A day in the life of Ana Beltrao, HR Director, Medical Division at Danone Viewpoint careers advice blog

A day in the life of Ana Beltrao, HR Director, Medical Division at Danone Ana Beltrao, Human Resources Director for Danones Medical Nutrition Division in Iberia, shares her experience of what its like to step into her shoes for the day.   Ana  Beltrao, is Human Resources Director for Danone’s Medical Nutrition Division in Iberia. Danone Medical Nutrition Division innovates, formulates and markets medical food: oral supplements and tube-feeding for infants, children and adult patients. Ana has a distinguished human resources (HR) career, having worked for blue-chip multinationals such as Thomson Reuters and Delonaitte Consulting. She provides us with some candid insights into a typical day in her senior management role.  How do you start the day? “I always try to start the day in a healthy, happy way,” explains Ana. “For me, this means two things; having a good breakfast and leaving plenty of time to get ready for work. Above all, I try not to rush. The alarm is set so that I have enough time do everything at a leisurely pace and think about the day ahead. I like listening to cheerful music, which gets me into a positive mindset.” Take us through a typical day at work, starting with the first coffee (if applicable). “The first coffee is always applicable! It’s a great excuse for mingling and networking. After that, my day is anything but typical. “My schedule is usually fully booked with meetings with my immediate team, colleagues from our management team, employee representatives and the list goes on. The content is very diverse. “The areas that take up most of my time are change management and transformation initiatives, collective efficiency, leadership development and social dialogue.” What are some of the highlights of your day? For Ana, highlights might include a better than expected level of engagement or a positive response from employees to a new initiative: “These might include new learning approaches, new social tools for networking or new activities which encourage social responsibility. “I also enjoy the end of the day,” she continues. “That’s when I like to take a few minutes to reflect on what’s been achieved and make plans for the following day.” Is there any aspect of your job that keeps you awake at night? “Fortunately, disasters are not a regular event,” says Ana. “In terms of potential problems I might lose sleep over, I would say  anything related to organisational downsizing.” How do you like to unwind at the end of the day? How do you combat stress? “Having a good chat with my husband helps me unwind. Also, hearing about my daughter’s adventures at school. If it’s not too late, I also like to go walking for an hour or so. It’s a great way to relieve stress.” What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? “Working in a business that stands for health and best care is extremely rewarding,” Ana maintains. “Helping patients live healthier and longer lives through our scientific nutritional products is certainly a gratifying purpose for all of us in the Medical Nutrition Division. “Within my role, I would say making a difference in the work environment: contributing to sustainable engagement of our people and helping our teams deliver on strategic priorities makes a difference to me. “Also, being able to impact the community through social innovation programmes: for example, collaborating with a non-profit organisation whose aim is to help improve the quality of life for elderly people. Such projects could not be more fulfilling.” What advice would you give to someone aspiring to be an HR Director in the life sciences? “You need lots of energy, the ability to drive change forward and the motivation to keep going when things get difficult. Being a credible partner for business stakeholders and a key driver of company culture is necessary. Having a genuine concern for others and the capacity to connect and build relationships of trust with those around you is essential.” Stay up to date with latest news from across the globe by joining our LinkedIn group, Life Sciences Industry Insights with Hays and follow us on Twitter @HaysLifeScience.