What has Mandy Tao been up to since earning her economics degree in 2010? Founding an award-winning NGO, launching a successful diversity campaign, and climbing a mountain in support of Lean In, to name a few of her accomplishments.
While she was a student at Waterloo, she was activity involved on campus as an Arts Student Union leader and a volunteer for the International Students Office, and for the Centre for Career Action – earning her the President’s Circle Award for Volunteerism in 2008. It’s no surprise that Mandy continued to give back as she completed her Master’s degree in Switzerland. There, she co-founded the award-winning NGO, Education Togo Switzerland, to support education for sustainable development in West Africa. She worked at an orphanage in Guatemala, organized sold-out TEDx events, and supported childcare in Delhi, India.
Mandy now serves as Director of Strategy at Merck, working alongside the executive team on strategic initiatives. In 2017, she spearheaded global diversity and inclusion in an industry where women and minorities are under-represented. It was one of the most successful diversity campaigns, earning Mandy the “2017 Merck Recognition Award.”
Mandy was invited by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and Founder of LeanIn.org, to an exclusive event for carrying the Lean In flag to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. With the Lean In Frankfurt Circle, Mandy regularly organizes workshops, seminars, speaker series and networking events for their growing community to build purposeful and fulfilling careers.
Mandy Tao receives her award from the newly installed University of Waterloo chancellor Dominic Barton.
Q & A
What inspired you to take your career international?
Having studied at Waterloo and done co-op, I had really great connections in Canada, but I hadn’t had the chance to do an exchange semester abroad or spend the summer in Europe. We all have adventures and places we have wanted to go since we were little, and for me it was just a sense of curiosity to explore the world and see more. At that time I was thinking after two years abroad I would come back, that my international experience would continue to shape me into someone with a more international mindset. Then, through an interesting turn of events, I got a job opportunity there and the rest is history.
What motivated you to lead causes such as the NGO and Merck diversity campaign?
In 2011 I spent six months volunteering at an orphanage /women’s shelter in Guatemala. There I saw pregnant teenagers and young girls with babies who are products of sexual abuse. The kids playroom was more basic than I could have expected. There was no toilet paper in any of the bathrooms, and many of them weren’t in working order. There was no reliable electricity so in the evenings everyone was doing business by candle light. It’s in those third world countries like Guatemala where I really started to appreciate how blessed we are for what we have here in Canada: the infrastructure, the diversity, the education, the equality, the healthcare, and the tremendous opportunities, among others.
Immigrating to Canada at the age of 14 as a frail high school student, I am grateful for all the opportunities that I have been afforded. My five years at Waterloo were transformative and shaped me into a confident, strong and resilient individual. I wanted to give back and do my part to make the world a better place.
How has your involvement with Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In movement influenced your career?
I picked up a copy of the book Lean In shortly after I completed my Master’s degree and began to navigate the corporate world. I find many of the topics Sheryl addressed in her book highly relevant. Statistics show that women tend to hold themselves back in ways both big and small, for example, women tend not to negotiate salaries when we get job offers, and we are often reluctant to raise our hand when we don’t agree with something. I think the Lean In movement encourages women, especially those of us who are fresh in our careers, to step up and make our voices heard. Being a part of a peer support Circle and sharing experiences and stories are a wonderful way for women to support and inspire each other. I personally benefitted a lot from being in that group and have made lifelong friends.
Tell us about a favourite memory of Waterloo.
My favourite memory of Waterloo actually happened when I had a bad study term where my grades were not satisfactory. It was at the end of year one where I was still trying to adapt to university life – learning to be independent, sorting out priorities so I could stay involved in all the extracurricular activities that Waterloo has to offer while managing my time and workload.
Then I went to see our department advisor for some help. She said “don’t be too hard on yourself. One off semester shouldn’t define your future. If you’ve had a bad semester, make sure you keep a study schedule to stay on top of your classes going forward. If you can focus and put in the effort, you will do well.” She not only encouraged and motivated me to have a more positive mindset, but also pointed out some academic resources on campus that I could utilize. Looking back, a bad semester did not affect my chances of getting into a top master’s program but also taught me valuable lessons.
“My take-away is: let life zig-zag when it needs to, because in the end, it means that you can only grow.”
