the right way. If you just push people without removing the waste or improving the process, then you’ll end up with what we call “fake DBS,” which only creates frustration.

My favorite analogy for DBS is running. You can’t sprint forever, but you can run for a long stretch. Pushing people is making them sprint, and eventually they will feel the strain and become frustrated. Using DBS makes jobs easier and less frustrating, and that in itself is highly engaging. It brings more efficient, sustainable productivity, and that’s why my colleagues often come out of kaizens eager to apply DBS to more aspects of their work. 

The best way of teaching people is to get them on board in a kaizen and let them do DBS together in a team. That’s where people can see that we’re not asking people to work harder, but work better, by removing waste. I think in any job, we all know a process that makes you think, “I just wish it wasn’t like this, but I can’t change it.” In kaizens, we get to change those processes we know can be better.

What would you say is challenging about your job right now?

The last two years have been frustrating. When we solve problems with DBS, it’s best to go to gemba—the place where the issue occurred—so you really understand what’s going on. With the pandemic, we haven’t been able to get out in the world as much as we’ve wanted. However, COVID-19 restrictions also showed us there can be a hybrid between remote and in-person learning, so this has been another opportunity to grow DBS tools. For example, as a global company, kaizens can be more convenient and accessible when done virtually. That said, face-to-face is definitely here to stay, and the team and I are excited to be getting our hands dirty again.

What’s really exciting about this moment at Radiometer?

In the very short term, I’m super excited about some major kaizens coming up. I just love seeing the faces of the people who worked together for a full week to solve a problem and are proud of their accomplishments. 

Long term, we just finalized our global DBS strategy for the next three to five years, and I can’t wait to present that to our global team. 

So if you have an interest in improving things, if you want to have a great impact, if you want to have great opportunities for yourself, then come to Radiometer and Danaher. Here, you can have a typical career path in your field, but DBS can also be a rewarding career path. Or you can do both at the same time. The tools and insights you’ll gain will benefit you for the rest of your career. 

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Interested in joining Michael and the rest of the Radiometer team? Check out open roles across Danaher or join our talent community today.

When Lauren Coetzee moved from South Africa to France, she couldn’t have predicted just how international her life and career would become. Now, as a Senior Project Manager at Cepheid, Lauren oversees finance and accounting processes for distribution throughout Europe, meeting local requirements to bring life-saving medical technology directly to customers. Reflecting on her career journey to and at Cepheid, Lauren discusses how to balance careful planning with adaptability, how side projects evolve into exciting new work, and the difference that rapid diagnostics can make.

Tell us about your role at Cepheid.

As a Senior Project Manager, I work with an extended finance team on our “Go Direct” projects. We started Go Directs three years ago, so we could get our molecular diagnostics directly to customers and give them the Cepheid experience. Buying out distributors and selling directly has helped us reach a bigger market and better compete with other companies, but it’s also made a real-world impact. For example, with the COVID-19 pandemic, where prompt distribution and testing is essential. And we were able to efficiently distribute our new COVID products so people could be tested and treated in a better way.

I do everything related to finance for Go Direct: setting up financial processes, making contacts with local accounting providers within the different countries to ensure that local compliance regulations are met. I also work to translate these rules and regulations into our enterprise resource planning (ERP)  system as user requirements to remain compliant with local tax and accounting rules within the various countries. This work requires working closely with the different functions of the business. 

Tell us more about the Go Direct project and its impact.

Day-to-day, I do research on countries we’re going into, input their requirements into our system, and piece together a process. Then I make contact with outside accounting firms, explaining our needs and negotiating contracts. That’s how we build partners who can provide us with help and support. And I work closely with my finance colleagues—for example, one person’s really good with taxes and customs—to basically map out everything we could possibly need to know from a finance point of view. I take all the information and compile it into an Excel workbook for each country as a detailed finance plan and roadmap for the project. Then after we move into a country, for about three to six months I act as  the accounting manager for the new entities, and I continue to document learnings and details, so that if I look something up, no one has to look it up again. And once things are stabilized, I bring in new accountants, hand my baby over to the accounting team, and then off they go. 

It feels like I’m truly making the world a little better, because I know how important fast and accurate medical diagnostics can be. When my son was an infant, he got sick, and I remember sitting there in the waiting room, not knowing what was wrong with him, just waiting. If we can cut that anxiety down from three days to 48 or 24 hours, it makes a huge difference. 

How did you come to Cepheid?

I was an auditor for many years at an international firm in my home country, South Africa. Then my husband—a professional rugby player—got a contract to play in Paris. I resigned, but my boss at the time encouraged me to apply at the company’s French branch. I didn’t speak the language, not even to say “hello.” Still, they gave me six months to attend French language school and get my visa in order, and then they hired me. Since I knew English well, I got to work with large international clients and take on big projects.

I enjoyed it, but when I had a baby, I couldn’t continue 18-hour days. I was sad about leaving my job, but I spent time with my son, and then I had another baby, and when he was about a year old I was ready to re-enter the working world. Then Cepheid contacted me through LinkedIn about an accounting position. As an auditor, accounting had always been “the other side of the fence,” and I wanted to try that type of work, so I was very interested in the accounting position.

The funny thing is we had moved to the French countryside, in the middle of nowhere, but the Cepheid office happened to be 20 minutes away. I remember driving to the interview through sunflower fields, thinking I was lost, but there it was. It just seemed like fate, how everything worked out.

How have you learned and grown at Cepheid?

After working as an accountant for three months, they offered me an accounting manager role, where I oversaw three countries and managed a team. During that time, the Go Direct project came up, and I thought it would be a great way to learn more about Cepheid and its processes. I took on Go Direct as a side project and got to meet people in different departments and really grow. When that first playbook was done, my boss approached me, asking if I’d want to do another project. I jumped on the opportunity to improve on my workbook and plans. Things really snowballed from there, as I worked on Go Direct initiatives in Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Poland. Over the past year I’ve taken on six more countries, and it’s been great to be a part of this exciting growth for the company. 

I had a lot of mentors along the way, including my boss, Nicolas Brouchon. Even when I was new to the company, people in different departments kindly took the time to explain concepts and processes to me. 

I also learned about  Danaher Business System (DBS) and got to see its potential for project management. For example, with our first country, Spain, we didn’t have a set plan like we do now. DBS helped us organize and get everyone on the same page. Because when you bring in individuals with different ways of thinking, it’s important to focus and understand what needs to be done in terms of deadlines. Using DBS shows you how everything is interlinked, so you can see how being late affects milestones. So we knew the importance of communication and working as a unit.

What challenges do you face at your job?

The biggest challenge is that every single project is different, since no two countries are the same. Yes, the process is the same, but the local laws and requirements are not. You have to adapt and work with different people. Fortunately, I love this type of problem-solving. It makes you think outside the box, because in your back pocket, you need to have plan A, B, C, and D for different scenarios.

I’m also a bit of a control freak, and it can be hard to rely on things that I don’t really have control of. Because of language barriers, I’m reliant on local accounting providers to be “me” in that country, and speak on my behalf. So I have to make sure I find the right partners—people who you can have a good relationship with, who are professional and trustworthy. 

Another challenge is the rapid pace. In the last two months, we went live in four countries. You have to adapt your approach depending on what’s happening at the time. That’s one thing I’ve learned—projects never go according to plan. Fortunately, my experience as an auditor, where you adapt to different clients, has made me flexible and good at communicating with people. It’s all part of project management, and I enjoy it. I also have the benefit of being part of a project team. We help and support each other and work together to find solutions.

What are you excited for the future of your career journey?

I’m excited about Cepheid’s growth, and I’d love to get involved in new projects. I’m especially interested in getting more exposure to DBS; it’s really affected the way I think. The way it helps you see the bigger picture and the correlation between all the different tasks and how everything is interlinked—I’ve always approached problems in this way but I didn’t know it had a name. So I’d like to learn more, maybe become a DBS Leader, and use those skills to help the business in any way possible. I could even expand to areas that are linked to finance but new for me. 

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Interested in joining Lauren and the rest of the Cepheid team? Check out open roles or join the Danaher talent community today. 

After joining Cepheid as the International Regulatory Affairs team’s first intern, Anisha Panth quickly found herself in a full-time role—and she hasn’t stopped learning since. Below, she shares the challenges and opportunities that come with working in a fast-moving field within a fast-growing company and explains how she’s helping to pave the way for those who come after her, within Cepheid and beyond.

What do you do at Cepheid?

I cover Southeast Asia, Japan, and Australia for our International Regulatory Affairs team—we work with the authorities in each country to make sure they have the information they need to approve Cepheid products. Essentially, it’s our job to show that our test kits are safe and effective. That usually starts with compiling a submission dossier that has our package inserts along with detailed analytical and clinical reports, along with country-specific requirements. Then regulatory authorities will come back to us with any questions they have. Often, we need to reach out to other teams here at Cepheid for the answers, so we do a lot of cross-functional work, especially with R&D, Quality, and Product Transfer. We also collaborate closely with our Regulatory Affairs teammates in the U.S., who have a lot of detailed insight because they’ve already launched the product there.

The way we work differs from country to country. Sometimes we don’t have a local office, but we do have a distributor who acts as an intermediary. In other places, like Australia, we work directly with the regulatory authority. The pace of our work also varies depending on the location. From some places, like South Korea, we’re getting new questions every day. Others might reach out just a couple of times per month.

Tell us about your background and your path to this role.

I was initially introduced to regulatory affairs when I was in New Zealand, studying for my master’s in pharmaceutical sciences; it was part of our core curriculum. At the time, I wanted to work in the lab. But I have a wrist injury that eventually made that too difficult, and I liked the idea of getting closer to patients—even the best product isn’t much good to people if it’s sitting on the shelf. One of my main research topics, for example, was pain management after knee replacement, and our idea was to inject microparticles that would allow patients to start physical therapy more quickly. At first, I assumed we could be helping patients within two or three years. But I realized there’s so much more involved in bringing a product to market, including regulatory work, which I find so interesting. Every country is different, and things are constantly changing. You really have to be on your toes.

What kinds of challenges do you face?

Sometimes the questions we get from regulators are vague or difficult to understand, and the guidance they offer can be ambiguous. So, there’s some trial and error. But there are also a lot of resources, whether it’s training or guidance online, or just asking your manager for help. And once you finally figure something out, it’s so satisfying!

There’s also a lot to keep up with in regulatory affairs, which I think is especially hard when you’re new to the field. Regulations are constantly changing, but you do get used to that. Management also provides a lot of tools to help. We have access to a global database called Tarius, and our partners from other teams will come in to educate us and give us a more in-depth understanding of their work.

For me personally, time management has been a challenge. On top of my usual responsibilities, I might be covering for an open role or someone who’s on leave, and I always want to balance the day-to-day with learning new things. But I’m in a mentorship program that’s given me some tools for prioritizing and even delegating, and my manager really helps, too. I have had times when I felt like I was working at every opportunity, but that was because I wanted to—our team is actually very flexible.

While something like COVID-19 obviously requires adaptation, our managers are very understanding of our boundaries. For example, I just got a puppy, so I’ve blocked time on my calendar for training him. Cepheid has grown a lot since I joined four years ago, but I still feel like management is understanding of our needs.

What have you learned since joining Cepheid—and how does the company support that?

Tell us what it’s been like to contribute to the COVID-19 fight.

Very fast-paced, especially at the beginning. Obviously, this was an unprecedented situation, so the regulatory authorities were adapting in real-time, coming up with new requirements—and we had to adapt along with them. We were constantly on watch to see what guidance they were releasing, and that was exhausting at times. But it was a great learning experience. Of course, each country wanted to move as quickly as possible, and they worked closely with us to expedite approvals. In a place like Singapore, for example, where it would normally take about a year to approve a test kit, we were able to do it within a week or two.

For me, the big takeaway was that we should be working toward more harmonization between countries. We’re often providing very similar documentation to each and standardizing that could make a big difference in an urgent situation like COVID-19. There have been some efforts toward that in the industry over the years, and I’m looking at how our team might be able to get involved. 

You’re also a teacher and mentor, both within Cepheid and beyond. Tell us about that work.

The teaching was at San Jose State University, where I studied with Sowmya. She asked me last year if I’d be interested in helping her update her curriculum to align with recent regulations. That was another great learning experience because I was reading so much, from so many different countries. I also got to add some things that I thought would help the students. And I learned a lot from their questions, too! Sometimes it’s really tough to find the answer, and you have to do a deep dive. 

The mentoring is here at Cepheid, working with people in our internship program. Because I was an intern myself, I wanted to give back once I had a few years of experience and felt like I was ready. It’s also been an opportunity to see what some aspects of people management look like, in case I want to explore that at some point.

Because of the pandemic, the entire internship program was remote, and I couldn’t just stop by my mentee’s desk. But we adapted pretty quickly. We met every morning to talk about what she was working on—and even a bit of our lives outside work. She had a great attitude, and I really enjoyed it.

What are your plans for the future?

In the short term, I just started working with Australia a couple of months ago, so I’m excited to learn more about their regulations. Our team also supports our Regulatory Affairs colleagues across other regions as new regulations take effect, and I’m looking forward to helping out with that, too. Down the road, I do think people management is something I’d like to explore, and there’s certainly lots of opportunity at Cepheid; we’re growing so quickly. But I have some things to learn before I get to that point. Right now, I want to focus on just being as good at regulatory affairs as I can. 

Ultimately, my goal is to be an expert—a one-stop shop when someone has regulatory questions. And when they’re facing a challenge, I want to be someone who can help come up with a solution.

In a lot of companies, regulations are sometimes seen as a hurdle because there are a lot of requirements to meet. But I think we can have much more value as partners, working with our colleagues to get products to patients as quickly as possible.

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Interested in joining Anisha and the rest of the Cepheid team? Check out open roles or join our talent community today. 

Duchess Adjei joined Beckman Coulter Life Sciences in the middle of the pandemic—and took on a role, and a team, that had never existed before. One year later, she reflects on what drew her to the company after stints at the American Red Cross, Eaton Corporation, the NBA, and the Special Olympics; explains how her work has evolved since; and shares where she and her small-but-growing team are headed next.

What do you do at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences?

My work is rooted in continuous improvement and figuring out the best ways to create innovative experiences for our internal customers. I’m responsible for designing and leading our global communication efforts—primarily our internal communication, though I also support several of our external social media channels, like Glassdoor and LinkedIn. I work out of our Indianapolis headquarters and provide thought leadership to our president, senior leaders as well as associates across the business on change management activities; mergers and acquisitions; inclusion efforts; supporting each functional group across BEC LS; and strengthening associate engagement. It’s my responsibility to help make sure associates across BEC LS feel proud about the work they do every day.

I’ve only been here for about a year, and my role is new, so we’re kind of building the plane while we’re flying it. I started with a lot of assessment work; we did a global survey and also interviewed associates to get some insight into their experiences and how they think about our internal communication channels. Then, I put together a strategy to help us inform, engage, and inspire associates around our strategic priorities for the business. It was imperative that we bring associates along on our journey to make sure everyone understands who we are as a team and what we can do to support them. 

Tell us about your path to Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Danaher.

I have always had communication, marketing, branding and public relations roles. After majoring in marketing and communication, I worked at Eaton Corporation, and after a few years, I completed an executive graduate program at Northwestern University. I’ve immersed myself in a variety of industries, from diversified power management to academia to sports and international not-for-profits. Most recently, I worked with the American Red Cross, leading crisis communication for disasters all over the country. That was rewarding work, but after a few years of constantly jumping on planes, I was looking for what I like to call “a different kind of busy.”

I was open to moving back into the for-profit sector, but I really wanted to be part of a brand that was making a difference in people’s lives—so the critically important work being done at BEC LS, and at Danaher overall, was exciting to me.

I also enjoy building a team and a function from the ground up, so I’ve been happy to delve into this role. Plus, because Danaher has associates all over the world, I knew I’d be able to make an impact on a global level.

What do you believe makes a good leader?

My leadership philosophy is really rooted in empathy. I do a lot of listening, especially when I’m coming into a new role. It’s important to have some quick wins, but I do my best not to jump in and disrupt right away. I try to assess the landscape, understand the needs of the business, the culture, and really take into account what’s happening around me before I move forward with a strategy.

Managing all of that in the middle of a global pandemic has been an interesting experience for sure; normally, I might visit a manufacturing facility to speak with frontline associates and gather insights in person. But being virtual has given me the chance to use other senses, like listening critically to learn from others’ experiences. Even before the pandemic, people were busy balancing life and work —watching their kids, going to meetings, dentist appointments, family emergencies. As a leader, it’s imperative to pay attention to that, and to make sure people have the space to take care of their mental health.

That’s actually one of the elements that really inspires me about Danaher: Family comes first. We hear it from our executives often, and it’s felt throughout our organizations. It’s really special.

I also often think a lot about situational leadership. I try to adapt my own leadership style to meet the needs of my team members. It’s helped me establish a rapport, which is so important to bringing out the best in people and encouraging trust. The Danaher Business System (DBS) also influences my leadership style, because there are a variety of tools and processes that help me support continuous change and improvement.

What’s challenging about your work?

We all want more time in the day! BEC LS is growing exponentially—and while that’s exciting and inspiring, it also means there’s a lot of change, especially for a lean team like ours. I’d love to be able to execute on everything we’re envisioning, but we have to prioritize how our team meets the communication needs of the business. Sometimes that might mean pushing back when someone asks if you can take on a new project and figuring out what you can make work in a limited period of time. But we always figure out how we can make magic happen.

While our work is challenging at times, it’s valuable to celebrate our successes as a team. When BEC LS wins, we all win! Our team has a lot of supporters who assist with that by sharing their appreciation and excitement about our work. That’s so vital for us, especially because our team is new. I love that people are seeing the value of communication and realizing the impact we can have on the business. Whenever I hear that positive feedback, I make sure to share it with our team right away.

What are you looking forward to right now?

There’s a great deal taking place right now. I’m looking forward to learning more about life sciences, which is a new industry for me. I’m excited to really lean into DBS, the opportunity to decide which tools are best utilized, in which situation, and to try and infuse a continuous improvement mindset into every element of the work we do. And now that we’re getting our communication strategy in place, I’m excited to continue implementing and measuring data to support our business priorities. We’re putting together a new Global Communication Council with associates from different functions, levels, and regions, and I think having this group as a sounding board will be great. A lot of our work is trial and error—doing AB testing, seeing what works, figuring out how to go in a different direction when an idea isn’t successful. But that’s actually the most exciting part. I really feel like I’m in the right place at the right time, and this is just the start of what I hope will be a very long journey with BEC LS and Danaher. 

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