International Women's Day High Tea Social

Tayllit attended UW as an international student and graduated in 2005. She joined the pharmaceutical and biotech industry right after graduating and has worked across different therapeutic areas (respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, pain, osteoporosis and oncology) and geographies (Europe, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, China and Japan). In 2013, Tayllit obtained her executive MBA from École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. Tayllit is the Associate VP and Head of the Oncology Business for Eli Lilly Company’s International Business Unit (worldwide markets ex-US/Canada), based out of Geneva, Switzerland. She lives with her family right across the border in France and is currently enjoying time off work focusing on her first maternity leave.

"Breaking the bias starts with our own actions: we need to be conscious of our own biases, become aware/learn to recognize our individual unconscious biases and lead by example. Although we cannot change the behaviour of others, we should not stand back and be afraid to speak up/pushback when we recognize deliberate or even unconscious biases."

In her current role, Elizabeth leads a team of scientists, engineers, planners and technicians with the singular goal of simple and outcome-based regulatory protection for drinking water, water resources, aquatic habitats and coastal areas. Always with a mind to climate change adaptation and mitigation, Elizabeth is passionate about empowering distributed leadership, innovation through experimentation, indigenous knowledge, and behavioural science to tackle the complex problems of water management. Elizabeth spent 15 years as a consulting hydrogeologist, most recently leading the Biophysical and Ecological Sciences team for Stantec, NS. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has invested significantly in coaching, mentorship and development of her teams, new graduates and new Canadians, particularly those seeking equity. Her work has included teaching in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at Dalhousie University, Chair of the Government of Nova Scotia’s Diversity Round Table (2016-present), and allyship with accessibility and pride networks. Elizabeth is a Professional Geoscientist with degrees from McMaster and Waterloo, who spends her free time creatively and actively with her partner, two sons, and ‘Digby’ the dog, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"For me, #BreakTheBias is about breaking my own bias – it's about building the confidence to bring my whole and best self to a workplace, a sports field, a dance floor, or a professional event without the burden of constant awareness that I am a woman in those venues."