“Becoming a leader at a young age was a real challenge”
Faten Belhadj Amor, Manager Quality Site, Operations M'Hamdia, Tunisia
Faten Belhadj Amor was appointed to lead the quality management at the Sartorius production site in Tunisia in her early thirties. Together with her team of engineers, two-thirds of whom are women, she strives to ensure the highest quality in internal processes as well as for the company's biopharma customers. Read more about her career path, the challenges she has faced, and how she envisions and fosters an inclusive working environment.
This article is posted on Sartorius Blog.
Faten, why did you pursue a career in STEM?
It's pretty simple: I've always had more of an affinity for science than with, for example, literature, that's why I studied analytical chemistry and instrumentation engineering. Healthcare has always attracted me, so after graduating I joined a pharmaceutical company. After three years, I was looking for a change and was given the opportunity to join Sartorius. I love helping people. Being part of a company that supports scientists and engineers to advance their processes, bring therapies to the market faster, and make them available to more people is a real source of satisfaction.
Please tell us about your journey with Sartorius.
I joined the company in 2013 as a regulatory affairs manager in the quality management team here in Tunisia. At the time, I was also responsible for system quality, conducting audits and documentation. After temporarily taking over for the department's manager, I was given full responsibility for the site's quality department when he left in 2017. I was in my early thirties - and in charge of all quality aspects of the site.
In 2020, I left the company for personal reasons but rejoined just two years later. I had never really cut my ties with Sartorius; so when they called, and asked if I wanted to lead the now 44-strong quality team, I didn't hesitate.
What does the quality management team in Tunisia do and what is your role?
The team is responsible for three areas: quality control of raw materials and finished products in our labs, system quality, and quality assurance. In terms of system quality, my role is to ensure compliance with internal and external requirements, such as industry standards or customer requirements. Quality assurance covers product releases, customer complaints, as well as process and supplier quality. In a manufacturing facility like this one in M'Hamdia, the quality department also supports other operational departments to ensure that our products comply with industry standards.
~550 people work at Sartorius in Tunisia - 50% are women.
Can you share some of the challenges in building your career and how you tackled them?
The biggest challenge was when I was appointed to a leadership role for the first time in 2017. It was a real challenge and a real change in my career. It was difficult because I was still quite young. To be honest, there was no handover because the previous manager had left before I was appointed. It was a tough time, but I overcame the challenges thanks to my perseverance, which helped me achieve my objectives. What also helped me during this time was the support of my direct manager and the leadership team in Tunisia. They welcomed me with open arms, and their trust helped me to do the right things.
I overcame the challenges thanks to my perseverance, which helped me achieve my objectives.
Faten Belhadj Amor, Manager Quality Site
Is there a person or event that inspired you and helped you grow in your career?
The environment at Sartorius is generally inspiring. In such a dynamic company, there are many challenges and there is always something new and changing - I like that!
Above all, there is my manager, who recognised my potential and performance and gave me the opportunity to take on responsibility for all quality topics at the site. He has given me the opportunity to develop into a leadership role, and has always supported me in carrying out my responsibilities and tasks.
This year's International Women's Day is themed "Inspire Inclusion". What does an inclusive work environment look like, and how do you promote it?
For me, a working environment that inspires inclusion is one where there is no discrimination based on gender, religion, etc. An environment where everyone respects each other despite - or perhaps because of - our differences. In my experience, this is particularly true at Sartorius.
As a woman, I have never felt any difference between men and women in the company. It's performance that counts. At the company's site in Tunisia, the share of women and men is exactly the same, and in my team in quality management, even two thirds of the people are women.
It's performance, that counts.
Faten Belahdj Amor, Manager Quality Site
There are several reasons for this: In Tunisia, jobs related to health, pharma and quality attract more women than men. Women are very interested in quality in the health sector. Furthermore, in my team, which I took over at the end of 2022, we promote men and women equally. Since I rejoined, I have promoted several women into leadership positions. The promotions I've made have been made on an equal basis, and they weren't based on gender but only on skills.
In Tunisia our children are educated in the same way whether they are boys or girls. They have the same opportunities to develop in school. A fact that many people may not be aware of: We even have a female prime minister!
The company additionally supports work-life balance here at the site in Tunisia, for example by providing on-site breastfeeding rooms and sports halls, and by organizing awareness days on topics related to well-being at work.
