- 20 - of our workforce is female. I believe we have instilled the key attributes into our culture that embody a supportive, empathetic environment that recognizes the value of all our contributors. Leading the company through the pandemic, I realized the strength and criticality of this evolving culture I have worked to create. My husband was essential personnel during that time and had to work onsite. I was alone, juggling work and virtual classrooms. Biofrontera had limited cash on hand and our revenue was essentially at a standstill while dermatology offices were closed. I wasn’t able to relax or take my mind off all of the pressures I was under; it was survival mode. Biofrontera had to do furloughs and cut 20% of our staff. I reduced my own pay significantly; we applied for deferred payroll tax and deferred office rent programs. Ultimately, we made it through, but it was a team effort with everyone juggling personal life as well. Coming out of the pandemic with a deeper awareness of the personal side of our colleagues and a culture of appreciation for each other’s struggles and dedication made us stronger. Post-COVID, it is still challenging to balance being a female leader and being a mother. Having two young, energetic and fantastic kids keeps me busy! They do dance, karate, swim, cooking, you name it. I travel at least 30% of the time for work and have evening events weekly. Learning to balance my schedule and set expectations and boundaries is a work in progress. It is easy to advocate for my teams to have balance, but practicing what I preach is another story. I am fortunate to have a spouse who is my champion and a supporter of my career. I also have my village of amazing family and friends who keep my kids spoiled and help mitigate my mom guilt. Defining balance is not a clear-cut process. Everything I do, I give 100% of my commitment and passion to. My career hasn’t been something I designed on paper and intentionally progressed towards. I grew up with a mom who worked in sales 9 to 5 and had family dinner on the table every night. I was brought up to do it all and do it well. If a project is on my desk, I do it. If I am unfamiliar with the subject matter, I learn it. I seek to understand and I am driven to excel. It is not inherently in my nature to ensure “balance,” and so the challenge for me is not about taking time off of work or taking time off of being a mom; it’s finding places where I can expect less from myself. The laundry isn’t folded, and dinner was cereal last night, but we ate together and talked about our peaks and pits of the day. I am learning to be OK with that. What steps has Biofrontera taken to promote gender equality and diversity in the workplace? At Biofrontera, we take an approach to attracting candidates that focuses on skill sets and ability to be successful in the role being hired. Currently, our employee mix is 68% women and 32% men, with the Senior Management (C-suite and VP levels) equating to an even 50/50 of men and women. The specific things we have done to accomplish this are focusing on the retention of talent, rewarding performance with new opportunities, developing inside staff rather than hiring a skill set, compensating for the role, and setting clear expectations with our staff. . All levels of management recognize “above and beyond” activities and small wins, which goes a long way with our staff. As I developed in my career, I often worried about the stigma of being female and deciding to have a family. How would I be perceived? Would this make me seem less committed to my job? I worked through both my maternity leaves. Do I wish I had taken more time for me and my new family? Yes, but I also believe if I had not done that the male leaders around me would have written me off my career trajectory. It is because of these stigmas I faced that I prioritize corporate culture at Biofrontera and the important steps I have outlined above. I firmly believe in leading by example. I hold my team accountable for their work but am mindful that there is a person and a family behind that work product. I try to approach each day with authenticity and humility, and find this resonates with the team and enhances the culture. Biofrontera is a welcoming environment and supportive of our employees’ professional and personal aspirations. I genuinely care about how someone’s sick child is doing or how their vacation week was. Building deeper connections strengthens our culture and brings us together. A testament to this is displayed in our office kitchen, where we have numerous holiday and announcement cards from our employees and their families. We recognize our people as our greatest asset and each of those assets should be celebrated for the uniqueness that makes them who they are. How has your leadership style evolved over time, and what role has your gender played in shaping it? I always thought of myself as a fighter, not a leader. I have been someone who focuses on what is right and fights for the voices who are often silenced even in our modern day society. It was only upon entering the C-suite that I realized this was part of my leadership style, and I’ve always prioritized the greater good and ensuring all voices are heard. As a female and a mother, this style can also be challenging as we so quickly put our own needs on the back burner. As a female in a largely male-driven business environment throughout most of my career, I used to shy away from sharing personal information as I perceived it would be seen as a weakness. Staying home with USA
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