San Francisco by Night
Emily Delvore
Emily Delvore is vice president of marketing and sales at Syva
Company, the medical diagnostics subsidiary of Syntex. Syva is a world leader in
developing and marketing diagnostic tests and instrument systems to detect drugs of abuse,
to monitor therapeutic drugs, and to diagnose infectious disease. The division has almost
1,200 employees.
Delvore is responsible for marketing, sales, and service for Syva's U. S., Canadian, and
OEM business totaling $150 million in sales, 320 people, and $40 million in budget
responsibility. She reports to the company president and holds a high-visibility position.
She knows she is in the area most important to the company and that what she and her group
do is on the lips of all the senior managers.
How did she get there? By stretching herself and taking risks. She started out as a
secondary schoolteacher in chemistry and math, then went back to business school at
Stanford. She accepted a job at Syntex in corporate planning. Then she took a risk and
dove into a startup division in a new product area (contact lenses) in Phoenix, a
geographic location she did not prefer. This bold move enabled her to rise quickly from
entry level to the vice president of a $50-million business.
Next she left for Syva in the Bay Area another risk, another new industry, and another new
area for her sales and marketing. She said, "Be alert for opportunities. She who
hesitates is lost."
She finds her current position the most fascinating and the most risky out of sales and
into research. It is a new challenge never done before by her or by the company. During
the past year, Delvore has led her organization in the launch of two new product lines and
will introduce two new instrument and reagent systems in the next year. She has
particularly enjoyed building organizations and bringing together teams that have
excelled.
Her advice to other women who want to advance in their careers is to "work hard, keep
your head up, and find a mentor who will give you plenty of feedback and wisdom. Don't
underestimate your abilities. Always broaden your horizons. There is more out there to do
and learn."
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