Team Spotlight: Lynda Parker

You’ve passed them in the halls, seen their faces on Teams calls, and exchanged e-mails. You know their job title and department and might even know their extension by heart. But do you truly know who you are working with? Get to know our Executive Vice President of Tandym Life Sciences, Lynda Parker!

Who are you?

I grew up all over the country. Have you ever heard of a military brat? Well, I was a “Ford” brat. My father traveled all over the country for work. From New Jersey to California and Michigan to Minnesota, I moved about 10 to 12 times before I was in high school. It’s the main reason that I’m a natural extrovert: I was always the new kid at school and had to reinvent myself regularly. But if I had to call any place home, it’d be Michigan. It’s where I lived the longest, and where most of my extended family still resides.

Because of all the traveling growing up, for college, I decided to attend Lynchburg College (now Lynchburg University) for its smaller and more intimate environment. It was great for me at the time, but now that my youngest of 3 children goes to Indiana, I kind of regret not going to a bigger school. I do make it out there to attend the big basketball games with him. It keeps me young and fun.

Now it’s just me and my adopted dog, Lucy, who my daughter was fostering back in Pittsburgh but pressured me into adopting. This was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made – besides my kids of course!

If you could speak two other languages fluently, what languages would you want to speak and why?

Great question! I know a little French, so I would love to master that. And the second would probably be Italian. I think they’re both beautiful languages and I’ve always dreamed of taking some time to live in one of those countries. They’re wonderful places with beautiful food and people.

Who were your role models / inspirations growing up?

I didn’t have any well-known or notable people I tried to emulate growing up, but I’ve met so many people who have inspired and helped me throughout my career. My role models were more my parents than anyone else and for different reasons. My dad’s work ethic was something I was in awe of. He was such a hardworking man and did everything for his family. My mom was also such a force, especially because we moved around a lot. It was important to her to be the steady rock at home for us. She supported every activity growing up and attended every event. We lived in so many places and met so many new faces regularly that having her consistency at home or with us or at our games was the stability we needed.

If you won the lottery, what would NOT change?

Well, that’s a curveball of a question! I’d like to say I’d still work, but… [insert strong laughter]. I would obviously still love my kids and my dog more than anything in the world. I guess I would say my character would not change at all. Maybe I might move sooner than I ever planned or something along those lines, but I think fundamentally the person I am and the people who I love wouldn’t change.

What is your hidden talent?

I feed off positive vibes and energy and love to talk and get to know people, so maybe networking would be my hidden talent. I mean, I’m in the right field for it. I guess it’s not that hidden then. Oh, wait! When I was a young girl, I was an award-winning flute player. That counts, right? I used to compete and perform all the time when I was younger. I’m not sure if I’m still good at it though.

You’re throwing a dinner party. What is your specialty dish that you plan on serving to your guests?

I’m honestly more of a baker than a cook. I used to love cooking all the time, but I think it’s just because I liked the wine that came along with it! Honestly, I’d probably just hire a cook to cater and then enjoy the party around it. It’s more about getting people around the table than what’s on the table. But if I had to pick my favorite dish to serve, it would be anything Italian.

How did you get into the Life Sciences industry?

A million years ago, somebody told me to get into Pharma for all the career opportunities it could offer. I had no industry experience but had a sales background. Someone finally gave me a shot. His name was Larry Levin and he took me under his wing and showed me so much. He taught me how to be a leader, a manager, and eventually a business partner. That was about 30 years ago. I started as a Pharma rep and have held many different roles since!

You’ve been chosen to produce and direct your own movie. What’s the name of it, genre, and who’s starring?

Okay this is tough. I love movies and all different types of genres, ranging from The Shawshank Redemption to Love Actually. I guess it would have to be something funny and romantic if I’m creating it. Jennifer Aniston would definitely star in it. She’s just so funny and versatile, I love anything she’s in. I don’t know about a title though. Let’s go with “Shawshank Actually,” a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston!

(Two days after our talk sent via e-mail by Lynda)

Hi! I realized I forgot a male lead for my movie. Bradley Cooper, please! : )

Did you find Tandym or did we find you?

You found me! To be honest, I was not looking to make a move at all. I was the Chief Commercial Officer at a clinical company that was doing some really interesting, innovative things. One day, I got a call from someone who thought I might have interest in what Tandym was doing. I actually knew one of the board members, so I began doing my due diligence. I heard that it’s a great place to be and that the Life Sciences vertical had a great foundation and a lot of potential for growth. I managed to talk to the leadership team, and they helped me understand the value I would bring to the company. I’m new to the staffing industry, but I’ve worked in Life Sciences for a long time and know how to build and scale to properly accommodate all the needs of our partners. And I’m happy to be here!

What are your goals for the Life Sciences vertical for 2023 & beyond?

In short, the long-term goal is to support all of our Pharma/Life Sciences partners with strategic solutions across all phases of drug development. Along the way, we’re building a positive, collaborative culture of individuals who want to work together. We’ve got the right foundation and we’re ready to expand by creating and building more growth opportunities within our organization for our team while expanding our reach across the industry.

If you could go back and uninvent something, what invention would you erase from history?

This might be controversial and a bit of a double-edged sword, but probably social media. I love it and I hate it. It’s great to see people and send / receive info so quickly, but everyone’s noses are always in their phone. You know what? Let’s take it a step further: cell phones. There were no cell phones when I started my career. I was actually one of the first people walking around with that huge boxy cellular phone. I sometimes wonder if we didn’t have that, how would we have continued to advance communication amongst us. I don’t know if it’d be better or worse, but I do wonder what the world would be like.