Every life experience builds you into the person you are today and fuels both personal and career growth
Reine Chalache, Customer Excellence Expert and Country Engagement Lead at Bayer, details her experiences and passions and how they feed into her work ethic and career at Bayer.
I was born in 1986, in the midst of the Lebanese civil war, in a modest, loving, small family. I was lucky enough to live in a bilingual country where I had the privilege to learn both French and English growing up and upon finalizing my school education, I was inclined to join the medical field and decided to major in Pharmacy at university.
A resilient upbringing can lead to a successful and strong life and career journey
Growing up in Lebanon built my personality into what it is now. Being brought up with a crisis present within your home country is what led me to became more resilient and determined while facing the challenges life had to offer. You learn to cope with the situation you are put in and overcome the barriers that might keep you from reaching your goal, as failing is not an option and perseverance is the only way through. We are people of power; no matter how life can bring us down, getting back up on our feet is only ultimate option.
Joining the Bayer family — a move that enhances career trajectories
My career journey then started following university when I joined a multinational company in 2011 as a Medical Representative for two years before I came across a job opening in Bayer in 2013 that got my attention instantly. It was a Key Account Specialist position in Oncology, the field I am most passionate about.
Not only was the position very appealing but joining the Bayer family was something I could see myself a part of instantly given its reputation in the market. It was obviously the right decision; I’ve been here ever since! Later in my career and after four years at Bayer, I was promoted to Key Account Specialist in the field of Ophthalmology and Oncology, and in this new capacity I was able to develop my project management skills.
Being in a work environment that appreciates its employees leads to everlasting loyalty
Two years later, during my maternity leave, I applied to a regional Medical Science Liaison position, and I was selected to start upon my return. At that moment, I felt lucky to be working with a company with a deep engrained value system that appreciates working moms and does not jeopardize their career progression based on gender.
Being part of the Bayer family has opened new doors for me. As employees, we are encouraged to take the lead, create, innovate, and experiment in an environment that doesn’t believe in the fear of failure, rather in opportunities for growth and development.
Digitalization and its influence on our business model
Due to its historical significance, the COVID-19 was especially likely to hasten the digitization process, and we saw this to be true in our line of work. The degree to which enterprises can conduct their operations safely depends, in most cases, on the efficient use of digital technologies and having these capabilities sustained throughout and after the pandemic.
The onset of the pandemic was absolutely a turning point in our business, as COVID-19 obliged us to take on the digital transformation to its fullest capacity and embrace the change to remain leaders in the market. Even though our human nature tends to resist change as it pushes us out of our comfort zone, it is only by embracing change and thinking outside of the box that we can unlock our full potential.
This led me to the idea of digitalizing my medical content in animated videos to better reach our customers, an initiative that allowed me to win the first prize in the Digital category across EMEA in an Ophthalmology competition and made me realize my passion towards digital. A few months later, I was selected for a short-term assignment within the medical excellence team as The Medical Digital Lead for EMEA for one year. Then in March 2022 I had the opportunity to join the Global Medical Customer Powerhouse team on a 6-month Short Term Assignment (STA), which later turned into a permanent position within the newly formed Global Medical Excellence team, and I was ecstatic to take on that position while still being based in the Middle East.
Prioritizing giving back to the community
Outside of working hours, I am passionate about fashion, beauty, and mental and physical health. I hold a professional certificate in make-up application, and I volunteer each year as a freelance makeup artist in Night to Shine, an initiative of the Tim Tebow Foundation, which offers a “Prom night” to all kids with special needs and I enjoy getting them all glammed up immensely. Social work has helped me keeping myself grounded and reminds me to appreciate our blessings, as gratitude is key to happiness.
The everyday joys of familial life
Having met my soulmate at the early age of 17, we worked together to form our amazing family which I adore; a loving husband and two boys who became my daily motivation to keep moving forward and who taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. I try to always spend my weekends with my family, mainly planning activities for both my sons during the day, and during my evenings enjoy the nightlife around where I live. One of my favorite pleasures in life is also enjoy having my alone time in the early morning with a cup of coffee, although I had to switch to iced coffee when I became a mom, since having my coffee while its warm has deemed almost impossible since!
“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within”
