Hunting for Treasures, but Those Cherished by Each of Us
“As a child, I dreamed of becoming an archaeologist because I really loved history,” says Laura Bruno, Director of People & Culture at Sanofi Italy, at the end of a long chat about leadership. After graduating from Bocconi in 1990 with a thesis on women’s managerial skills (her thesis advisor was Severino Salvemini) and multiple experiences that brought her first to the biomedical sector at Amgen, then to pharmaceuticals at Bracco and now at Sanofi, that dream seemed to have faded away during childhood. Or maybe it did not. “In fact, a small part of that dream has remained in the form of a passion for people and cultures, which is the driving force behind the business related to human resource management,” explains the executive.
It is precisely on the enhancement of people and their skills, in addition to the corporate focus on meritocracy, that Laura Bruno advocates for in recounting her work and career that has taken her all the way to Sanofi’s Board of Directors. “These are key points for the development of healthy leadership for women as well. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to always work in companies that are very attentive to these aspects and open to the professional growth of people.” In her case, it was also important to find work/life balance. “There was a period in my life, when my daughter was younger, in which my husband and I traveled a lot for work. We drew up a proper attendance calendar, so that we could both avoid being on the road at the same time.” It is certainly not always easy to turn down professional experiences or requests, “but this is something one must learn to do, although it is a part of adulthood that is acquired over time.”
Going more into the specifics of the work of someone who, like her, manages the entire people development function within a large company devoted to innovation, one cannot help but talk about the impact that new technologies – AI especially – are having on the very organization of the company. “Artificial intelligence and all the ethical issues that come with it are one of the challenges emerging in human resource management today,” explains Bruno. “While AI will support us in some of the activities, it cannot – from a managerial point of view – replace those basic skills that every good manager must possess, such as problem solving or emotional intelligence, the latter of which is extremely important as it enables a person to establish useful and profitable bonds and collaborative networks.”
Emotional intelligence also comes into play in other aspects that modern HR focuses on today. While organizations are committed to the promotion of continuous learning, they also “increasingly emphasize the importance of psychological safety – of feeling good, comfortable and valued in the company, which clearly includes the entire culture of diversity and inclusion.”
However, was there a time – archaeology dream aside – when Laura Bruno ever thought about changing fields? “Actually, at a certain point in my career, I also delved into more business-related aspects and happened to think 'I wonder if...'; however, I do the work I like. Additionally, the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors, i.e. dealing with people’s health, have a very strong value purpose, so it is also very fulfilling.”
She targets one last message not only to her fellow colleague executives, but to everyone: “We have a responsibility as a generation; it is the reason why I believe it is so important to give back via mentoring activities. Today’s young people look toward the future with an objectively complex gaze, and it is our task to make it easier for them.”
