Women Of The C-Suite: Dianne Whitfield of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
You don’t need to know the answer, you just need to ask the right questions. A mentor recently shared this with me, and it rings true in so many ways, especially in my current role when you oversee a broad set of responsibilities. Having curiosity to ensure your team is thinking about things in the right way, and sometimes challenging convention, is critical at this stage.
As a part of our interview series called “Women Of The C-Suite”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dianne Whitfield.
Dianne boasts 20+ years of experience in human resources, including over a decade in life sciences industry management and leadership. She joined Tarsus in early 2021 as Chief Human Resources Officer, where she has been instrumental in designing and executing a talent strategy that drives the business during a period of critical growth. Prior to Tarsus, Dianne was Vice President and Head of Human Resources at Evolus, where she was instrumental in helping the company launch their first product and built a culture that drove employee engagement and retention.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My career in human resources (HR) was an early pivot that occurred when I was in the process of pursuing a master’s degree in social work. I always had a desire to help people and be a part of shaping and promoting positive change in individuals, teams, and communities. The education and experience I derived from social work translated nicely to the business environment — particularly as an HR professional — as it allowed me to positively impact employees and leadership to create an environment where both employees and organizations can thrive.
I’ve spent more than 20 years across several roles in the HR function, with the last 15 years assuming various leadership roles in the biotech industry. Working in life sciences has been particularly meaningful because the core of our work as an organization is focused on bringing new and important therapies and treatments to patients in need. Being a part of this industry is especially rewarding because it not only allows me to help build, develop, and grow organizations, but it also provides the opportunity to have a greater impact.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
During my very first conversation with the Tarsus CEO, Bobby Azamian, we discussed the critical role that culture plays in shaping and defining an organization. We quickly aligned on our belief that innovative science and novel products were not enough for the success we hope to achieve — the best organizations that stand out and attract and retain talent also require strong leadership and an exceptional team of talented individuals that are fueled by a differentiated culture. We envisioned an environment where employees could do their best work by being empowered to voice diverse perspectives, foster teamwork, and bring their whole selves to work. Today, after nearly 2 years serving on the leadership team at Tarsus, the company has grown by 400%, and we have received numerous recognitions and accolades honoring our culture, company, and leadership team. I think this is a result of all the hard work we’ve collectively done as a team to create an optimal environment for employees and I’m proud of how far we’ve come to further our mission of helping patients in need.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I’ve made numerous mistakes throughout my career, but they’ve all been tremendous learning experiences. And sometimes I’ve learned that those “mistakes” are really just misconceptions.
In the early days of my career, I worked with global teams across multiple time zones, and spent many hours on early morning calls. One morning, my (then) two-year-old son threw a tantrum, which was all captured on my video call. While this was embarrassing in the moment for me (although age appropriate for him), the compassion and understanding my colleagues showed built a connection that strengthened our relationship. This experience taught me that sometimes we need self-compassion.
One of the things we all learned from the pandemic is that everyone is a human first, and an employee second. Leading HR during this time was an opportunity to lead by example and normalize the challenges and sometimes unexpected activities happening at home. Even though a large majority of us are now spending more time back in the office, I still approach employee relationships with this same mindset.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m grateful to have had many former managers and HR leaders who’ve served as mentors and helped me learn and grow throughout my career. One former HR leader and colleague provided me with a tremendous amount of encouragement and support, challenging me to think differently and to be confident in my leadership capabilities. She was a significant role model in demonstrating the value that HR can play in helping to set and drive a business strategy and showed me how important it is for HR to have a seat at the decision-making table. I still consider her a mentor and friend, and regularly connect with her for thought partnership. These are the relationships that become most valuable over time and serve as a good reminder of the importance of fostering others in their career growth.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?
A significant part of my role as an HR leader is to make hard decisions that impact the organization and its people. A recent key learning for me was surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. At the peak of the shut-down, we were tasked with trying to run a successful business while also prioritizing the health and safety of our employees. We often have to make decisions that we believe will most effectively meet everyone’s needs, even when we know that the decision may not fit all individual preferences. In this example — we were able to strike a balance and allow employees more flexibility to work remote. Today, we’ve continued this approach and have a flexible hybrid model, which we feel strikes a nice balance for employees.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
Executives must look beyond their own areas of expertise and the specific role or function they were hired to do and think about the goals and objectives of the broader organization. In my role today, I serve as an enterprise leader, rather than just the head of my HR function. The role of an executive, first and foremost, is about leadership. Leadership is critical to setting an organization’s communication strategy and helping set up teams and the broader organization for long-term success.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
While an increasing number of women are starting to have a seat at the executive table, we still have a long way to go — the fact remains that less than half of executive teams are comprised of females, even though organizations deliver 34% greater returns to investors with more women in senior management positions. As a female executive, it’s important to acknowledge that you may often be the minority in a room, but that your voice and contributions are valuable to the organization’s success. We know that organizations that are more diverse have greater financial and revenue success, so it’s important that we recognize the value we can create and serve as role models to emerging women leaders to encourage their growth and advancement.
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
I’m so passionate about my role, and that I continue to learn and grow even at my level. The biggest difference about my job today and the job on paper is how much fun it is! As an executive, you earn the role through a strong track record and history of demonstrating experience, capabilities, and skillset. Since joining Tarsus, I’ve not only had the opportunity to leverage my experience and integrate into a team of extremely diverse, qualified, and dynamic individuals, but I’ve also been able to lead the organization by role modelling what it means to bring your “whole self to work.” This authenticity is part of the diversity that I bring to my role as a female in leadership, and it also allows me to show up in a way that fosters greater well-being, and therefore, energy and greater impact!
Is everyone cut out to be an executive? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
A successful executive has the right mindset, motivation, and passion to get the job done — not just for your own achievement, but more importantly, for the organization and employees you lead. To do this successfully, executive leadership requires emotional intelligence and the ability to communicate with all levels and across the enterprise effectively to build relationships and connect with employees. It’s not simply a matter of mastering your craft — it requires skills beyond your technical area to best serve the organization’s goals.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
You don’t need to know the answer, you just need to ask the right questions. A mentor recently shared this with me, and it rings true in so many ways, especially in my current role when you oversee a broad set of responsibilities. Having curiosity to ensure your team is thinking about things in the right way, and sometimes challenging convention, is critical at this stage.
Always say yes to opportunities. This is something I was told earlier in my career, and I’ve had some great career pivots and advancements — sometimes for a role or assignment I didn’t think I wanted but turned out to be an amazing experience and always led to growth.
If you don’t prioritize your time, someone else will. This holds true every day. It’s ok to say no to things to ensure you are focused on the most important tasks that need to be completed.
If you are not nervous or afraid, you are not being challenged. The best growth experiences for me have been in situations that have probably caused the most anxiety. I’ve learned to embrace the fear as an opportunity to be challenged and to grow. And it’s paid off! Those risks have yielded the greatest rewards both personally and professionally.
Make sure you always stay true to your “why.” I’ve also turned down opportunities and left roles where it ultimately conflicted with my purpose. Sometimes this was a job that didn’t allow the work/life balance to prioritize my family, and that’s ok.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I’m so fortunate that my current role at Tarsus allows me to do this — to create a culture of dynamic Tarsans who are passionate about our mission to revolutionize treatment for patients. A culture based on teamwork, diversity, and empowerment. I’m truly focused on making Tarsus a “dream job” for employees.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
If I had my pick across the world — it would be my husband, Oscar. We both lead successful careers while raising our family. If there’s one thing my career has taught me, is that prioritizing the most important things is what matters. Being able to spend quality time with my husband and family is honestly the best time well spent, and I choose to put that first, every time.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women Of The C-Suite: Dianne Whitfield of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals On The Five Things You Need To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.