Women’s Equality Day: Monica’s story

By Monica Schnitzer, VP Global Solutions

​To mark Women’s Equality Day in the US, #TeamGuidant’s Monica Schnitzer (pictured left!) shares her experience as a working mother in the world of work, putting family first and advice on learning from the successes of others.

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I’ve been at Guidant for three years, however, I have built over 20 years of staffing experience within multiple industries.
I work with prospective clients in North America and perform new business outreach, relationship building, solution design, proposal development, stakeholder education and initial contracting.

During my career, I have battled the stigma that working mothers can’t outperform their male counterparts.
Thankfully, this is not the case at Guidant Global. From my manager to the CEO, Guidant has many female executives to serve as role models – to date, 32% of Guidant’s female employees are in managerial and executive-level positions. As a leader in human capital, Guidant ensures their people, regardless of gender, are empowered and supported.

My team supported me when I needed it most.
In March 2019, I had just landed at LaGuardia airport for a client presentation when I received a phone call that my father had fallen ill.

For the next six weeks, I worked from his bedside in the intensive care unit. My manager and colleagues showered me with support during this difficult time. Other employers might have been less flexible, but Guidant was extremely accommodating.

At Guidant, being a woman or mother is not a liability.
When I request time off to accompany my teenage son to doctor appointments or college visits, I don’t worry about overcompensating or overexplaining my reason for the time I need to take.

Additionally, my manager is fantastic about allowing me to disconnect when needed. She fully supports me both professionally and personally. In fact, on a team call last week, she said, “It’s nearly 5 p.m. for Monica. We need to wrap up.”

Delivering the best work I can.
Guidant provides me with the tools, support and leadership to feel empowered and successful. I can fully utilize my talents while working alongside fantastic, collaborative colleagues. I enjoy our team, and I have never felt excluded or marginalized due to my gender.

If I could give one piece of advice to young women at the beginning of their career, it would be:
Identify and surround yourself with other successful people. Listen carefully, learn from them, work hard, and pay it forward.

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We’re proud to empower our women in the business and will continue being champions for working women. If you’d like to do great work with us, join #TeamGuidant today >