Since Sarah Condella (BS ’03, MBA ’07) joined Exact Sciences in 2012, the Madison-based molecular diagnostics company has grown from about 50 employees to more than 4,000. Sarah’s career has been on a fast track too, as she has quickly risen through progressively more demanding roles.
Now the executive vice president of human resources, Sarah manages the challenges that come with a company paced for trailblazing growth.
“We’re really managing a constancy of change,” she says. “You become used to it, but not everybody is. We need to make sure we give everybody the right tools, and that we’re communicating so that people are connecting to the ‘why’, because if you don’t understand why it’s happening then it seems like chaos.”
At Exact Sciences, employees unite around a shared mission: to win the war on cancer through early detection. This uniting goal is part of what makes the company culture so dynamic. In times of drastic transformation, Sarah recognizes it as an anchor amidst all the change.
“At the end of the day—when we’re all in it for the same reasons—you have every other person in this company who is willing to help because your success in any department, function, or team is contributing to that overall success,” she says.
Shaping that success is integral to Sarah’s role leading human resources—an interest she discovered out of her interest in understanding people’s motivation and team dynamics. She credits her time in the Wisconsin MBA program with solidifying her passion around people, as well as helping her better understand organizational behavior, motivation, compensation, and what it takes to drive high performing teams.
“I’m passionate about creating an environment where people bring everything that they can and are able to contribute in a meaningful way,” she says. “I’m really proud to be part of [Exact Sciences’] mission and this team, contributing to the growth and success of this organization because we’re having a really powerful impact on people.”