Connecting with other women can inspire and empower us to challenge our work environment and advocate for change. Our women’s network at Arthrex is an example of this: with its help, we have developed practical strategies for workplace redesign and other meaningful changes that lead to shared successes. herCAREER interview with Stephanie Schüler, Product Manager Distal Extremities EMEA at Arthrex GmbH.
„Using data and engaging management helps us to deepen the understanding of our working environment“
herCAREER: To what extent has the contact and exchange with other women inspired and encouraged you to question your working environment?
Stephanie Schüler: We began by critically questioning existing structures, analyzing and identifying them – in order to ultimately break through them, create new paths to progress and develop concrete strategies to drive change. To achieve this, we founded our network.
herCAREER: In what ways has the women’s network helped to change the working environment within the company?
Stephanie Schüler: The network has played a pivotal role in transforming our work environment by fostering a strong sense of community and support among colleagues. It has highlighted the intersections of our experiences, creating a platform for open exchange and collaboration.
Using data and engaging management helps us to deepen the understanding of our working environment and allows us to collectively address the challenges women face, increasing female representation.
After identifying our key focus areas and addressing the main challenges, we were able to follow up with targeted workshops and events on topics such as Female Leadership, Self-Leadership, Effective Communication, Career Development, and Mentorship.
herCAREER: What practical strategies can lead to meaningful transformation of workplaces and therefore to shared successes?
Stephanie Schüler: One key strategy is to increase visibility and promote open exchange at Arthrex, which helps ensure that our collective knowledge and experiences benefit everyone. We’ve found that much of the expertise needed already exists within our company, and by harnessing this through events, workshops, and shared initiatives, we’ve seen a significant increase in awareness and empowerment. Although we’re still in the early stages, the potential for continued growth and impact is immense. We are looking forward to further initiatives and learnings that drive change!
About this person
After completing my master’s degree in biomedical engineering, Stepahnie was offered her first position as a Junior Product Manager with Arthrex. In the past 5 years, she have had the opportunity to grow within the company personally and professionally. As a product manager for distal extremities, her team and her manage a wide-ranging and emerging product portfolio for EMEA. The medical device field remains male-dominated, which motivated her to team up with strong women from different departments to advocate for change within the company by founding the Women@Arthrex network.
This MeetUp is part of the Career MeetUps at herCAREER 2024, see program for location and time.
