Women in Pharma: Building from the ground up together

Our monthly Women in Pharma series highlights the influential lives and works of impactful women working across the pharmaceutical industry, and how the industry can work towards making the healthcare industry and workplace more equitable and inclusive.

1. Can you please give an overview of yourself and your role at Aconitum?

Dr Rima Balanaškienė: I started the company together with three like-minded pharmacists, bringing my own background as a medical doctor. The founders consisted of three men and me, the only woman. We shared a common passion and ambition – to create high-quality herbal medicines made in Lithuania. We established the company in 1999, and the synergy between my roles in television and business helped drive the development of Aconitum. Today, we export to over 80 countries, continuing to experience sustainable and stable growth. I am now the sole owner of the company, which has transformed into a female-led family business with my daughter and goddaughter joining the team 14 years ago.

2. What is the story behind your family business working in the pharmaceutical industry?

Dr Rima Balanaškienė: I’m a medical doctor who came from a family with no background in the pharmaceutical or medical fields – my parents were farmers. Growing up connected to the land gave me a deep appreciation for nature, and that connection still influences the values of my company today.

By profession, I’m an ophthalmologist, but I only practiced for a short time before an unexpected opportunity changed the course of my life – I was invited to host a television show about health. That experience reshaped my career. For 30 years, I was the presenter, host, and creator of the most popular national health programme. It was there that my passion for educating, inspiring curiosity, and explaining health and medicine truly came alive.

As the show grew, we began discussing herbal products at a time when herbal medicine was seen as outdated, something only grandmothers used, and not considered effective. During the Soviet era, Lithuania faced a significant shortage of medicine. When the country opened up and imports resumed, a flood of pharmaceutical products came in, and people saw them as the answer to everything. However, we saw that herbal medicines play a very important role and synthetic medicines will not be the answer for every situation.

L-R: Akvilė Viliute, Dr Rima Balanaškienė, Vytautė Balanaškaitė-Šatė

Even though I didn’t come from a pharmaceutical or medical family, I never doubted my ability to enter the field. I saw a clear path – from starting a production and manufacturing company to navigating the complex logistics of GMP manufacturing – and I knew this was the right direction.

Personally, I had no idea how complex the manufacturing industry could be. Only 0.5% of women lead and own pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. However, I have learned that in life you can’t wait for someone to give you a push or offer support – you have to be your own support system and do what needs to be done.

Vytautė Balanaškaitė-Šatė: I joined the family business 14 years ago, graduating business studies and medicine development studies, and it was a natural progression as both my parents are doctors. It was easy to align with the company's philosophy and develop products that help everyone achieve their best possible selves because I was raised with this spirit from childhood. Now I am in an active role as Chief Operations Officer, where I operate across every department.

Akvile Viliute:  I joined the company 8 years ago while still studying at university. Since I am only a few years older than the company itself, I truly grew up with it. I always heard about Aconitum and how everything was progressing, so the company has been in my heart since childhood. Even as a little girl, I knew this was my place. Now, I am responsible for the Innovation and Procurement Department, and I oversee the Quality Department, which I am very happy about.

3. How have you felt supported in your career in the pharmaceutical services sector? Does it help working in a family business?

Dr Rima Balanaškienė: There’s a saying I like to share: if a door is meant for you, you only need to push it a little for it to open. If it doesn’t open, it wasn’t your door. I see this apply time and again – in business, in relationships – if it’s meant to work, it will.

Looking back, the two paths I took in life might seem incompatible. On one hand, I was building a pharmaceutical manufacturing company from the ground up. On the other, I was fully immersed in a creative role on a television show. It felt like two completely different worlds happening at the same time. But that contrast actually saved me from burning out. The variety of experiences, and especially the diversity of people I was surrounded by, helped keep things in balance. Through that journey, I met incredible scientists and engineers – people I could learn from and collaborate with to help bring my vision to life.

As a woman in business, I’ve learned never to try and emulate a man. I believe I should be fully myself, fully a woman, in any role I take on. I remember attending industry association meetings, surrounded by businesspeople – mostly men – dressed in suits and jackets. That uniform didn’t feel like me. I would walk in wearing bright, flowery dresses and my fiery hair, making it very clear; a woman has entered the room. I didn’t want to blend in – I wanted to show up as myself.

Working together with my family gives me a profound sense of unity, understanding, and support. It brings me real satisfaction and fulfilment.

4. What regulatory challenges has Aconitum faced working with both pharmaceutical ingredients and herbal/nutraceutical ingredients?

Dr Rima Balanaškienė: We have had good collaboration with all institutions and agencies, however exporting herbal medicines and nutraceuticals outside of Europe for us is an unharmonised process with different regulations. Every country will have its own interpretation on the regulation of herbals, vitamins, and minerals, their storage, and their dosage. For example, our epigenetic immunobooster has a formulation that we know works but we still need to adapt and be flexible when adjusting for export to other markets. This challenge of adapting to regulations, especially outside of Europe, is something we are continuously managing. As manufacturers ourselves, this is a competitive advantage we have – our adaptability and ability to adjust compositions of our products.

5. How do you and by extension Aconitum encourage and support the progression of careers in pharma for women?

Dr Rima Balanaškienė: We’re based in Kaunas, home to one of the oldest universities for health sciences. We have a close relationship with the university – collaborating with doctors, pharmacists, and students – and I also give lectures there for pharmaceutical and medical students. In addition, we work with the Endobiogenics Association, giving lectures to doctors who are pursuing an endobiogenic approach and helping them deepen their understanding of medicinal plants.

One of our biggest goals is to support, mentor, and grow professionals in the industry – helping them bridge the gap between academic knowledge and the real-world challenges and passions that come with working in this field. Through these efforts, we’ve also been able to meet, attract, and retain some truly brilliant people.

In our company, we’re proud to have team members who’ve been with us since the very beginning, alongside new colleagues who are continuously learning from those with more experience. There’s a beautiful balance here – between fresh perspectives and deep knowledge – that helps all of us grow together.

6. If you could give one piece of advice to Future Women Leaders of Pharma, what would you say?

Dr Rima Balanaškienė: For me, it all comes back to the root idea of truly celebrating womanhood. We need to allow ourselves to flourish as women – whether that’s in our relationships, in our careers, or in the way we show up in the world. To be a Woman in Pharma, I believe we must stay authentically female – not trying to mimic men or adopt a masculine energy to be taken seriously.

Spiritually, I see a woman as both enduring and strong, while also being able to embrace vulnerability. We have the power to create life – and to me, that also extends metaphorically to creating a new business, a new vision, a new path. That ability to give life, to nurture and build from within, is a uniquely powerful part of being a woman. It’s that inner core, that strength, that allows us to create something truly meaningful.

Have a story to share about diversity, equity, and inclusion in pharma? Contact [email protected] to learn how you can contribute to our Women in Pharma series.