The Women in Pharmacy Leadership (WIPL) Alumni Mentorship Program pairs recent alumni who identify as females with working or retired professionals in their field of interest, to help them move towards their leadership goals. In this series, Waterloo Pharmacy spotlights their experiences.
Carla Beaton and Jessica Leavitt (Rx2015) were one of seven mentor and mentee pairs who participated in the 2025-2026 alumni mentorship program.
After completing her BSc and PharmD, Jessica went on to complete her pharmacy residency at Kingston Health Sciences Centre with her research project implementing LEAN methodology in the IV antibiotic distribution. She spent the last couple years working with the clinical department in implementing LEAN leadership in clinical LTC pharmacy. Before joining the program, her goal was to learn from other women in pharmacy leaders to create a strategic plan for advancing her career to improve patient care.
Carla is currently the vice president of quality improvement and innovations at Think Research (TRC) Pharmapod, a patient safety software and global digital healthcare company. Her career spans over 30 years in health care within the private and public sectors, including community, post-acute and long-term care. This is her third-year as a mentor in the WIPL alumni mentorship program.
Throughout her mentorship sessions, Jessica discovered a new passion in pharmacy. “When you lean into your strengths and talents, the path to following your vision will come together,” she says. The pair worked on navigating career goals by building confidence and breaking down internal barriers.
Q&A with Jessica and Carla
UW: Why did you decide to join the program?
JL: Women often navigate multiple roles and responsibilities, balancing personal and family life, professional ambitions, and, in my case, life on the chicken farm my husband runs and where my family lives. I’ve always sought out a career that could grant me the flexibility to spend time with my family, and a pharmacy career allows for that. Over time, however, I realized I wanted more from my career, an opportunity to serve my community in a different way. Joining the WIPL alumni mentorship program gave me the chance to explore new ideas and gain insight from a mentor who had already faced and overcame the challenges of women in leadership.
UW: How has the program helped you personally or professionally?
JL: Growing up my mom was a stay-at-home parent, and I wanted all the benefits my mom had while giving back to my community and striking a balance between motherhood, family and a career in leadership. Discovering what my priorities were on my own had only gotten me so far. It was through Carla’s help that I was able to navigate my career aspirations that changed somewhere along the way while working as a licensed pharmacist. With her support I learned how to navigate and improve what I wanted my career as a leader to look like, shaping my overarching goals and ambitions that I was overlooking.
CB: Over the last three years as a mentor in this program I’ve polished my delivery and am more concise when supporting the mentees. Listening is the most important aspect but picking up on nuances comes with experience. It’s so rewarding to suggest different options the mentee may not have thought of and watching them discover their vision on their own.
UW: What are your recommendations for new female graduates entering the pharmacy field?
JL: Don’t be afraid to set the bar high to figure out where your passions are and to pursue them regardless of the uncertainty. Apply for programs of interest, I completed a residency program and mentorship programs. I gained so much from these even though they weren’t necessarily part of my original career plan. Remember that as pharmacists we are trained to be lifelong learners, you can learn anything you set your mind to.
CB: Over the last three years I have noticed the common element in the three unique women I have worked with in the program, is their insecurities, unique to each one but they all needed to overcome this personal challenge to evolve. Women in pharmacy leadership have the confidence inside themselves to move forward, however sometimes, they just need confirmation from someone they trust. Remember not to second guess yourself, find someone you look up to and bounce your ideas off them so you don’t talk yourself out the goal.