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Shaping careers and changing lives: stories of growth and development

Working at Sonova offers professional and personal growth at every stage of a career. In this installment, Lisa, Alvaro and Violey discuss the trajectories of their careers and share what they do to keep on growing.

“The greatest thrill is seeing others develop, grow and succeed.” 

Lisa Carroll

Lisa Carroll

Lisa Carroll

I began my career in sales and customer service in the financial world, driven by a desire to solve problems and help colleagues and customers. This led me to leading a team of 150 salespeople, where I focused on unity and customer satisfaction. My journey evolved as I entered corporate customer experience, shaping omni-channel strategies and driving continuous improvement. Drawn by Sonova’s global impact, I joined as head of customer experience and later became HR Director for Sonova UK. 

I believe customer experience mirrors employee experience which means an employee-centered culture is critical to the customer mission. Drawn to nurturing talent and enhancing culture, when the HR opportunity arose, I was eager to influence our diversity and inclusion agenda, change management, and talent mobility. I take joy in making a difference, notably when I chose to develop a customer service team member into HR, prioritizing growth over seasoned experience. The greatest thrill is seeing others develop, grow and succeed. My advice to colleagues is to embrace who they are, but be open-minded, have a growth mindset, look, listen and be inspired to learn, learn, learn.

“I bring people together, with all their differences, and make them work as a team.”

Alvaro Gracia Conejero

Alvaro Gracia Conejero

Alvaro

My career began as an Industrial Management Engineer, supervising production before managing the area with a focus on lean manufacturing. This experience in continuous improvement laid the foundation for my role at Sonova. In 2019, I joined the team in Alicante, Spain, and by the end of 2022, I moved to the US to join Advanced Bionics as a continuous improvement manager. 

I enjoy working with diverse teams, especially during Kaizen sessions, where I bring together people with varying perspectives to work as a team. This has shown me I’m in the right place, as colleagues appreciate my work and seek my advice. Looking ahead, I see myself growing my team and continuing my leadership journey with Sonova. My advice to colleagues is to follow your dreams, seek feedback, and be proactive – learning from mistakes is part of our growth.

“It’s fundamental to stay curious and keep learning.”

Violey Xie

Violey Xie

Violey

Since joining Sonova in 2013, I have extended my role from HR head for our hearing instrument business in China to include our cochlear implants business, Advanced Bionics China, and managed significant projects like the China SAP launch for our hearing instruments business.Since December 2022, I have been in the role of Senior Director HRM China as the corporate HR business partner for Sonova China’s organization. My journey at Sonova is marked by the trust and deep connections I’ve built, allowing me to advise on personal growth and work matters. 

I find happiness in meaningful work within a supportive environment that fosters daily improvement. Driven by my willingness to take risks, I tried a completely new and challenging role that was out of my functional expertise. It’s fundamental to stay curious and keep learning. My advice to colleagues is to continuously review and reflect on progress, preparing to seize new opportunities and ensure continuous growth.