Meet Carolina, a Senior Project Leader with a stellar growth story

"Parexel values hard work and taking responsibility, which led to 5 promotions within 10 years. The growth at Parexel is amazing."

Carolina joined Parexel in 2014 as a Project Specialist in Argentina. This role builds up your knowledge to be able to become a Project Leader. Since 2020 she has worked as a Project Leader and since 2021 in the United States. She shares about her role and experience of working within the Project Leadership department, the development and growth opportunities, and what she likes to do when she is not at work.

• Please introduce yourself and your role at Parexel. 
  Hello everyone, I’m Carolina Ines Andrada, I’m from Argentina and transferred to the USA in 2021. I  work at Parexel as a Senior Project Leader.
  
  

• What does a day in your job look like? What are your core responsibilities?
  I start the day with a big cup of coffee and a good breakfast before any meeting in the morning. Every day is different, but the best of it is, every day you work with so many talented and professional people willing to help and support each other.
  
  My core responsibilities involve a variety of tasks like being the main point of contact for the client and teams, coordinating the team, timelines and project milestones, budget management, project management, inspection readiness, high-quality data, vendor management, and system implementation.
  
  And when I have time, I do mentorship and provide innovative solutions.

• How has Parexel supported your career development since you joined?
  
  Parexel truly supports my career development and growth by providing great opportunities, training, and brilliant people to work with. They value hard work and taking responsibility, which led to 5 promotions within 10 years at Parexel. The growth at Parexel is amazing. It offers the opportunity to work with new clients as well as get familiar with new technology that makes us a pioneer in what we do.
  
  

• What traits and/or skills are needed to be successful in your role?
  The key success factors for the role are constant development of your communication skills, time management, and leadership/ownership.
  
  

• What would you like people to know about your job or department?
  We have regular meetings where we discuss topics we struggle with, so we can learn from each other. Those challenges are good because they force you to think out of the box, be creative and provide improvements or innovative solutions. I’m always available to help others as I also like to be helped and taught new things.
  
  

• How would you describe what it’s like to work at Parexel and what’s it like working with your colleagues?
  As an employee at Parexel, I feel super comfortable, I'm supported all the time. As a new employee, you will have a mentor to support you and guide you, in addition to your Line Manager.

  There is extraordinary teamwork and collaboration around the globe. My colleagues in many cases became friends. Now that I’m in the USA I will be able to meet many of the colleagues that I worked with face-to-face. The experience of meeting them in person and building a relationship is super valuable.

Carolina visiting the Newton Office

• What excites you most about the work you do?
  The most exciting is that you make an impact on the life of patients that are suffering and you know the work that you do is extremely important. I try to think of that every morning when I open my computer and start my day by being grateful and respectful of what I have.
  
  

• Share with us an experience that was very rewarding for you during your time at Parexel, and how it made you feel.
  I was able to travel multiple times for work, but one time was for an FDA Audit Inspection that was successful, and the drug was released to the market. It was extremely rewarding being part of that and the team had the most enjoyable moment when celebrating over dinner.
  
  

• What was the best piece of advice you received in your career?
  The best advice I’ve received is to focus on your personal development and growth. Apply for training and courses to develop and acquire new skill sets. Parexel supports your development, but you are the CEO of it.
  
  

• What does the Parexel brand promise “We care.” mean to you?
  From my personal experience, I can tell that I get the most wonderful support from my Leadership Team, Line Manager, and Upper Management.
  We have flexible time off, vacation periods, and appointments during work hours. I received the most amazing welcome and support from colleagues since I arrived in the USA.
  
  

• What do you enjoy when you’re not at work?
  Going to a lake for running or going to the gym with colleagues from the company or just going out for a drink with friends and family. I love to laugh and spend a nice time with a friend and family.
  
  

• What habit or behavior or belief have you recently acquired? Why is it now in your life?
  I’m trying to wake up very early to go for a run to start the day with energy (I’m still trying 😁, it's not often but that is one of my goals).
  Learning about all the food, and brands and making healthy choices in the US, it's quite different from Argentina, so it's a learning curve.
  
  

• If you wrote a ‘user manual’ for how people should interact with you, what would be the most important point in the manual?
  Be transparent, honest and with good humor.

Do you want to work with Carolina? Look for suitable Project Leadership positions here. 

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