PL M SA E Women in Innovation Uniting, recognising and celebrating women in intellectual property from around the world. 4 – WIPO (2017), PCT Yearly Review 2017: The International Patent System, WIPO, Geneva SA Women inventors were represented in high shares of PCT applications relating to biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, at 58.4% and 56.4% respectively. Introduction A word from POF’s Managing Partner Ross McFarlane. Important contributions made by women around the globe are driving change in the world of intellectual property. Intelligent, inventive and savvy female innovators are making a tangible difference to our everyday lives. While there has been significant progress made, there is still a lot more to be done. WIPO’s latest data shows that only 30.5% of the international patent applications filed included at least one female inventor. While it is encouraging that the number of PCT applications with at least one female inventor has nearly doubled since 2007, gender parity is yet to be achieved. Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick has created this booklet to bring together and celebrate the brilliance, creativeness, passion and courage of women who are powering change in intellectual property. We are proud to showcase women in intellectual property from around the world, highlighting their experiences, inspirations and motivations through a collection of short interviews. By sharing these stories, we hope to encourage and inspire the next generation of women. E More than ever before, women are leading the way to drive change to shape our common future. Increased gender diversity is improving our ability to support new and innovative ways of thinking, broadening our personal and collective horizons, developing effective solutions and improving shared outcomes. Ross McFarlane Managing Partner Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick The total number of PCT applications with women inventors almost tripled between 2002 (24,184) and 2016 (70,857). -WIPO (2017), PCT Yearly Review 2017: The International Patent System, WIPO, Geneva Women in Innovation 3 Helen McFadzean Rosalyn Newsome Barker Brettell, United Kingdom Trade Mark Attorney, Partner rosalyn.newsome@barkerbretell.co.uk What is the most important advice you have ever been given? When I got into rock climbing a few years ago, I became aware of a female climber named Hazel Findlay who has been called “the best female mountaineer in Britain”. At the age of 23, Hazel free climbed El Capitan – a cliff in Yosemite National Park by a route no other woman had ever free climbed before. During an interview for Reel Rock (an annual rock climbing film tour), Hazel discussed that whilst we (women) may not be as physically strong as men, there’s no reason why we can’t be just as mentally strong. I draw a lot of inspiration from this even outside of climbing. How have women helped shape the IP industry? Women play an integral role at Barker Brettell – indeed we have a 70% female partnership so we’ve been leading the field in this sense for many years. We recruit and promote the right people at the right time, based on skills and expertise, whether they are female, male, gender fluid or anything else. Good attorneys have of course shaped the IP industry - we can add enormous value by ensuring our clients’ IP assets are protected which can help their businesses to succeed. 4 Women inventors account for just 30.5 percent of all international applications filed under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty. -WIPO (2017), PCT Yearly Review 2017: The International Patent System, WIPO, Geneva What are your hopes for the IP industry as it progresses into the future? I would like to see the IP system help drive innovation in areas where innovation is needed the most - to help solve some of the big problems that we face today, like climate change and plastic pollution. Everyone knows the Spider Man quote – “with great power comes great responsibility”. We have the capability to drive change and reduce our impact on the environment, we therefore have a moral responsibility to take action and build a better future for the next generation. By providing a commercial incentive for businesses to innovate, I hope the IP industry will promote innovation in these key areas so that we can be part of the solution. Having a positive mind set and challenging our fears by pushing ourselves outside our comfort zone to reach for those things that may look impossible will help redefine the boundaries of what is possible. How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? Women need to believe in themselves – and believe in each other. Strong women empower other women and have the belief that each of us as individuals can make a difference. Within our own business networks and organisations, we must promote and support those with the required aptitude to flourish. “Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far- reaching effects.” - Dalai Lama. Of course, rock climbing is not the only area where a strong mind and quality of thinking is crucial to achieving the next goal. In our professional careers, our beliefs, focus, emotions and confidence can form the foundation from which we will either succeed or fail. SA POF – Electronics, Physics and IT Associate helen.mcfadzean@pof.com.au Anna Johnston CSIRO, Australia Team Leader, IP Operations (IP and Licensing) anna.johnston@csiro.au What has been the biggest challenge you have faced as a woman in the IP industry, and how did you overcome it? Interestingly, I’ve had more challenges as a scientist in the late 1990s than in my IP roles. I was not allowed to work part-time in research, so after my maternity leave I left the lab (times have since changed at that place!). I did meet with some poor behaviour from a male scientist who found it rather challenging to have a female boss. But overall, my biggest challenge in my whole career (not just being in IP) has been juggling my role as a wife, a mother and keeping an active career going. My recent work place has always been very supportive of work life balance, but my constant challenge, or battle with myself, is the sense that I have not reached my full potential, or I’ve not fought hard enough for leadership opportunities, because my children have taken priority. I like raising them, I like cooking them good food, I like helping them with their challenges and I like travelling abroad with my husband when work takes him away. I’ve got this sense that I’ve not been able to ‘do it all’ which is what my school principle, who was a stanch feminist, had told us girls at 17 years’ old - the work is your oyster. Well, it is if you have a husband at home or no children, or you like nannies. How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? Promote gender diversity in the workplace, and in particular, in leadership roles. Nominate worthy female candidates in committee roles rather than leave it to chance (women often don’t promote or back themselves enough). Provide mentorships (or shadowing) with male leaders to encourage self-confidence and raise awareness of that woman’s ability. E How can we best support the next generation of women patent & trade mark attorneys? Give them work opportunities that will help them grow and flourish. Challenge them all the time. Give generous parental leave to men so that women can return to the workforce when they want to, knowing that a parent is at home helping to raise the children. I haven’t got an answer for this impasse or dilemma women face. My husband’s career is fantastic, my children are on career paths that are amazing and I have a very rewarding career that could’ve been amazing and fantastic on top of rewarding, and maybe still will be…watch this space. What is most rewarding about being a woman in the IP industry? I think on average women are more engaging and sociable than men, and what I find most rewarding from that point of view, is creating working relationships with some great people, in social engagements, or building up a rapport with like-minded people. Women in Innovation 5 The Honourable. Dr Annabelle Bennett AO SC Kerry Fluhr What led you to choose intellectual property as your career path? I didn’t choose it - it found me. I had completed a PhD in Biochemistry (it would now be called Cell Biology) and Law. However, we were not then allowed to advertise at the Bar, so no one knew. After I had been at the Bar for a number of years, practising in equity and commercial law, a small article appeared on women at the Bar and a patent attorney saw it and rang me. The rest just followed. I will always be grateful to him. How have women helped shape the IP industry? I think that women have helped shape the IP industry in the main way women have helped other industries; by putting into the mix a diversity of approaches that are critical to help solve complex problems. In the IP industry particularly, I think that women have been instrumental in creating IP roles outside of the traditional firm role, which has led to IP knowledge being more widely disseminated into SMEs and universities. What has been the best piece of advice you have been given? The best piece of advice was from my father when I was trying to decide whether to go on the Bench: Make the decision and, when you make it, it is absolutely up to you to make it the right one. What is most rewarding about being a woman in the IP industry? I have always been an advocate for girls and women in STEM, and it pleases me that the IP industry provides another less-traditional career path for STEM enthusiasts. 5 Wentworth, Australia annabelle.bennett@5wentworth.com How can we best support the next generation of women patent & trade mark attorneys? Communicate to them that there are many other paths and models of success other than the law firm-partnership model. How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? Encourage them to dream big, and that they shouldn’t be afraid to “fake it ‘til you make it” once in a while; most leaders do that and I think that it is a key source of confidence. What was the most exciting innovation you got to play a role in protecting? At the time, it would have been rEPO. It was the first molecular biology case in Australia and cutting edge research, with a patent that was a textbook on the subject as it then stood. SA CSIRO, Australia Team Leader Kerry.Fluhr@csiro.au POF has been a sponsor of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)’s ‘Women in Chemistry’ group since 2013. 6 Alyssa Telfer Simone Tyndall POF – Electronics, Physics and IT Partner alyssa.telfer@pof.com.au CSIRO, Australia Patent and Trade Mark Attorney IP Manager simone.tyndall@csiro.au How much has the IP industry changed since you first joined? It has changed quite a bit – when I started almost 20 years ago there were a few big firms and the number of women (especially in leadership roles) was small. Now we have different types of company structures (sole practitioners, incorporated firms) and a greater number of women in the profession, but the number in leadership roles is still small. What led you to choose intellectual property as your career path? In my final year of engineering, I was fortunate to participate in an engineering competition which led to some publicity and interest from industry. I had always been interested in patents and several companies enquired about whether I had applied for one. At that time, I had no idea that the patent attorney profession existed. After some time working as a biomedical engineer in the hospital environment, I started looking for a new challenge and discovered an advertisement for a trainee patent attorney at POF. This role has changed considerably over the years and provided the technical, legal and commercial challenges I was looking for - and nearly 18 years in the industry later, I have not looked back. E How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? I don’t consider the challenges of attracting and retaining women in leadership to be specific to IP. However, there are some aspects of the IP profession that could make it more attractive to female leaders. The often autonomous nature of our work genuinely lends itself to flexible work practices both in time and location. However, as in most industries, female IP professionals remain the key family carer, such that part-time attorney positions are held almost exclusively by women. If more of our male counterparts felt empowered to seek better home-work balance by participating in the profession on a part time basis, perhaps this would open up more opportunities for women to advance into leadership roles. How have women helped shape the IP industry? I think over the last 20 years the increasing number of women in IP has helped to break the old mentality of ‘full-time or nothing’, and now there is some accommodation of flexible work hours (although there is still progress to be made). How can we best support the next generation of women patent & trade mark attorneys? I believe greatly in mentorship – it has helped me in my career and we (both men and women) should give back to the profession by doing this. How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? A change in culture – as there is really no reason why women cannot do these roles at some stage of their career. Women in Innovation 7 Crissa A. Seymour Cook Secerna LLP, United Kingdom Partner cwatkins@secerna.co.uk What led you to choose intellectual property as your career path? The prospect of working with incredibly brilliant, creative and passionate inventors, and the opportunity to learn about completely new and different technologies every day! What led you to choose intellectual property as your career path? Like many patent attorneys I imagine, I chose this career path because I loved learning about science but was also interested in working in the legal profession. This career provided me with the perfect opportunity to do both. I heard about the patent profession in a chance conversation with a family friend at the age of 19. Before then, I had no idea patent attorneys existed! How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? By supporting each other. Women don’t generally self-promote or seek recognition, which means it can often fall on others in the organization to bring their success to the attention of their peers and nominate them for positions of leadership. What has been the biggest challenge you have faced as a woman in the IP industry, and how did you overcome it? I co-founded Secerna LLP, a UK-based patent attorney firm in 2011. Stepping out of an established patent attorney partnership to start a brand new firm was the biggest challenge I have faced so far working in the IP industry. The development of a team of exceptional people to work with at Secerna LLP has been undeniably instrumental in overcoming this challenge, as was a personal commitment to continuously develop and maintain relationships with innovative companies that are great clients to work with. Together they have contributed enormously to the growth of a firm that is very exciting to be a part of. What has been the best piece of advice you have been given? Never be afraid to ask the stupid questions. I can’t count the number of times I’ve uncovered an important detail or feature of an invention we were seeking to patent by asking the inventor something that seemed like a ‘stupid’ question at the time. Charlotte Watkins SA Hovey Williams LLP, United States Partner cac@hoveywilliams.com Many respondents stated that to accelerate women in IP into leadership roles we need to promote women in the workplace, support each other and believe in ourselves. 8 POF – Chemistry & Life Sciences Partner debra.yinfoo@pof.com.au Dr Debra Yin Foo Hanna Dzieglewska How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? Mentors and good role models. Believe in gender equality and walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk. How much has the IP industry changed since you first joined? The IP industry was very different when I first joined in 1987 – the technological revolution had yet to happen and we were still using fax, telex and typewriters! There were no women in senior positions in my firm, although a significant number in the junior ranks of trainees, both in my firm and the UK profession more widely, so change was afoot. I was very proud to become the first female partner at Dehns, and am even more proud to note that out of 31 Dehns partners today, 12 (about 40%) are women. Although there is still work to be done, it is encouraging to see the progression since I first joined the industry. The increasing number of women in leadership roles will help to normalise the presence of females in the industry and inspire young women to consider a career in IP. Dehns, United Kingdom Partner hdzieglewska@dehns.com What do you love most about your role in IP? I love seeing and hearing about new ideas and talking about the potential that these ideas have for my clients. Plus, you meet some very interesting people that challenge you and inspire you. It’s an area of law that is not depressing compared to some areas of law, such as criminal law and family law. I also like the variety of subject matters ranging from complicated biotechnology and chemistry, to simple and innovative devices that at first glance appear obvious but are actually really clever. What do you believe are the greatest attributes of a successful leader? Inspiring others to follow is not a skill that everyone has. Understanding and knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and being able to empower and motivate others to follow is a great attribute of a good leader. Having empathy for others and engaging them is also important in developing a following for which a good leader can lead. There are many other attributes that successful leaders have, such as having great communication skills, being able to listen, having integrity, passion, and of course, they must lead by example. E For the second consecutive year, more than half of all PCT applications filed by the academic sector listed one or more women inventors. -WIPO (2017), PCT Yearly Review 2017: The International Patent System, WIPO, Geneva Women in Innovation 9 Charlotte Crowhurst Potter Clarkson, United Kingdom Partner charlotte.crowhurst@potterclarkson.com What is the most rewarding aspect of being a woman in IP? This isn’t specific to being a woman but my favourite thing about my job is that I am always learning – the science is always new and interesting and the law is always changing somewhere. What is the biggest challenge to all women pursuing a career in IP/innovation? Unconscious bias is something that affects all of us and can negatively affect the careers of everyone, particularly women and minorities. I think educating ourselves about our own biases and trying to address systemic problems that reinforce these biases will be an excellent way forward. -WIPO (2017), PCT Yearly Review 2017: The International Patent System, WIPO, Geneva How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? We can help by providing mentorship, sponsorship, training and networking opportunities. Equal paternity leave is something I would love to see. What are your hopes for the IP industry as it progresses into the future? I hope that we continue to become more inclusive and equitable. Diversity of ideas will make the industry stronger. It has taken more than 36 years to get to 36% participation of women delegates at the WIPO Assemblies. Following this trend, it will take us until 2035 to reach parity. 10 What has been the biggest challenge you have faced as a woman in the IP industry, and how did you overcome it? The biggest challenge is getting your first job in IP. In the UK, most patent and trademark attorney firms do not advertise training positions, but are inundated with CVs. To get that first job you need to be very persistent, regardless of whether you are male or female. SA What was the most exciting innovation you got to play a role in protecting? As a chemist, I tend to see inventions a long time before they reach market and I rarely know whether a patent I have work on actually protects a product that is marketed. So it is unusual to see a product that is being used or sold and say “I helped protect that”. However, I work with a small antimicrobials company that develops hand sanitisers and surface cleaning products, and when they licensed one of their hand sanitising products to a retail pharmacy chain and the product was available to buy on the high street, that was quite exciting. All my friends and relatives with small children when the product was first launched got a bottle of my client’s product for Christmas. I have used many bottles of the product in the subsequent years to keep my own children’s hands clean and germ free. Perhaps not the most eye-catching of inventions, but certainly very useful. Annabella Newton POF – Chemistry & Life Sciences Associate annabella.newton@pof.com.au What is life without a dream? What has been the biggest challenge you have faced as a woman in the IP industry, and how did you overcome it? There is a perception that after having children, women are less committed to their careers. While that might be true for some, women I work with, and have worked with, have managed both family and careers exceptionally. My mother was a working mum and I was determined to be the same. Those who do it well know what hard work is and you wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t a rewarding experience. How have women helped shape the IP industry? It’s not so much about being a woman or a man. I think the industry has been shaped by people who have good grey matter. After all, just like good inventions, you need to think outside the box in developing an IP industry. Women have played a big part in this process in encouraging other women to get involved. E I was born in Sri Lanka and had to undertake my tertiary education overseas due to the closure of universities in Sri Lanka at the time. While the thought of separating from family was difficult, the prospect of becoming an educated, independent woman was a key driver and an opportunity not to be missed. Having an education is a luxury for most people, having a career that you like is a blessing. I have been blessed and I’m very grateful. CSIRO, Australia Patent and Trade Mark Attorney IP Manager hishani.prabaharan@csiro.au Hishani Prabaharan How can we best support the next generation of women patent & trade mark attorneys? I have had the privilege of sharing my own story with other women and providing them with the support they need during challenging times. We need opportunities and forums to do more of this. There are a number of people who have inspired me on my journey. Among them are three women - my mother (Phyllis Fernando), my PhD supervisor (Prof. Margaret Brimble) and the CEO of the first biotech firm I worked in (Dr Elane Zelcer). Each of them have played an invaluable part in my life and I’m forever grateful. How can we accelerate women in IP into leadership roles? Give women opportunities to shadow and learn from senior leaders in organisations. We can also challenge and encourage women in career development. Many respondents believe the best way to support the next generation of women patent and trade mark attorneys is through mentorship and providing them with opportunities to flourish. Women in Innovation 11