Nominee Stories

Monica Pianella
Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs at Boyds'

Horizon Award finalist  2024 (now Rising Stars)

Monica Pianella is Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs at Boyds, and finalist in the ‘Horizon’ award category at the 2024 TOPRA Awards for Regulatory Excellence, an award that recognises outstanding ability in individuals with fewer than five years’ experience in regulatory affairs. In this interview, Monica discusses what has inspired her and the skills needed when starting out in a regulatory affairs career.

Q: How did you feel when you were nominated?

I was so pleased! It came as such a surprise and was confirmation that I am making a valuable contribution to the clients I work with. I felt truly honoured to be shortlisted alongside the other finalists. It was certainly a highlight of my year.

Q: What does this recognition mean to you, both personally and professionally?

Having my abilities recognised has given me more self-esteem and confidence in what I can do. It has confirmed that my thought process and how I tackle challenges is sound, and  it’s helped me build the right foundation to grow further in my current role.

Q: Tell us a bit about your ‘Horizon’ nomination. Do you think there was one thing in particular that led to your nomination?

I think that what stood out has been my perseverance, and the professionalism that I maintained throughout the duration of one of my projects. There have been several strategy changes throughout the project, and the way I tackled them to ensure that stakeholder consensus was reached with limited impact on timelines was what contributed to my nomination.

Q: What would you say to encourage people to nominate their friends and colleagues for the awards?

While recognition certainly has a positive effect on the nominee, it also has a ripple effect on the people surrounding that person. Celebrating each other's work makes the team even stronger. And of course, it makes the nominee feel valued and it's such a stimulus to continuing the great work and performing even better in the future.