Name: Hella Roashan
Date of birth: 20 May 1984
Title: Senior Director, Global Quality and Regulatory Affairs
Company: Coloplast
Degree: Master of Science in Medicine and Technology (Biomedical Engineering)
Fun fact: I always win in competitions… as far as I remember.
What do you find most interesting about your career and your leadership position?
One of the most interesting parts of my leadership position is to lead and facilitate transformation/change in teams and organizations. I really enjoy the process of leading a team through a transformation, especially the more difficult ones. The feeling of overcoming difficult challenges together as a team is really rewarding. All the roles I have had in my career, especially within leadership, have had big impact on my personal growth as well.
What has been crucial to get you to where you are today?
One of my focuses professionally and personally has always been to develop and keep challenging myself. I have always liked to push myself and have experienced that most of the time, the doubts and fears are all in our heads. We can do much more than what we sometimes believe. I really believe it is crucial to feel comfortable with the feeling of discomfort and not let it control your decisions. When I feel too comfortable for a while, I know it is time to re-evaluate my situation.
Tell us about a female role model and the impact they had on you – either personally or professionally?
When I was 6, me and my family left Afghanistan. We were refugees for 4 years and eventually ended up in Denmark when I was 10 years old. During these 4 years I saw how my mother led the family through the crisis by remaining calm in a constantly changing environment, seeing beyond the immediate and maintaining a long-term perspective and goal. Coming from a country where gender equality is one of the worst in the world, having strong female and male role models in my family advocating for equality have had a huge impact on me during my upbringing.
What advice would you give to young female students today?
Don’t underestimate yourself. Aim high – it might seem impossible but most likely it is possible.
Looking into the future, what role do you think STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education will have?
I think STEM educations will continue being vital in the future and much more so, considering the challenges we are facing and will be facing in the future. We could all see the benefits of it during the current pandemic. Especially with the environmental challenges, increased focus on innovation and out-of-the-box thinking is key in securing future sustainable solutions. To drive the transformation of our society towards more sustainable solutions, professionals within STEM will be in high demand.