Carolina Amador joined BioMarin last year as Associate Director, Corporate Intelligence and says the most impactful thing she did to quickly feel a sense of belonging was getting involved with the BioMarin Women’s Leadership Development (BWLD) employee resource group.

“I would like to ensure everyone looking to fit in will find a home with BWLD,” she says.

Similarly, Paola Torre, a scientist in our Research and Early Development (RED) department, has been with BioMarin since 2021 and notes that her involvement with BWLD has enabled her to expand her network and continue her career-long focus on representation and inclusion within scientific communities.

“Attending BWLD’s events felt natural to me, as it provided a platform to connect with like-minded women across different departments,” says Paola.

As we recognize International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month in March, we recently caught up with Carolina and Paola to discuss what they’re focused on as they step into roles as the new co-chairs of BWLD. Read on to learn more about the two leaders and discover what’s next for the employee resource group.

Q: Let’s start with a little about yourselves. What led you to BioMarin, and what are your roles with the company?

Carolina: I am a chemist by training, but early in my Ph.D., I knew I didn’t want a career in the lab. I defended my Ph.D. from the University of Southern California on Dec. 10, 2018, and two days later I started working in my first industry job. I spent nearly five years there and had the chance to work with very talented people, learn and grow into the professional I am today.

I joined BioMarin’s Corporate Intelligence team in June 2023 because I wanted to work in at a company focused on rare conditions and truly have an impact on people’s lives. BioMarin has been a tremendous ride for me, and I could not be happier with my decision. I work with brilliant minds, my colleagues are fun and I feel that authenticity in the workspace is encouraged.

Paola: I hold a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. Following various multidisciplinary postdoctoral experiences at institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, UCSF, and NYU, I wanted to apply my diverse background to the field of drug discovery and development. In 2021, I joined BioMarin’s RED department, drawn by the opportunity to contribute to transformative therapies for children with rare genetic conditions. Initially, I focused on therapeutic platforms such as proteins and gene therapies, and more recently, I’ve joined the cardiovascular therapeutic area.

A fun fact: On my first day moving from Philadelphia to San Francisco years ago, I saw a BioMarin advertisement at the airport and immediately thought, “One day I will work there!”

Q: Now let’s talk about your roles with the BioMarin Women’s Leadership Development Group. What initially inspired you to get involved with BWLD, and later to become co-leads?

Carolina: For 10 years I have been involved with different nonprofits, one of them being the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), so the topic of gender parity has always been a passion of mine. When I joined BioMarin, BWLD was the first group I subscribed to, and I immediately reached out to the leads at the time to tell them I would be honored to help in any way. BWLD has provided me a sense of community and belonging within BioMarin, so as a co-chair I would like to ensure everyone looking to fit in will find a home with BWLD and/or any of our other amazing ERGs.

Paola: As an international woman in science, I’ve always sought representation and inclusion in the scientific community. Over the years, I’ve both mentored and been mentored by women in various scientific and managerial roles. Upon joining BioMarin, attending BWLD’s events felt natural to me, as it provided a platform to connect with like-minded women across different departments.

I believe in BWLD’s goal to promote a culture of equality and inclusion, while offering leadership opportunities and fostering community building. As co-chair, I’m excited to collaborate with our other ERGs to further enhance diversity and inclusion at BioMarin.

Q: BWLD was BioMarin’s first ERG. Can you talk about what BWLD has been able to achieve and the impact it has had on BioMarin to date?

Paola: BWLD was founded in 2017 by a pair of passionate employees who hosted the ERG’s first event at our Novato site as a team of two. Since then, we’ve grown to have a core team of 10 who share that original passion and have helped grow our global membership to more than 500 employees. Even more importantly, BWLD helped set the stage for employees of all backgrounds to feel a greater sense of belonging at BioMarin, which now offers six employee resource groups. Diana Peroni and Ankita Khare, the previous co-leads, and the core team were instrumental in BWLD growth and had a lasting impact on fostering allyship and strong cross-collaboration with the other ERGs.

Q: As you step into the role of co-lead, what’s next for BWLD? What will you be focused on this year?

Carolina: We can tell you we are incredibly excited for the year ahead! For now, our plan is to onboard and truly listen to our community about how we can best serve them. We will focus on identifying internal challenges and roadblocks that women at BioMarin might be facing. We aim to create awareness, provide resources and empower our BWLD team. We’re very motivated to collaborate with the other ERGs, because we truly believe that together we can make a stronger impact.

Q: In closing, what advice would you share with women thinking about or currently navigating careers in biopharma?

Carolina: My advice is to focus on your strengths and keep getting better at things you’re already great at. There were times in my career that I prioritized improving my weaknesses rather than focusing on my strengths. I have then learned that people will hire us, or promote us, based on our superpowers, so my advice is to fully embrace it. I would also recommend surrounding yourself with mentors and allies who lead with empathy, are generous with their support and inspire you to be better.

Paola: I have also been fortunate to have several impactful allies and mentors in my career who motivated me to leverage my strengths and become a leader in fostering inclusion and collegiality. My advice is not to hesitate in connecting and networking within your organization. Build your own team of allies and mentors, advocate for yourself when necessary and speak up!