“I strive to connect on a personal level”: how Chartered Manager and software engineer Suzy supports her team

“Every day, I want to be a better version of myself,” says Suzy Masri CMgr MCMI. “I’m always looking to progress in my career and I hope to inspire my team to do the same. I want to show that women can succeed in leadership roles and that they, too, can reach even higher levels. I don’t see myself as a role model, but I do my best to lead by example.”

Suzy is director, principal engineer of web and mobile production engineering, at pharmaceutical and biotechnology giant Pfizer, based at its Digital and Global Hub in Thessaloniki, Greece. Originally from Jordan, she’s been with Pfizer for around seven years.

“I love new challenges”

“For me, software engineering started as a hobby.” she says. “My first job in web development, back in 2008, was as a web translator, but I only had it for one day. They gave me some HTML pages to translate and I did it in two hours and loved it. On the second day, they changed my job function to web developer. It was a new challenge and I love new challenges. That was what led me to being here today.”

• Read more: what Chartered status means to our community

Suzy was studying for a master’s degree and, as part of it, was awarded a Level 7 Diploma in Business Management.

“When I achieved CMgr status [in March 2021], I was really excited to be acknowledged as a Chartered Manager,” she says, “because CMI is a really prestigious organisation.”

She adds: “The course gave me a new perspective on leadership, particularly in terms of ethics, inclusivity and wellbeing. For instance, during a recent project where we faced tight deadlines and high pressure, I made sure to communicate openly about challenges and the rationale behind certain decisions, ensuring everyone felt involved and understood the bigger picture.” 

It’s helped with her management style, too. 

“I am about compassion, integrity and I’m committed to professional growth and wellbeing for me and my team. By fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, I ensure my team is not only productive, but also happy and motivated. These principles, reinforced by the Chartered Manager process, guide my daily interactions and long-term strategies, driving both individual and collective success.”

All ideas are good. It doesn’t matter if you have experience or are new into the business. Some of the best ideas are from new, young people.

Completing the course has also assisted her when it comes to hiring talent. 

• Read more: “I wanted to take my career to another level,” says Chartered Manager Dervan

“When I interview people, I look for technical expertise, of course, but I’m also looking for attitude and character. That’s critical. I want to find out how they will handle pressure, what they might do if something goes wrong. So I ask them. Of course, the ideal answer is to step back, think over the issue, coordinate, collaborate with other team members and go through the right process. This is the mindset I’m looking for. At the end of the day, things always go wrong and they are always resolved.”