STERIS’ Post

For 100 years, Toastmasters has helped build confidence and teach public speaking skills through a network of in-person and virtual meetings among regional clubs across the globe. Members are empowered to meet both personal and professional communication goals that include building self-confidence and leadership skills, learning how to maximize one’s potential, and improving listening skills. Today, there are over 250,000 members in 148 countries. Some of those members are STERIS Associates like Roger. Roger joined Toastmasters in 2017 and viewed the group as an opportunity to practice and fine-tune his communication skills. Joining STERIS full time in 2022 in Product Regulatory Cybersecurity, Roger is still a member through the STERIS Toastmasters club, which was chartered in 2007. “I attend now because there’s so much to learn in cybersecurity, and STERIS Toastmasters has helped me learn in a way that lets me explain it clearly. The group is honest and respectful, even if I don’t understand something the first time around,” he shared. Roger recently participated in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest and came in second place at the district level. Each year, thousands of Toastmasters all over the world compete for the prestigious title of World Champion of Public Speaking. Entering this contest requires wins at club, area and division competitions. This is only the second time a STERIS Toastmasters Associate has accomplished this. Covering most of Northeast Ohio, this contest is a big deal! Roger uses the skills he has learned during his membership with Toastmasters to mentor and inspire others to become more confident speakers and leaders. Roger said he chose ‘stop setting goals’ as his message to the world. “It’s an important reminder that the goal isn’t the most important aspect in life. If we become too focused on the goal, we might miss some beautiful moments in life.” Below, Roger shares more about focusing on the journey rather than the goal.

June 23 is International Women in Engineering Day – a day to recognize the contributions and achievements of women in the engineering field and to focus attention on the career opportunities available to girls in this industry. STERIS supports this through a variety of ways, including our Employee Resource Group, Women in STEM. The group focuses on empowering and elevating women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields at STERIS to reach their potential. This year, we asked some women who are members of Women in STEM and hold roles in engineering at STERIS to share what motivated them to enter this field and the advice they have for girls who are interested in pursuing a career in engineering one day. Read what they shared below. #InternationalWomenInEngineeringDay #WomenEngineers #INWED2024 #WeAreSTERIS

Maggie, who has been with STERIS since 2022, recently shared how one seemingly uneventful drive back to her college campus forever changed her life and ignited her professional passions. “In 2004, when I was a senior in college, I was in a near fatal car accident. I tore my femoral artery and have received 60 units of blood since it happened. My car accident and subsequent complications have resulted in 49 surgeries to date, multiple serious infections, including a bone infection, MRSA and other staph infections, and a below the knee amputation in 2019,” she said. About a year after the accident, Maggie began volunteering at a local blood center in her community and used her story to help amplify the importance of blood donations. “It’s a life-saving intervention that can only be given freely by a volunteer. You’re giving people time they wouldn’t otherwise have. How amazing is that?” Maggie says the infection prevention field was a natural transition for her career path. “It’s something I can speak to directly, knowing the impact it can have on your life.” Today, Maggie is able to run, walk, work, ski – anything – and says she doesn’t have severe pain in that leg anymore. She still uses her story as a way to educate others, sharing it with Sterile Processing Department and Gastrointestinal reprocessing teams she works with in her role at STERIS. “We all have healthcare stories – some good, and some (really) bad. We’re in a unique position at STERIS to educate and offer products that help our Customers prevent life-pausing and life-threatening infections. I am not shy about my story because I know others can learn from it. I get to have a direct impact on patient outcomes by ensuring my Customers are educated on reprocessing surgical instruments.” Below, Maggie shares how a positive outlook can get you through just about anything.

World Environment Day has been held annually since 1973 and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. STERIS Associates around the globe are committed to doing their part to protect our planet and environment not just on World Environment Day, but every day. Some recent examples: teams have participated in activities including building and donating benches with recycled materials, litter cleanups, plant swaps, reforestation projects, garden harvests, converting landscaping to be drought-resistant, and bee population preservation. We believe every initiative counts, no matter how big or small. Collectively, we can make a difference and preserve our environment for generations to come. Watch below to see our Associates in action. #WorldEnvironmentDay #STERISSustainability #WeAreSTERIS

Pride Month is a time to uplift, celebrate and support the LGBTQ community. It honors the identity, rights and inclusion of all people, no matter their background. At STERIS, we believe in a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we foster and support that belief through Employee Resource and Affinity Groups which are designed to create an open forum for Associates who share similar passions to meet and support one another in building a unifying sense of belonging. STERIS Pride is one of those groups. Below, members and allies in STERIS Pride share their pledge to celebrate the LGBTQ community this Pride Month. #PrideMonth #WeAreSTERIS

Meet Karen, a senior director of clinical and Customer education in our Infection Prevention Technologies (IPT) Marketing business unit. Holding various roles throughout her nine years at STERIS, her passion has always been rooted in nursing and being able to provide quality care to patients. “In my role at STERIS, providing support and education for our Customers helps them to ensure they are doing all they can to provide great care for their patients,” she shared. Karen says her favorite part of working at STERIS is the opportunity to be part of a talented and amazing team. “I have met and worked with so many great individuals during my time here that truly feel like family.” She says teamwork and collaboration are vital in creating a successful program for education, and that her team is a well-oiled machine that ‘makes it all happen.’ In her free time, Karen enjoys reading – an activity that carries over into her work quite regularly. “I enjoy reading articles, standards and guidelines, and learning about new perspectives. This all motivates me to make sure we do our best to have the right information to educate our Customers.” Read more from Karen below