WISE at Thermo Fisher: Tanya Trepanier
Welcome to the second and final installment of WISE at Thermo Fisher! Throughout these articles, WISE has been introducing you to some of the amazing women that work at Thermo Fisher Scientific. With locations around the world, Thermo Fisher Scientific is a biotechnology company that aims to lead in the science industry.
To learn more about Thermo Fisher, visit their website at www.corporate.thermofisher.com/en/home.html.
— — —
Today we will be sharing our interview with Tanya Trepanier, a regional sales manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Tanya shares her advice, tips and experiences she has gained throughout her career path from her time as a doctoral student in Zoology to her current position at Thermo Fisher.
Hi Tanya! Can you tell us a bit about your role at Thermo Fisher Scientific and your career path?
My current role is a regional sales manager at TF Scientific.
I have a doctorate in zoology after which I did a year of research as an intern at Environment Canada in Burlington. From there, I joined Sigma-Aldrich for seven years as a sale representative in Canada. Then, I came to Thermo Fisher.
At Thermo Fisher, I was a product manager for seven years covering the US and Canada for immunoassays. Eighteen months ago, I became a sales manager.
What motivates you to do the job you do currently and what motivates you to be passionate about STEM?
What motivates me is that I like to learn. In all the roles I have, I always learn new things. I get to learn a lot with the customers. As I get into customer accounts, I deal with a lot of different markets, from academics to hospitals to biotech to industrial. I get to learn about all the great things they are doing, novel technologies they are developing, or neat research they are doing. I love that piece of it; understanding the ways they are trying to advance science or the great discoveries they are making.
How would you define success, and has your definition of success shifted over the years?
Success to me is a couple of things. It is accomplishing what you set out to do, being satisfied where you are in life, and having meaning. For me, I am satisfied where I am personally and professionally.
When you’re younger, you may not define success very well. You might define it by pay grade or position.
You have to think about “Am I learning what I want to learn?”. It’s not always about reaching the top of a company, it’s about being happy. If you’re still learning and if you’re happy, that’s what it’s about.
Someone told me once, it’s about getting up in the morning. Do you want to get up in the morning and do that work? If you don’t, time to do something else!
What has been your most difficult decision?
Going from science to business. Often times when you go to university, you have a vision of where you’re going to end up. My vision wasn’t where I am today. It was more of a research biologist type role that I was targeting. When I started looking at positions available, it was a very different landscape than I expected. I had to be a little more creative in career paths.
Eventually, I found a job at Sigma-Aldrich: a manufacturer in the Life Sciences industry. I wasn’t sure about that career at first, but it was a good choice. I found I could use all the background I have from my doctorate, my experiences from working in a government lab and academic labs, and my experiences from being a customer. I used it to my advantage and it really helped me in my role.
Today, when I hire Sales Reps to work for me, I look for people who have that experience as well: people that can understand customers, understand science, and can put those together with the sales piece.
Do you have any tips for people switching into a different career field?
Try to find individuals that have jobs that you want by looking at LinkedIn, and look at their career path. How did they get there and what experiences do they have? Do you need to network more? A lot of people think more education is the answer, but it’s not always the MBA.
My biggest learning experience was the networking part of it. I came out of university with a PhD and thought all the doors would be open. They weren’t! A huge portion of it is networking and getting the right connections to get the jobs you need.
What was your greatest struggle and what is your greatest struggle now?
My greatest struggle is staying focused in my role. I never really understood how busy a job could be until I came to Thermo Fisher Scientific. There are so many emails coming at you, along with many requests and many priorities, so it is hard to stay on task. I have to be highly organized. I have to delegate to my team and empower them to make their own decision. I had to learn to say no and negotiate a lot. It’s tough! Certainly, staying focused is definitely one of my biggest struggles.
There are only so many hours in a day and you need to keep organized, prioritize, and learn to delegate well. It’s always a big struggle.
Again, it comes down to priorities. Doing the things that make sense and letting the others go.
What advice would you give to a first-year or high school student?
I would give them the advice to take the time to plan their career path. Not everyone knows what they want to do. But, for example, people usually know if they want to do science or arts. Usually, people are inspired by others or have a goal they think they want to reach. I gave advice to a lot of junior members to go to LinkedIn and find a person with a job that you really like. Look at their history, what they did to get there, what type of education they pursued, and what type of activities they were involved in. See what you can do to get there as well.
Any final words for our readers?
My greatest advice is to chart your path and know where you are trying to go. Really try to figure out the steps you need to take there. Try to network and find non-traditional ways to get to the path where you want to be. A career is a really big part of your life and you want find something you like and makes you happy.
— — —
Thanks to Thermo Fisher for generously sponsoring WISE! They will be attending our WISE & Cheese Networking Reception on February 26th, 2018. Find out more about the event here.
— — —
Do you know an amazing WISE that you want to nominate an for an interview? Do you have an woman that you look up to whose story you want to hear? Nominate them today by commenting on this article or by messaging our Facebook page here!
