“Embrace the fear and let it propel you toward your objectives"
Women on the power to lead: Mary Jane Guy
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Mary Jane Guy, Head of General Sales, North America for the Eastern region, shares her career journey, how to embrace fear in order to succeed, and why leadership is everyone’s responsibility.
This article is posted on Sartorius Blog.
It was never a question that Mary Jane (MJ) Guy would work in the science field; the only question was which role would suit her best. Filled with a love for science, MJ earned a master’s degree in molecular biology, became a Scientist and started her career at the Wistar Institute.
Eventually, she moved from academia to business, working in the pharmaceutical industry for SmithKline Beecham, now called GlaxoSmithKline. “I was in the Lab for a decade doing what our customers at Sartorius are doing, which is process development and cell line engineering,” said Guy. “Until someone took a chance on me being a good Salesperson. So I joined General Electric and sold rocking motion bioreactors.”
MJ went where the opportunity was and eventually found a fit at Sartorius. Since then, it’s been an upward trajectory to her current role as Head of General Sales, North America for the Eastern region.
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Mary Jane, you joined Sartorius in 2012, left for two years and boomeranged back in 2017. What made you join and rejoin the company?
"I would say it was and is the people and the interesting projects we get to work on with our customers and internal activities such as acquiring and integrating new pieces of technology into our vast portfolio. It’s also about being able to bring those products from the atmosphere down to Earth for the teams at Sartorius. I love to do that."
You have experienced different roles in your professional life, transitioning from a scientist to a salesperson. What energizes you about your career?
"The science still drives me, but it’s also the people. There’s the saying about “time, talent and treasure.” There’s the time that people will share with us and Sartorius employees do it so freely. The talents my colleagues bring are remarkable and the treasure, for me, is their intelligence and experiences."
The science still drives me, but it’s also the people.
Mary Jane Guy, Head of General Sales for North America for the Eastern region
At Sartorius, you have progressed into a management position. Do you remember the moment in your career that gave you the power to lead?
"There have been times where I can look back on my life where I was given a choice to rise or not. In every one of those moments, I put fear behind me and stepped forward. My mother was a strong leader in our household, while raising four children - and we were not easy. Whenever I was going to take a chance on something, my mother would say, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” There are people around you who will not allow you to fail, so ask for help. I also will sit down and talk through situations, take notes, and ask questions. I make sure I’m prepared. That’s the way I approach challenges."
There have been times where I can look back on my life where I was given a choice to rise or not. In every one of those moments, I put fear behind me and stepped forward.
Mary Jane Guy, Head of General Sales for North America for the Eastern region
What kind of positive influence do women leaders bring in a technology and science-driven company like Sartorius?
"Women are not well represented in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) job functions in the industry. We don’t see women in these roles historically, but at Sartorius we have more and more leaders like Bettina Berendsen, Head of Sales & Services for BPS, and Mary Lavin, President of Sartorius North America. We all need to be leaders in our own way - whether we are appointed or not. We need to lead and help uplift others."
Establishing more women leaders calls for action by existing leaders. At Sartorius, have you any experience in inspiring others to grow into leadership roles?
"You know, I do my job and I’m not anyone special. It’s not just women I seek to coach or mentor. I will raise up any colleague or anyone who wants to have that conversation with me. My team knows I have the utmost support for their career development. If I hear about opportunities to promote within or advance a skill set or area of interest, I always bring it up to that person. If another manager reaches out and has a job and I know someone who is a good fit, I will recommend them. It would be selfish not to help drive someone’s career. It is always about the people, and I take care of the people around me."
It would be selfish not to help drive someone’s career. It is always about the people, and I take care of the people around me.
Mary Jane Guy, Head of General Sales for North America for the Eastern region
Do you have any advice for people who are ambitious to advance their careers?
"There are days where you will face challenges, and these are the days that will help you grow. Embrace the fear and let it propel you toward your objectives. In addition, find a resource to help educate or provide a playbook you can follow until you become comfortable. We don’t all start out learning how to run a marathon. We have to crawl, toddle, then run and train to get better."
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When you look at your own career, what factors in Sartorius have been favorable for you to develop your leadership?
"We have strong leadership trainings at Sartorius. I enjoyed participating in these and I benefited from them. Another thing about the company is that they’re willing to give people an opportunity to grow. So, if they think you’re a good fit to work on something, you’ll gain the opportunity to do that. For example, I’m on an integration project for North America that is outside of my day-to-day job and I was invited to join the team. It’s a great opportunity if you’re ready to take it on, and that’s uniquely Sartorius."
