Marking International Women’s Day, Justyna van der Kolk, Supply Planning Transformation Lead at Galderma, reflects on the defining moments that have shaped her path in the industry. She speaks about the challenges that strengthened her leadership approach, the lessons gained through taking risks, and her drive to lead meaningful transformation in supply planning. Justyna also emphasises the importance of encouraging more women to pursue careers in life sciences supply chains and the role inclusive workplaces play in building a stronger, more innovative sector.

Can you tell us about your career journey so far? What first drew you to the supply chain and life sciences industry, and how did you progress to your current role?

I started working as a Supply Chain trainee in a very small office in Poland, at a time when Supply Chain was still a very underestimated domain. And on day one, I made a rookie mistake I was warned not to make. So pure success. I recall people wondering why, after studying Economics, I did not become an investment banker but instead chose supply chain. I am sure that for most of us it was similar - we simply fell in love with this captivating field. And at the end of the chain, there is a consumer who puts their trust in our product being there on time.

I had a chance to organically grow my career and naturally move from one role to another, building on what I had learned in a previous roles. In my case, changing companies opened my horizons and also provided new opportunities.

Looking back, were there any defining moments, challenges, or opportunities that had a significant impact on your career path or leadership style?

I recall when I got a role which was definitely too big for me at that time. I did not have all the data needed to deliver the budget model I was building. I had to learn to deal with assumptions and uncertainty. At stake was the logistics budget for the region. I think everyone goes through a stage like this, embracing the unknown. The more experience you gain, the more you realise that 51% certainty is what you need to move forward. My budget was 99% aligned with actuals. This was very important in gaining trust in my decisions and intuition.

My leadership style was developed by two factors: The first one was a personal desire to reinvent myself. Daily practice of meditation became a non-negotiable. Such work enabled greater clarity under pressure, regulation of emotions in the moments of stress, zooming out and zooming in for faster decision making. It is a direct door to neuroplasticity. The second one was that, during my career I reported to an amazing leader who was caring, protective, and developmental. Having a role model is such a blessing. He always told me, “Treat your direct reports as your peers”, and in my experience, this was very good advice. It is important that team members feel like equal contributors, even if you are the final decision maker.

As a leader, how do you foster a positive and inclusive work culture within your teams?

You cannot build a high-performing team if values are misaligned. If capabilities are there, and values are aligned (e.g. ownership, high standards, adaptability, integrity, etc.) it is important to create an environment where members like each other. When small talk can become big talk, people start trusting each other and protect the team. It is up to the leader to moderate it and ensure psychological safety so that conflict can happen in a respectful way to enable growth. My team is constantly challenging me, and I challenge them. We are not afraid to disagree as often there is not just one right answer. Disagreeing does not mean not understanding why a certain decision has been taken.

In regard to inspiring women to step into the wonderful world of Supply Chain/Logistics, why is this important to you personally, and how is this a regular part of your day-to-day role at Galderma?

I do not think we need to encourage women to step into Supply Chain, we need to encourage women to step into high positions and create a culture and organisation which will support them. Women tend to score higher on imposter scales, which simply means they need a different type of support to grow. It is known that women need more encouragement, and they might sound less confident, which does not mean they are. They tend to be more careful when they evaluate or communicate. On the other hand, understanding these natural preferences is super powerful because this gives us, women, a chance to work on the perception we create without losing our feminine side.

From your perspective, how is work culture changing across supply chain and logistics, and what progress are you most encouraged by, especially for women in the industry?

I am very happy that for several years there has been greater awareness that diverse teams make better decisions, challenge assumptions more effectively, and navigate complexity with greater resilience. It is well documented that top-quartile diverse companies outperform the competition – I think this speaks for itself. Having role models such as Leena Nair, CEO of Chanel, who openly speaks about compassionate leadership, is very close to my heart. But let’s be careful, I would not like that in the attempt to prove that female leaders are great, we put ourselves against men. Empathetic, compassionate leadership does not exclude decisiveness and is not reserved for women only. We have so many outstanding male leaders representing beautiful values and standing up for equality.

For women who are earlier in their careers or aspiring to leadership roles in supply chain, what advice would you share based on your own experience?

Keep investing in your knowledge and skills, keep developing your communication and work on your personality.
Do not be afraid of change, trust yourself.
Never stop investing in yourself and seek discomfort.

LogiPharma are thrilled to announce that Justyna will be speaking at the 2026 conference - register today to hear her insights.