“My Advice to Women: Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself”

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we sat down with Chris Fox, EVP, US Commercial, to discuss the power of diverse teams, how inclusion creates an environment for people to excel, and her advice for women looking to progress in their careers.

You've joined the company at a pivotal time. Looking at it with fresh eyes, what have you noticed that's different about Teva?

My first observation is on the people of Teva, specifically their resilience and approach to problem-solving. I knew right away there was no problem we couldn’t solve together. Everyone also has a deep connection and sense of pride in the organization. As a collective, it makes us a very powerful engine for Pivot to Growth.

My other observation is on the quality and potential of our products. In generics, we're serving massive populations with high quality and trusted science, giving product access that otherwise wouldn't be possible. In innovative medicines, we're forging new ground and establishing ourselves as a leading pharmaceutical company that can serve a spectrum of unmet needs.

As an inspirational leader, what are your learnings on achieving high performance, and how does it shape the way you lead teams?

I believe every situation is unique and approach every one as a learning opportunity for myself. However, my goal is always to create an environment for all people to excel and be successful, and there are a few key ingredients that I've seen consistently work. These are transparency, collaboration, and inclusion; they’re powerful. It’s not just these elements, but these are certainly important in creating a climate for people to be the best versions of themselves and in helping to execute an ambitious strategy or vision and make it come to life.

International Women’s Day emphasizes the importance of unity. How do you cultivate collaboration within your teams to drive collective success?

You have to be thoughtful about your approach to drive success throughout the organization; goals established by leadership teams must be filtered down but also must be owned by everyone. It sounds simple, but I've learned it's challenging to connect every person with the most important things. When we focus in the same direction, it produces extraordinary results and incredible fulfillment. People are more willing to give their all because they know what they do really matters.

How have you experienced diverse teams driving business excellence?

Teams with individuals from different backgrounds, genders, cultures, and breadth of experiences look at the business differently to drive success. For example, they approach obstacles in different ways, which can produce a more comprehensive approach to problem-solving.

When teams are diverse, people in the company recognize themselves in them. So, when people can say “this person looks like me, behaves like me, or grew up in the same location,” it helps to provide people with a connection to identify with where they work and how they do their work.

You’ve talked very openly and warmly about your family; can you tell us more about them?

I have twin girls who are 18, and my son is 16. I have a very fun, busy life outside of my job. I love being a parent. My kids keep me grounded, make me more thoughtful about other people's lives and more connected to the lives of the people I lead. Even though my job is a big part of my identity, my family is the why. They are what drive me each and every day.

What advice would you give to women looking to progress in their careers?

Firstly, I’d say do not be so hard on yourself and give yourself the same grace you would give someone else. Additionally, I've seen a pattern among extraordinary women - they try to do it all. So, this International Women's Day, and every day, we should challenge ourselves to approach every situation with curiosity and as a learning experience. A leader isn't someone who knows everything, but instead, someone who takes every day as a chance to be better - and inspire those around them to keep learning and evolving.

You mentioned you are a mentor; can you tell us more about it?

Mentoring is such an important part of creating a community. Invariably, people ask you to mentor them because they want to learn something or have a specific goal. However, what ends up happening is that they teach you as much as you give them. It's even subtle things like a different perspective or how they experience a situation.

Which roles were very significant for you in your career development?

I was an individual contributor in many of my early years and at 26, I began to lead others for the first time. During this time, working for Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (who were eventually acquired by Sanofi), I learned so much because people on the team had been with that company longer than I’d been alive. Therefore, I absorbed a great understanding of different types of people, different skill sets, and the strengths of diverse perspectives and diversity in teams.

Later in my career, I worked in a commercial operations role at Takeda. I’d been customer-facing for so long that I did not have a full understanding of the intricacies of how the business was run. This was where I learned all the critical things that support an organization's success from a commercial perspective. It gave me a much broader vision of how to power a team to be successful.

Finally, if you could invite three women, alive or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

Well, I would love more than three. The business side of me says people like Mary Barra, who's the CEO of GM, or Maya Angelou, who's been just an extraordinary leader.

However, if I could only have three people, it would be my mom and two sisters, who have all passed away. It's interesting because I have such a deep respect for them and care about the choices they made and the influence they had on me as a young woman. I would love to be able to share that with them and thank them.

It would be a heck of a dinner, let me tell you.