Breaking Barriers in Leadership: The Path Forward for Women
While it might take 17 years for a drug to go from molecule to bedside, progress toward equity in the workplace shouldn’t move at that pace. In health and life sciences, leadership representation deserves as much focus as innovation and outcomes.
The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association honors individuals and companies advancing that vision like Samantha McColl , a 2025 Rising Star. Her journey from Assistant Account Executive to Vice President of Client Services at MERGE is a story shaped by individual drive along with culture, mentorship, and opportunity.
To celebrate her recognition, Sam joined two fellow leaders— Jean May , Chief Client Experience Officer, and Molly Lane , Executive Vice President of Client Services—for an open conversation about what it truly takes to empower women at work.
Challenges remain, and so does the opportunity to change the story moving forward. This discussion explores how MERGE is doing just that by elevating leadership, sponsorship, and inclusion at every level.
Having Each Other’s Backs
Molly: I’ll start this conversation off with a hearty congratulations to Sam on such a well-deserved recognition. I’d also like to point out that Jean was honored as a Top 50 Women Chief Experience Officer of 2025 by Women We Admire . I’m pleased to be in the company of two great leaders and even better people.
It’s clear that MERGE is doing something right, and I’d love to dig into that with the two of you. Sam, the Life Sciences team was thrilled to submit you as our nominee for this award not only for the success and growth you’ve achieved but mostly because of your humility, curiosity, and willingness to tackle challenges with such grace. What does this award mean to you?
Samantha: Thank you, Molly. To me this award is more about the culture I’ve been a part of at MERGE. I’ve been here for 10 years, right out of college, and I’ve never felt anything but empowered and supported. I’ve had incredible leaders, both male and female, and I’ve been able to explore different ideas, try new things, and grow as a person and a professional.
Of the most documented challenges that women face in the workplace, one of them is underrepresentation in leadership. Women make up over half the workforce, but occupy only 42% of management roles across all industries. As they climb higher, that number decreases significantly with even fewer females holding executive positions.
That’s not the case at MERGE. Our CEO, Stephanie Trunzo , is a strong female leader and more than half of her direct reports, the senior leadership team, are also females. I’m a part of the Health division where the majority of leaders are women. My manager, Allison Benson , has been an incredible role model and mentor. She's been a huge advocate for my growth here at MERGE and helped me along my path.
Guided by Mentors, Backed by Sponsors
Molly: I also believe that it’s our responsibility as leaders to not only show you the path but provide mentorship on how to grow your career. MERGE has an established mentorship program that employees can sign up for on their first day. Mentorship can be a driving force for success, and I remember one of the speakers during the HBA Awards Ceremony mentioning this. She shared the importance of mentorship and supporting colleagues in their career growth, and she also talked about sponsorship. A sponsor is someone who will put themselves on the line for someone and advocate for that person to take on a new project or a new role.
According to Mckinsey, while 40% of men in senior roles sponsor junior colleagues, only 23% sponsor women. That gap matters, and we’ve worked hard at MERGE to make sure women have both mentors and sponsors.
Sam: Yes, I do have sponsors, incredible advocates. They’ve taught me how to advocate for the people on my team, too. Another one of those is the leader of MERGE’s Health division, Patrick McGloin . I was actually the second person he hired, and we’ve been on the same growing team ever since. I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in without him as a leader and a sponsor.
Pat: I’ve always felt our collective success is tied to diversity and have prioritized sponsoring female colleagues and team members. In raising daughters, I hope they receive the same support in their careers. Diversity, at the end of the day, means we have more ideas, different perspectives, and alternative ways to solve challenges. Health and life sciences are complex industries, and we need as much innovation as possible.
Bias, even unconscious bias, is still present. According to Pew Research, 42% of women say they’ve experienced gender discrimination at work, and many report being talked over or passed up for leadership roles.
MERGE provides training for employees to help us uncover and actively address these situations. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that provide a safe space for people to express what’s going on and to support each other. The ERGs also highlight special days, ceremonies, and celebrations that are important to their members. Having training and ERGs in place is a good step. We know it takes continuous learning and dedicated effort to advance equity.
Jean: Thank you for the drop-in, Pat, and for your commitment to making MERGE the best it can be. It’s wonderful to hear your perspective. I’d like to shift gears slightly to talk about another major challenge women face in the workplace: caregiving with work-life balance. Molly, as a working mother, you’ve experienced maternity leave and coming back from leave?
Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace
Molly: Yes, and multiple women on my team at MERGE have taken maternity leave, and I know we offer paid leave time and bonding time for parents. We also offer leave for birthing and non-birthing parents, which includes partners and adoptive parents, and leave for grandparents.
After having kids, caregiving becomes the next challenge for working moms, especially being able to balance this with career growth. Studies show burnout remains high, especially for women in leadership roles and women of color. Burnout is a major factor in women considering leaving or taking less demanding roles. Not surprising, this finding is highest for working mothers.
MERGE’s flexible hybrid model makes it easier to balance caregiving and career progression. Or in my case, to make it to all the baseball and soccer games my kids have. While MERGE hasn’t solved it all, we are listening and adapting. We see all aspects of work-life balance as a continued effort. This is for everyone in the workplace, not just women.
Jean: Yes, absolutely. What I would like us to continue to focus on is advancing equity for underrepresented groups.
Molly: Agreed. Progress is ongoing. Equity isn’t a destination—it’s a mindset and a commitment to keep evolving.
Samantha: And that’s what I appreciate most about MERGE. It’s not just the policies or the programs. It’s the people. We listen. We support each other, and we show what’s possible when everyone gets a seat at the table.
What Real Leadership Looks Like
As these leaders demonstrate, culture takes shape through everyday actions: when people advocate for one another, offer space to grow, and lead with intention.
At MERGE, leadership means creating an environment where others can learn, contribute, and succeed. This kind of inclusive approach strengthens both culture and performance. In fact, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the bottom quartile.
Empowering women in leadership leads to smarter strategy, stronger teams, and better outcomes for clients and consumers. Through mentorship, sponsorship, and equitable policies, organizations build a workplace where more women step into leadership and everyone has the opportunity to thrive.