CHANDLER, Ariz. (September 19, 2023) – Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN), the non-profit spearheaded by a cohort of global nutraceutical leaders, has launched a Pilot Mentorship Program designed specifically for the nutraceuticals industry.
While McKinsey data shows that companies with greater gender parity in senior leadership have more positive business outcomes and engaged employees, research from Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN) finds only 37% of senior leadership roles in the nutraceutical industry are filled by women. Further, representation in the C-suite is 25%, falling to 22% at the board level.
WIN was founded to empower women in nutraceuticals to unlock their personal and professional potential. One of the founding goals is to increase the number of women on corporate boards, in C-suite and in leadership positions. There is a great opportunity to support this mission with a Mentorship Program.
“Based on extensive experiences in leadership functions in corporate structures as well as being an entrepreneur, I know that soft skills and an industry network beyond education and passion are needed to achieve career goals and to make an impact to our industry,” says Dr Sybille Buchwald-Werner, managing director, Vital Solutions, the co-chair of WIN’s Mentorship Committee. “I am grateful for everyone who has accompanied and supported me in my career, and now it is time to give something back. I enjoy working with educated and passionate women to explore their personal goals, set up a career plan, and accompany them on their way to the top.”
This fall, WIN is launching a pilot mentorship program, designed to support senior-level women interested in advancing their career to C-suite and board positions. The expectation is to launch a full mentorship program to all senior-level WIN female members in early 2024, as well as a program to serve mid-level managers.
WIN’s 6-month mentorship program is focused on soft skills, including critical thinking, creativity, effective communication, and empathy. Mentees are women who are passionate about the nutraceutical industry, comfortable with objective feedback and proactive learning, and committed to investing time in the relationship and professional development. Mentors are men or women who offer significant experience and stature, understanding of the nutraceutical industry, and a desire to collaborate on the mentee’s professional development goals.
May Yamada-Lifton, COO, Maypro, and co-chair of WIN’s Mentorship Committee added: “I am excited to help accelerate the number of females in C-lead roles through this initiative. This program will encourage our WIN mentees to be clear on what their goals are, and find mentors who help them gain clarity on what needs to be done to determine their path forward. They will have a cohort of women and mentors to have as accountability partners. As a sector, we will benefit from having future female leaders who will increase the voice and perspective of women in a sector where the consumer is often a woman.”
WIN members may now apply to be a mentor or mentee in the fall cohort of the WIN Mentorship pilot program. More information and a link to the application is available at https://womeninnutraceuticals.org/.
Buchwald-Werner and Yamada-Lifton hosted a WIN Mentor Program Webinar on September 14: ‘Everything you need to know about the WIN Mentorship program’. Guests included Lynda Doyle, WIN Founding Board member and Avant Nutrition President and CEO, and Cedric Bourges, professional coach. It can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/FD1hs_nga1Q.
