As a little girl growing up in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sharon Tantrawan loved to walk around the house in her mother’s stiletto heels. Her mother used to ask, “How’s the view up there?” With one simple question, her mother sparked a realization for Sharon: that perspectives change at different heights, and that different perspectives can be used to inspire and empower.

Sharon works in healthcare today, but her former job was at telecommunications company, where she contributed to technical and soft-skills education. This exposure was an excellent primer for her current job as Course Support and AO Relations for DePuy Synthes Asia Pacific, a medical division of Johnson & Johnson, where she contributes to commercial education and professional education across the Asia Pacific region. She also holds a degree in psychology, and while, at first glance, that may not seem to tie into healthcare education, can actually serve as an ideal primer, giving a broad overview of the human psyche and insight into how to handle different personalities one will encounter in different professional settings.

At DePuy Synthes, Sharon focuses on professional education that will help to improve patient care. This, she says, motivates her to get up every single day. “Knowing that I contributed to healthcare professional education, that I play a part in the organization’s mission and vision in providing the best-in-class education through the use of technology to advance patient care” is her primary driving factor/motivation. During the pandemic, Sharon has worked with her team to innovate and scale up the DePuy Synthes Hybrid Course Concept. The concept allows J&J to navigate travel and meeting limitations by enabling access to global expertise virtually, and at the same time providing high quality, hands-on experience locally in adherence with health and safety guidance. As every patient is different, it’s important to be able to view healthcare and care outcomes from different perspectives—something Sharon learned can be viewed from great heights.

Sharon’s STEMspiration: Raden Adjeng Kartini

Raden Adjeng Kartini (1879–1904) devoted her life to changing the lives of women and the world by educating girls. In 1903, Kartini opened the first primary school for girls in Indonesia that did not discriminate against students based on social standing. Through her story, Sharon learned about the importance of education at any stage of life. “I kept her story in my heart and mind, and that inspires me to inspire others.” Learn more about Kartini.

What’s on Sharon’s Desk?

Want a sneak peek into Sharon’s day-to-day worklife? Taking a look at her desk gives you clues as to how she works and what she does! Here’s how she describes her workspace, starting from the center and moving clockwise:

• Laptop to perform her work

• Hand cream to keep her skin hydrated

• Tissue paper, which is put to great !se

• Notebook and a long service pencil she has been using the last 20 years

• Wireless mouse to help her navigate digitally

• Mobile phone to connect to the world

• Coffee and water: “The aroma of coffee somehow magical for me. And water keeps me energized and hydrated.”

• Nuts for energy

• Take a look at her stiletto under the table: “A reminder to myself to ‘wear my stilettos,’ to keep my feet on the ground at the same time multiplying angles and perspectives”