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In this episode, we unpack the shock of unexpected job loss, the emotions that hit first, the surprises that followed, and how months of searching can quietly reshape your sense of identity and confidence. Listen as our guest, Cindy Woodcock, reflects on the most unexpected advice received along the way, and how it challenged perceptions about success, worth, and resilience. From navigating interviews to rethinking how organizations assess talent, this conversation offers hard-earned insight and hope. If you’ve ever faced career disruption or want a more honest conversation about work, age, and resilience, this one’s for you. Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear Cindy's experiences About Cindy Woodcock Cindy Woodcock is Program Lead, Communications at the Canadian Institute for Health Information. With nearly 30 years of experience in health care communications, she began her career in 1995 and spent 17 years in public relations before moving into an in-house communications role in the pharmaceutical sector, working in a highly regulated health environment. A long-time mental health advocate, she previously served eight years on the board of Families Affected by Mental Health Everywhere and led communications for a leadership mentoring program at WLP focused on connection, growth, and inclusion.

Epidsod 50 features some of our thought provoking past guests of 2025: Kristina Fusella, Lida Citroen, Shannon Keenan, Namita Khatri, Andrea Loewendorf, Gail Tatebe, Tonya Dickenson, Tessa Misiaszek, Jennifer Meehan, Michael Casia,Katy McFee and Litsa Spiridonakos. In this final podcast of the year, they share their tips on how women and allies can help protect their time, energy and relationships to be even more productive.

Listen to our conversation with Katy McFee, Founder and CEO of Insights to Action Coaching and Consulting. Katy breaks down the importance of shifting from reactivity to proactivity — and how moving beyond constant responsiveness is key to elevating your leadership and driving meaningful impact. Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear Katy’s insights on over-indexing, gaining visibility, and positioning yourself for real career progression. About Katy McFee Katy McFee is a former executive (VP/EVP), Forty Under 40 recipient, and host of the More Women Promoted podcast. As a certified executive coach, she's helped hundreds of women transition to, and thrive in, senior leadership. Drawing from her own challenging path to the executive suite, Katy is dedicated to closing the gender gap by helping women step into senior roles with confidence and authenticity. Katy has been featured in Business Insider and has published multiple articles about women and leadership in Forbes.com as a contributor.

For this month’s podcast, we’re joined by Andrea Loewendorf, Head of Immunology Canada at UCB, who explores the transformative role of mentorship and sponsorship in a woman’s leadership journey.  She shares how mentorship has shaped her career, and why sponsorship in particular is a catalyst for breaking barriers in pharma. Tune in as Andrea reflects on the importance of communitynetworks (like WLP), offers practical advice for building meaningful professional relationships, and discusses how women can lift as they lead. About Andrea Loewendorf Andrea Loewendorf is an accomplished global leader with over two decades of experience in the biopharma industry. As the Head of Immunology Canada at UCB, she spearheads UCB’s immunology strategy, translating vision into field execution and driving positive impact on patients. With her extensive background, Andrea has successfullyorchestrated global product launches, consistently prioritizing patient needs and bringing groundbreaking therapies to market. Notably, she set the global commercial strategy for a recent launch and has spent the past six years leading market access teams in the U.S. and across the globe. Her strategic vision extends beyond traditional boundaries, encompassing innovative approaches to market access, digital transformation, and brand excellence.  

Episode 47 with Real Time with WLP dives into the future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Canada with Namita Khatri, Canadian Leader for DEI at Randstad. Namita shares her insightful perspectives on the current state of DEI in Canada, the strategies for meaningful outcomes during uncertain times, and how we can all contribute to ensure the sustainability of an inclusive workplace. Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation! About Namita Khatri Namita is a recognized leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within Canada's workforce solutions industry, with nearly 20 years of experience within the industry. As the Canadian Leader for DEI at Randstad, Namita leads both internal DEI strategy and programming as well as the external DEI consulting practice, helping organizations embed inclusive practices that drive business success. With a deep understanding of the intersection between DEI and business performance, Namita has successfully helped organizations decrease costs, increase profitability, and expand into new markets by integrating DEI into their corporate strategy. Her expertise in connecting DEI to tangible business outcomes has made her a sought-after speaker and advisor, having hosted numerous events and webinars on building the business case for DEI and positioning it as a key business driver. Her thought leadership extends to speaking engagements with UN Global Compact Canada, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), Women in Governance, Financial Executives International (FEI) and various learning events, including workshops for Randstad’s clients across Canada.

In Episode 46, we sit down with Gail Tatebe, Founder of Ki Explore, and Tonya Dickenson, Founder & CEO of Asymmetric by Design, to explore how values-based leadership within their pharma roles, emotional intelligence, and bold decision-making paved the way for their pivots into entrepreneurship.Gail and Tonya share the professional direction and decision points, mindset shifts, and crucial lessons that helped them lead with purpose, both in pharma and beyond.Listen now and get inspired to lead your own career transitions with clarity, courage, and conviction.

Real Time with WLP podcast explores how Gen Z is reshaping the future of work, health, and leadership. Through an engaging and insightful conversation with Dr. Tessa Misiaszek of Korn Ferry, Joanna and Madeleine unpack what Gen Z wants in the workplace, how they’re navigating the healthcare system, and why their values, energy, and expectations are challenging organizations to evolve. With perspectives from both Gen X and Gen Z, this cross-generational dialogue is designed to inform and inspire leaders in pharma while giving Gen Z a seat at the table. Tessa Misiaszek, PhD, MPH, is a seasoned researcher, educator, and author with nearly 30 years of experience in workforce strategy, leadership, and organizational transformation. She has held executive roles in healthcare, education, and consulting, and has taught at institutions including NYU, Harvard, and Simmons University. Tessa co-authored Branding That Means Business and has published widely on topics such as the future of work, generational dynamics, and women's leadership.

Real Time with WLP podcast focuses on why the 55+ generation continues to be underrepresented, overlooked, and often misunderstood – especially in the worlds of health and wellness.  Jennifer Meehan, Global COO of the Longevity Lab and EVP of Edelman’s Canadian Brand Practice, is on a mission to help brands and companies understand the value and vitalityof the 55+ generation.  In conversation with Jessica Lovett, Jennifer unpacks the myths, highlights the opportunities, and talks about how healthcare and pharma companies can stop overlooking – and start engaging – this powerful and growing audience.  As we reflect on how we communicate and collaborate as either part of or alongside the 55+ generation, take a fewminutes and listen to this informative conversation.

Episode 43 of Real Time with WLP explores two topics that are more frequently raised up together within the pharma industry: “innovation” and “risk”. Shannon Keenan, Co Founding Partner and CFO of Artemis Factor, discusses the importance of Inspiring Purposeful Innovation and Embracing Risk to solve real problems and make a meaningful difference. Shannon shares her perspectives on women’s unique strengths to drive change, inspire teams, and overcome barriers. She also highlights the importance of creating a culture that encourages calculated risk-taking and provides tips to prepare for and navigate failure while innovating. To help foster innovation and risk navigation within your role, take a few minutes to listen to this insightful conversation.

Episode 42 of Real Time with WLP is a topic that is seeing a shift in approach from leaders.  Lida Citroën returns to discuss The New Rules of Influence: How to Authentically Make an Impact.  A personal branding and reputation management expert, Lida Citroën, joins our podcast for a conversation on this new paradigm of executive presence and influence and shares her perspective on this paradigm shift in leadership where demonstrating authenticity is key. The new leader that is emerging is empowering others through transparency and unwavering passion.  Lida takes this opportunity to discuss how to tap into passion, connect honestly with others, and create space for inclusivity and community. Through her inspiring stories and practical examples, take a few minutes and listen to this thought-provoking conversation.

This month’s Real Time with WLP podcast focuses on UniquePaths to Leadership. Kristina Fusella, a leader who has held multiple leadership roles at Novo Nordisk U.S. (and most recently National Director, Cardiometabolic Education Program - Commercial Execution and Sales) shares her perspective on the benefits of non-linear paths to leadership and tips to communicate your unique value in pursuing opportunities. In conversation with WLP Volunteer and DEI Chair atLundbeck, Virginia Fairbank, Kristina speaks to inspirational vs. authoritative leadership, the learning from and how to leverage ERG experience as a sandbox for futureleadership; and to drive innovation and employee engagement. As you look at how to communicate your own value whenpursuing your own professional milestones, take a few minutes and listen to this informative conversation.

Welcome to a new year of Real Time with WLP.  We are excited for our January podcast release as we invite you to listen to two powerful conversations on Paying it Forward as Leaders:  Allyship and Gender Equity in Action.  Michael Casia, President and Managing Director of Organon Canada, shares his perspective on allyship and gender equity in health.  His perspective on the role of a leader and his personal approach to paying it forward is one that cannot be missed.  Michael Casia serves as the President and Managing Director of Organon Canada, a global healthcare company dedicated to advancing gender equity through its focus on women’s health and strengthening the Canadian healthcare system with cost-saving solutions provided by its biosimilar portfolio. Under Michael’s leadership, Organon Canada has rapidly evolved into a key player in the Canadian healthcare environment, with active involvement in critical areas such as contraception, fertility, menopause, osteoporosis, and women’s cancers. Additionally, the company has emerged as a market leader in biosimilars, with Michael serving as a vocal advocate for their adoption through his role as Vice-Chair of Biosimilars Canada Industry Association.

Bienvenue à une nouvelle année de Tête-à-tête avec FLP. Nous avons très hâte au lancement de notre balado en français et nous vous invitons à écouter la conversation inspirant sur le thème: Payez au suivant en tant que leaders : la solidarité et l'équité de genre en action. Litsa Spiridonakos, directrice des ressources humaines chez Organon Canada, nous présente sa vision sur le fait de se sentir valorisée au sein de son organisation et sur la défense de l’égalité en santé. À titre de directrice des ressources humaines d’Organon Canada, Litsa est responsable de fournir des orientations stratégiques et d’assurer un leadership pour tous les aspects de la fonction des ressources humaines, et d’établir une vision et une orientation pour l’ensemble des programmes, des politiques et des services de ressources humaines qui appuient la mission et les valeurs d’Organon. Litsa possède plus de 15 ans d’expérience dans la promotion de stratégies organisationnelles en matière de gestion des talents, de perfectionnement, de culture et de transformation, qu’elle a acquise en travaillant dans diverses industries, notamment les télécommunications, les services professionnels et, plus récemment, l’industrie pharmaceutique.

Episode 38 features some of our thought provoking past guests: Lida Citroёn, Melissa Leichter, Domenico Benevento, Dyisha Reliford, Kim Ferris, and Julia Brown. In this final podcast of the year, they share their tips on how women and allies can raise up the importance of equity to help close the gender pay gap.

This month’s Real Time with WLP podcast is with Julia Brown, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Oncology, for Janssen Canada.  In conversation with WLP Board Member Thea Discepola, Julia speaks about her experience with global roles and navigating through cultural diversity and norms. In our 37th Episode ‘Global Leadership: Mastering Career Pivots and Cross-Cultural Success’, she explores how to prepare for these opportunities and challenges and then apply them to future leadership growth. Julia has been with J&J Innovative Medicines for 21 years and is now the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Oncology, for Janssen Canada.  Previous roles include General Manager of Janssen Commercial Puerto Rico, Business Unit Director for Rheumatology and Dermatology and Vice President of Government Affairs and Market Access.  Julia has a passion for diversity and inclusion and has acted as an Executive Sponsor for DE&I across the J&J Family of Companies in Canada.  Julia served as the President of the Canadian Association for Healthcare Reimbursement (CAHR) for four years and sat on the CAHR Board of Directors for 15 years