An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Sponsorship. This is different from mentoring or coaching. This is about people who will actively stand up and advocate for women, in a particular case or in general.
Despite strides towards equality, women remain underrepresented in leadership and management roles across various sectors. In this series, we would like to discuss the barriers to female advancement in these areas and explore actionable strategies for change. We are talking with accomplished women leaders, executives, and pioneers who have navigated these challenges successfully, to hear their experiences, tactics, and advice to inspire and guide the next generation of women toward achieving their full potential in leadership and management roles. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Fortrea Chief Financial Officer Jill McConnell.
Jill Gicking McConnell is the Chief Financial Officer of Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE). She has served in this position since Fortrea’s launch as an independent company in July 2023 following its spinoff from Labcorp (NYSE: LH).
Jill has more than 25 years of financial leadership in healthcare, driving growth and margin expansion as well as delivering global change and transformation projects while working in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland. Jill joined Labcorp as Chief Financial Officer of Labcorp Drug Development in 2018 until assuming the role at Fortrea. She most recently led the project that executed the spinoff of Fortrea from Labcorp. Previously, Jill held increasingly senior financial roles at GSK (LSE/NYSE: GSK), spanning the pharmaceutical lifecycle over almost 19 years. Her most recent position at GSK was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ViiV Healthcare, a joint venture between GSK, Pfizer and Shionogi. Prior to GSK, Jill qualified as a Certified Public Accountant, primarily with PwC.
Jill has an MBA in Health and Medical Services Administration from Saint Joseph’s University and two bachelor’s degrees in Management and French from Gettysburg College. In addition to financial leadership, Jill is committed to employee engagement and mentoring and in addition has served as executive sponsor to several employee resource groups, both at Labcorp and GSK. In 2023, Jill was named as a Luminary by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! 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?
I had an interesting professor in my undergraduate days who made accounting exciting. He encouraged me to do an internship in public accounting, which led to a role at the firm. You work your tail off, but it’s such an amazing learning experience! I had an interest in working internationally, so after a personal move, I went to work for a global pharmaceutical company. I had studied abroad in college and really wanted to work overseas someday. Then, I got a boss who held me to that goal, and things took off from there.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I don’t know that there is any one story that I’d call out. But because of my career I’ve lived in two other countries, traveled to nearly 20 countries, worked with amazing people around the globe (some of whom have become lifelong friends), pushed myself to my limits and experienced things I never would have imagined when I started out. I’ve come to learn that the best opportunities are the ones that push you well out of your comfort zone.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your path to leadership?
My first global assignment. It was scary, exhilarating, stretching and infinitely rewarding, personally and professionally. I had to navigate a different professional culture in an organization that tripled in size during my leadership. I was accountable for developing and scaling new activities and running the day-to-day operations of a standalone unit, all while making sure my family was adjusting and happy in a new country.
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 have to share two. My personal example was my late husband, Brian. He left his working career to move overseas the first time and never looked back. Even though he had never worked in my world, he provided the confidence of a career coach and genuinely listened every day about how my day had gone and offered advice when I asked for it. It was amazing how good it was!
My professional example was another Brian, Brian Ehlers, who was the boss who pushed me to take that first assignment abroad. He had more belief and confidence in me at that time than I did in myself. He was a mentor for quite a while, and we still connect now and then.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I love reading when I can make the time. I’ve read many books on leadership, particularly women’s leadership, and in each I usually find one or two nuggets that resonate. Interestingly, what sticks with me more is The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. I started it when my late husband was in his cancer battle because I was trying to learn everything I could about the disease and its pathways. It’s a long book, so it can appear daunting. But it is such a great read. You can pick it up, read a few sections, walk away and come back to it as you have time. What struck me was so many stories of individuals who had an idea they were passionate about — often unsupported by or even derided by others — who dedicated their lives to one thing that may have seemed insignificant at the time but led to treatment breakthroughs after years or decades of effort. If you are passionate about something and feel in your heart and gut that it’s important, don’t let naysayers deter you!
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
My great-grandmother, who dropped out of high school to go to work during World War I, used to say to me, “Honey, we all put our pants on one leg at a time.” We are all humans, and at the end of the day, none of us is more important than another. It gave me confidence earlier in my career when dealing with people much more senior than I was, and it gives me perspective now that I have more experience.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
It’s easy to get caught up in the latest project or urgent deliverable. But the world changes constantly, so the only lasting impact you can have is on the people around you, for better or for worse. I have benefitted from some great coaches and mentors and try to do the same with others and the people on my team. If they are better contributors and leaders after having interacted with you, then you’ve orchestrated a lasting impact.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this report, only about 31.7% of top executive positions across industries are held by women. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from leadership and management?
If there was only one thing, we would have overcome that by now. The issues are broad and deep, and situational as well as personal. An amazing woman who doesn’t have support at home, whether or not there are family responsibilities involved, will struggle to reach her potential. An amazing woman who lacks confidence and doesn’t have access to great sponsors will struggle to reach her potential. An amazing woman in an organization that doesn’t truly recognize and act on the concepts of inclusion and equality will struggle to reach her potential. An amazing woman who was raised hearing about what she “ought” to do without outside intervention will struggle to reach her potential.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become leaders and managers?
I don’t believe it is appropriate to say there are solely ‘female traits’ that are being missed. Every woman is different, as is every man. Isn’t it logical that leadership ranks should represent the points of view and experiences of the population it is purporting to serve? To be sure, there is a lot of research that looks at different strengths brought by people of different genders, but it’s including all of that that will make a team, a project or an organization succeed.
Can you please share “5 Things We Need To Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management?”
1 . Sponsorship. This is different from mentoring or coaching. This is about people who will actively stand up and advocate for women, in a particular case or in general.
2 . Candor. Key talent need comfortable spaces to ask tough questions, share elation and frustration and try out thought-provoking ideas. Connecting regularly with them is critical to ensuring they have a place where this is encouraged, even better if you offer them real examples about your experiences too.
3 . Flexibility. Everyone has commitments outside of work. Recognizing that, and determining pathways to support those while maintaining what the organization needs to be successful, can make the difference between a long-term superstar and someone who has to step back from leadership opportunities. There should also be more emphasis on encouraging partners / spouses to share in responsibilities so that no one person shoulders the majority of the impact on their life and career.
4 . Mentoring. Thoughtful and successful leaders of all genders who take an interest in emerging and key talent and share personal experiences help people prepare for challenges they are or could face, instilling confidence that they can tackle what’s in front of them.
5 . Transparency. In the UK, for example, companies have to publish statistics that show if there is pay disparity. There’s nothing like the light of truth to force someone to correct a wrong!
In your opinion, what systemic changes are needed to facilitate more equitable access for women to leadership roles?
We have to start promoting leadership as an opportunity for people of all genders early in life. Bias starts showing up at a young age, for example when assertive boys have been historically called “leaders” and assertive girls have been called “bossy.” And we should consider ways to support ALL caregivers in the workplace, not just offer maternity leave, for example. Oftentimes, women assume the lead caregiving role in a family and take more time off to care for loved ones, with an unintended consequence of being viewed as “not as available” as their male counterparts. This can lead to fewer stretch assignments, less opportunity for promotion, and sometimes women opting out of the workforce altogether because it’s simply too daunting to return. It can be difficult to mandate such policies into place, but any leader can act as an ally for colleagues in promoting equal opportunity and support regardless of gender.
What strategies have you found most effective in mentoring and supporting other women to pursue leadership positions?
Coaching, mentoring and sponsorship all play a role in helping women achieve leadership positions. Coaching is more targeted, related to working through specific situations and teaching people skills to solve challenges. Mentoring can be incredibly valuable if it is consistent, authentic and mentee-driven — that is, I’ve found it most effective when the person being mentored sets the agenda and follows through with identified actions. Sponsorship takes support to a whole different level. It requires a deeper knowledge of an individual and a willingness to put your own reputation on the line to recommend and endorse someone for a bigger opportunity — or simply even to get their name into a conversation. Women need to get comfortable asking for this kind of support, and leaders need to be committed to investing time into these avenues to enable leadership capabilities for people of all genders.
How would you advise a woman leader about how to navigate the challenges of being a woman in a leadership role within a male-dominated industry?
Confidence and a strong sense of self are paramount, and this can be tough to demonstrate effectively early in your career. Finding coaches, mentors and sponsors can help. Learning how to respond rather than react is also an important skill that can be difficult to learn — but taking time to reflect and let your nervous system calm down so your rational mind can take control can help you get the results you want. Of course, normalizing emotion as a natural human reaction would be great as well…But until that happens, finding a safe space in a trusted circle to vent, unwind and seek advice is a good proxy! Finally, make sure you do your part to lift up other women. Paying it forward with something as simple as a card, an email or a kind word or text can have a huge impact.
How do you balance the demand for authoritative leadership with the stereotypical expectations of female behavior in professional settings?
I’ve seen it improve over the course of my career, but there is still a double standard. I think the key is to make sure you’re balanced in seeing multiple sides of an issue and considering the needs and inputs of different stakeholders. If people feel like you are considering their interests, it goes a long way if you have to make a tough decision. If you are in a situation that’s getting heated with someone who’s being overly aggressive, seek to moderate the environment or step away from it and reconvene after everyone has had time to reflect. Try to recognize the motivations that might lead a person to behave the way they are. Above all, act with integrity and remain true to yourself and your values, and don’t back down when you feel strongly about something.
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.
Changing access to education and opportunities much earlier in children’s lives, both here in the United States and globally, to begin unsetting some of the deep-rooted biases about gender ‘roles’ and economic ‘hierarchies’ much earlier on. Inspiring girls and children from different backgrounds to have knowledge of and access to more possibilities, then extending those learnings to parents and caregivers so that the messages can persist.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find me and Fortrea on LinkedIn.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Jill McConnell Of Fortrea On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.