“For our company, this unique initiative enables us to discover talents from across the world who are exercising leadership in different ways, are inherently driven by purpose and ready to deliver on their goals in socially responsible ways.” - Bettina Bächtold
Published on 11/03/2022
The do-it attitude of Paola Castillo Fuentes hasn’t gone unnoticed within the talent network of Novartis. In just under two years, she moved from a position as a People & Organization intern in Mexico to the Environmental Sustainability Office in Basel.
One of the catalysts for her swift development was her participation in the One Young World (OYW) summit, an annual event organized by the UK-based non-profit of the same name, which brings together aspiring young leaders from around the globe to discuss and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change.
Castillo, who describes herself as someone “who has many questions and is constantly looking for new ways,” joined Novartis in 2018, first serving in human resources, before moving to the company’s Real Estate Service unit. Just a few months into her new job, she began raising awareness for climate change and environmental pollution affecting her community. “In Mexico, environmental issues are not considered a priority,” Castillo explained. “So you have to do something, take matters into your own hands, be ‘unbossed’ and leave your comfort zone.”
Within a few months, she built a group of around 40 like-minded people and together they set up the Green Team Mexico initiative, whose goal is to analyze company procedures and identify areas for potential improvement in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
Talent fest
When Castillo heard about the possibility to join the OYW summit, where she would have the chance to showcase her experience at a major event in London, she was immediately fired up.
The only hurdle: She needed to compete against hundreds of internal candidates. Novartis was only sending 40 delegates to the event, which overall assembles some 2000 young leaders from around the globe alongside top-flight speakers every year.
Castillo, however, did not shy away from the challenge and was looking forward to mix with some of the world’s most respected leaders in business, culture and politics.
During the 2019 summit in London – the last physical event before the pandemic – for which she applied, speakers included Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and best-selling author J.K. Rowling, among others, inspiring the participants to reflect and take action toward a better, healthier and fairer planet.
On top of that, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan talked to the guests, reflecting on the importance of leadership as well as its impact: “The most powerful thing we have to improve in the world is leadership, by far the most precious resource we have. And if all of you embrace the journey of self-inquiry and leadership, we can make extraordinary things happen,” Narasimhan said.
