“I had previously masked my sexuality”
BY DYLAN MANN-HAZELL
In a conversation with myGwork, Sophie Bailes, a Senior Director in R&D IT at AstraZeneca, shared the compelling story of her professional evolution at the leading biopharmaceutical company. She also talks openly about her personal experience as a bisexual woman, including growing up with same-sex parents and embracing herself within the LGBTQIA+ community, and how AstraZeneca’s inclusive environment and the AZPride employee resource group aided this self-acceptance.
Hi Sophie! Could you tell me a bit about your background and career journey leading up to your current position at AstraZeneca?
I have had a career of two halves; first as a scientist. I have a PhD in Analytical Chemistry and led teams that develop and manufacture new medicines for clinical trials, as well as registering new drugs with health authorities. The second half of my career has been in technology. I led a global digital transformation program before joining our R&D IT organisationwhere my current role is to develop new technology strategies to speed up how we get new medicines to patients.
AstraZeneca has supported this journey, providing coaching and training as I shifted my career path. The culture of lifelong learning has encouraged me to thrive and discover new skills. I never thought I would end up in this role, but I absolutely love my job; it is fulfilling to contribute to providing life-changing and affordable medicines to patients worldwide.
Can you tell me about your childhood – where did you grow up? Did you have any hobbies?
My sister and I were brought up by two women in a rural village in Derbyshire, England. During the 80s, having same-sex parents was unusual, and although we did not suffer any abusive behaviour from the local community, there was always an undertone that we were different. This left me with an early impression that life was more challenging to be openly queer. As a bisexual person, it is easy to present as straight, which is what I did for a large portion of my early life.
Can you share your personal journey with the LGBTQIA+ community?
As I got older, I became more confident about who I am. I moved to Manchester and made some amazing friends in the LGBTQIA+ community. This helped me be more open about my sexuality. Joining our AZPride employee resource group (ERG) gave me a safe space to talk about my journey and the reasons I had previously masked my sexuality. It was hugely liberating, being able to bring my true self to work meant I could focus on developing new skills, which is especially important during early careers. Innovation is born through people with different backgrounds and experiences. I am proud that I work for a company that positively encourages people to think differently, be open to others’ opinions, and challenge the status quo.
What has been a standout moment in your career so far?
I have had numerous career highlights, both as a scientist and in leading technology delivery. The moments I feel most proud of are the people-focused achievements. During my time as Co-Chair of AZPride UK, AstraZeneca won the Employer of the Year award at the Queer Student Awards. Accepting the award on behalf of everyone who supports our AZPride activities was one of my best moments. AstraZeneca ran a LinkedIn article about me, highlighting some of my personal achievements and recognising AstraZeneca’s inclusive workforce. Reading it online, I had a sudden moment of realisation that I had never officially come out to my dad. Now I was all over LinkedIn talking about AstraZeneca’s support of the LGBTQIA+ community. My dad has always been super supportive of my career and my lifestyle; he was already proudly commenting and re-sharing to his network.
How does AstraZeneca strive for inclusivity and provide an open space for LGBTQIA+ employees?
AZPride is one of several ERGs at AstraZeneca, supporting our entire global workforce with safe spaces to be themselves, hear from senior leaders about their own personal journeys, and find mentors outside of their own departments.
Throughout the year, we run a calendar of events both to educate our workforce and to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ employees. This year, we focused on LGBT History Month in February and Pride Month in June, including our first face-to-face event at our Discovery Centre (DISC) in Cambridge, “How Inclusion Drives Innovation”. Following requests at the event, we are providing optional pronoun badges that people can use alongside their rainbow AstraZeneca lanyards.
Throughout your career, have you noticed any developments in attitudes towards the importance of diversity and inclusion?
Thankfully, the experience I had in my early career is less common these days; people no longer feel they have to mask who they are to fit in. Universities and workforces have groups such as AZPride that help people understand who they are in a safe environment. The downside to this is that we become more segregated, and only talking to people who have the same experiences can lead to groupthink. Not only can that be damaging in the workplace, as people overlook new ideas, but it can also be damaging to society as we become fractured and isolated into groups of right and wrong, increasing the risk of binary thinking.
I sometimes hear people saying they cannot work or be friends with someone with a particular view, but we are not one-dimensional; we should embrace commonalities rather than differences. At AstraZeneca, we encourage this through cross-ERGs events, looking at intersections between our communities. A recent collaboration between AZPride and the Network of Women highlighted interesting commonalities around leadership styles, supporting individuals in those two groups to expand their networks and find mentors.
What immediate improvements would you like to see being made for LGBTQIA+ equality in the future, both in the workplace and wider society?
I would encourage everyone to spend more time understanding other people’s points of view. I have this amazing friend, called Ben, with whom we talk about everything openly and honestly. There are a number of subjects where we have completely contrasting views. Although his views are the polar opposite of mine, it does not change how much I love and respect him. Being open to talk about our different views with curiosity rather than antagonism has allowed me to see things from an alternative point of view. I don’t need him to agree with me, or vice versa, but understanding why he thinks the way he does has helped me be more rounded and more tolerant of others. It has made me a better person. I think we could all use some more tolerance in the world right now.
Is there anything we haven’t discussed already that you would like to include?
I still live in Manchester, with my miniature dachshund called Data, because, like Dorothy, I found that all I really need in life to be happy is a dog and some fabulous shoes.
AstraZeneca is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more about LGBTQIA+-friendly job opportunities at AstraZeneca.
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