“In my new role I am looking forward to see my team make an impact and help continuously modernize our processes going forward. I love the core of what we do at AbbVie and how it is so patient centered,” Jane says.
With a thirst of knowledge, and a melting pot of interests, passions, and hobbies, Jane Swift is definitely someone fun to talk to whether that be about history, the arts, or even Star Wars (she auditioned for Star Wars in high school – how cool!). After receiving her associate degree in fine arts and humanities, Jane attended Northern Illinois University where she received her bachelor’s degree in corporate communication. Jane decided to continue her education and is now in the process of receiving her master’s in information systems.
Due to her determination and vast skillset, AbbVie recently welcomed her home as a Business Analyst on the Supply Chain Execution Team under Amy Neurauter: “My end goal was to find a permanent home at AbbVie…and what made me want to stay was definitely the company culture. The leadership encourages employees to try new experiences and challenge ourselves. There is so much opportunity across AbbVie and I also like the idea of being with a global company because diversity of background and thought is super important to me,” Jane said.
She credits her recent boss, José Fidel Castañeda, for “believing in [her] every step of the way and giving [her] the tools to be successful in [her] career.” José himself gives a deeper dive into what her full-time role at AbbVie will look like: “Sounds like she will already be leveraging her Connected Plant experience as she will be supporting different Allergan integration and internal projects such as: utilizing machine learning to assess best shipping modes or carriers for certain shipments and eliminate human error from their manual process.” He notes that “Jane has done a great job in her short time supporting our group by creating requirements documents, helping to re-organize and update our communications, and making lots (lots and lots) of PowerPoint slides, and I am excited for her in the next stage of her career.”
Accepting a full-time position was a dream come true for Jane. Jane explained that her path was “not always linear” and that sometimes “it really takes a village” to get you where you need to be. Especially as a woman in her field, there were times where she doubted her abilities: “Growing up I didn't see many examples of success stories in my community, let alone examples of women in technology to look up to. As a first-generation college student, the notion of college was daunting, and I never even considered a career in STEM because I didn't think I was capable. It wasn't until I met (my soon to be Mother-In-Law) Margaret Schrader, an IT veteran, when I was in community college that I even considered pursuing a career in STEM. She inspired me and mentored me through every season of life since I chose this path and I can't thank her enough for supporting me in my journey,” Jane explained.
For Jane, AbbVie has helped her gain more confidence in herself. She mentioned that in college, the corporate world seemed daunting, but as she described it best, “We are all just people, even if we have different responsibilities.” Jane is excited to see what is in store for her future here at AbbVie and is grateful for her time at the AIC.
Learn more about Jane’s journey by watching her video interview and click here to read about more talented AIC students and alumni. For more information on the AbbVie Innovation Center email [said email].