What’s your name, job title and how long have you worked here?
Sunny Baek - Commercial Business Director and I've been with the company for 19 years.
What do you like most about your job?
I consider my job to be a calling. It is waking up every morning knowing I get an amazing opportunity to contribute to patients and the society we are serving by working with a group of talented and passionate people who are united for AZ’s purpose and mission. It is a feeling of responsibility and gratitude that my life matters in making a difference in others.
As CBD last 15 years, I have worked with closely over a thousand representatives and district sales managers in different therapeutic areas and regions in the NE area. Motivating and inspiring each other by keeping our purpose in the front center of what we do every day, believing in our own potential and others that we achieve more when we work together as one team, upscaling our disease state, clinical selling, and business acumen skills to show up in front of customers with confidence and conviction, creating a culture where trust and respect are the foundation, and being #1 and winning are possible because we have what it takes have been my calling and it has been the most thrilling and exciting part of my work.
Last 19 years at AZ, every day I have learned something from everyone I have had a privilege to work for and with at AZ. All of them have had valuable lessons to share and I have grown as a person and a leader due to their input and insights. Working in a team environment at AZ where sharing, learning, and growing is part of what we do every day has been rewarding, stimulating, and fulfilling.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
I focus on physical well-being, spiritual and personal growth, and spend time with my family.
For physical well-being, Zumba, kickboxing, and yoga classes are my favourite classes that I take regularly. Being a Zumba instructor is one of my bucket lists. For spiritual and personal growth, I read books related to Buddhism, stoic philosophy, Hinduism, leadership, physics, cosmology, and neuroscience books, listen to pod cast, take courses from Great Courses and Lynda.com, and watch YouTube. I get excited about learning these subjects because it helps me gain different perspectives and insights. For family, we eat dinner together every evening to discuss our day, spend time together as much as we can at home and away from home by attending sport games, visiting families, and traveling.
Do you have a family and pets?
We had our dog, Dreamer. She passed away last year, and we are not ready to have another dog at this point. We have a 12-year-old son, Alex, who wins almost all discussions/debates at home! My husband of 15 years has been a huge supporter of my career.
What’s your work/life balance experience been at AZ?
AZ has been supportive of work/life balance for all employees. In the end, work/life balance for me has been up to me: I take ownership. Sometimes work was hectic due to situations (i.e. new region, new TAs, launch of new products, etc.) and sometimes it was well balanced. It has not always been perfect, but it has always been manageable.
How do you network with other women both inside and outside of AZ?
Inside AZ, I make efforts to connect with female leaders across TAs and different functions by conducting one on ones, attending scheduled net working sessions, mentoring several people, attending BRG sessions, and getting together during sales meetings. Outside AZ, I have attended seminars to meet people from outside AZ.
What would you like other women to know about joining AZ as a new employee?
AZ is a place where female employees are welcomed, respected, empowered, supported, and developed. It is the place where our voice and opinions are heard and valued. It is the place we can grow in our career while balancing family life. It is the place we can call a second home away from our home that makes us feel belong. The sky is the limit here at AZ as female employees and go for your dream!
What has been your favorite memory while at AstraZeneca?
There have been so many amazing memories at AZ that it is hard to choose so I will choose a recent example. I had an honor to share my personal experience as female Asian American, mother, and worker in the society and how it ties to inclusion and diversity at work during Diabetes Sales Leadership Academy in Dallas and CV Specialty Meeting in Las Vegas in April 2019. My intention was to demonstrate how our personal experiences shape our unconscious biases and how we need to recognize those biases among ourselves to create the best place to work for each other at AZ. Sharing my personal experience felt vulnerable and uncomfortable but decided to share because I believed it was the right thing to do. When I received the standing ovation after my talk, I was speechless. I received so many emails from people at AZ that my presentation changed their lives and increased understanding of why I&D matter have been surreal. The experience like this makes me realize every one of us has a story and a voice to share to impact others.
How do you feel AstraZeneca best supports your career as a female employee?
I have chosen to be CVMD Inclusion and Diversity Ambassador in 2019 and have been working as EA RTS CBD lead last couple of years. These kinds of additional assignments have been motivating and learning experience to stretch myself and make impact at a broader scope. I ask AZ to continue to trust me with additional assignments and provide me with opportunities to contribute and grow. Having several male senior leadership sponsors/advocates has been a big boost for my career development, helped me in gaining confidence in the male dominated environment, taught me looking at things from different perspectives. And having female EBDs (last three EBDs have been female leaders) as my managers has been just an outstanding experience since they are the role models I aspire to be, and we can relate to each other and understand at a different level. My ask is to hire senior female ad male leaders who believe in I&D (that includes female) and are the true role models for demonstrating I&D.
