It all started with an internship. Laura Guggiari, an Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, began her tenure at Biogen with a year-long internship in HR. While studying and working in international business, Laura grew up in a family of medical professionals and knew that she was interested in health sciences. Beginning at a Swiss IT company she would eventually pivot to the biotechnology space. Biogen, at the time, had a base in Zug, Switzerland, where Laura eventually got an internship in Human Resources.
Spotlights
Career Development at Biogen: From Intern to Employee
During her internship, Laura found her way into the industry with the help of her hiring manager who, according to her: “saw potential in me and encouraged me to take on projects even if I had never done so before.” From there, Laura says that the company culture kept her going. “Everyone was very open to talking with me so the opportunities kept coming.”
Those opportunities would later become a temporary role after her internship, and eventually a full-time offer. From one opportunity to the next, Laura says that there is an energy that keeps people motivated. “You see people who are really passionate about their work and that reflects onto you. It makes it so there is this buzzing energy. Even after a full day of work I will leave and still be excited for what’s to come.”
Laura volunteering for Care Deeply Day
One of the ways Laura succeeded at Biogen was through her mentors. Her managers throughout the years have been consistent role models and partners in her career journey. Together with these managers, she found opportunities that would allow her to stretch and, while challenging, Laura reflects on the opportunities now as extremely constructive. “For example,” she said, “I was asked to take on the role of Head of HR in Austria to support an upcoming maternity leave. That meant I was doing both my work in Switzerland and leading HR in Austria. While it may have been difficult, it was beneficial to get out of my comfort zone.”
Laura at Biogen’s campus in Baar, Switzerland
In addition to taking on new roles, Laura always wanted to run Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) programs. At the time, lots of companies in Europe were still just developing DE&I programs, including Biogen. But Laura knew that she could stretch herself and that Biogen would support it. “I volunteered a lot for DE&I projects, I built up the DE&I Switzerland chapter, and I volunteered to be a global co-lead in ReachOUT our LGBTQ+ employee resource network. After all that, a position popped up in the US for DE&I and I asked if I could do the role remotely from Switzerland.” After the role was approved for an international headcount, Laura interviewed for and subsequently got the job.
To those looking for opportunities and wanting to advance themselves at Biogen: “the biggest thing you can do is ask. If you don’t ask, then you will never know what’s possible,” Laura said. This advice goes for mentorship as well. While Biogen’s culture brought her closer to her managers and allowed her to grow, she says that anyone looking to grow their career at Biogen should not be afraid to ask. Seek out the opportunities that interest you and “be flexible in where your path leads you.”
To learn more about our commitment to career development, see our Building your career page