Episodit
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Life science organizations must evolve and adapt for future success. Today, Sameer Sardana, Leader of Product Development at Axtria, discusses transforming operational methodologies within life sciences. He delves into the agencies responsible for promotional planning, measurement, and activation, stressing the significance of accurate analysis measurement.
Sameer also discusses how MLOps (Machine Learning Operations) workstreams and technologies empower stakeholders and marketers to make real-time promotion decisions, driving pivotal decision-making processes. Sameer adds that this represents a substantial shift for individuals accustomed to traditional settings, potentially disrupting established practices and necessitating new approaches. Our audience can benefit from today's insights to gain a competitive edge in the future.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:53] Sameer Sardana discusses pharma companies' current state of affairs and how they spend much of their revenues on promotion.
[4:42] Sameer outlines four trends in this space of promotional effectiveness that are drivers of change.
[7:09] Discussion of the three deterrents to the evolution of change and the inefficiencies created by many agencies because they are often involved in promotional measurement.
[11:01] Sameer discusses a CoE (Center of Excellence) created at Axtria where all promotional measurements were done for a customer, allowing the organization to leverage the best in class techniques.
[13:11] Sameer explains the use of software and the three areas of value it brings to the promotional measurement space.
[15:54] Sameer discusses how marketing and IT have impacted the stakeholders
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The pharmaceutical sector invests millions in advertising and assessing the efficacy of campaigns. The quality of the analysis hinges on the expertise of the individuals interpreting the data.
One of the most significant barriers to change is that promotional planning, measurement, and activation must be tied together, impacting promotional efforts and the ability to change course quickly.
Agencies have expanded, taking over not only promotional planning and execution but also measurement, creating spending 200 million dollars in one company.
BIOGRAPHY:
Sameer Sardana heads products at Axtria and is the force behind some of the leading software products in the life sciences commercial space. He has spent over a decade developing products in customer engagement, promotional measurement, and MLOps workstreams. In his role, Sameer is also responsible for defining the strategy, going to market plans, and executing Axtria's product vision.
He routinely partners with global commercial leaders to provide last-mile decision support, leveraging AI and technology to transform their businesses. Before Axtria, Sameer held increasing responsibilities in data analytics and technology consulting with expertise in sales and marketing operations, commercial model design, marketing mix, and patient analytics.
Over the years, he has partnered with customers on dozens of transformation initiatives requiring large-scale change management across various stakeholders. Sameer holds a bachelor's and a master's of technology degree from IIT Delhi.
YOUR HOST: JASMEET SAWHNEY
Jasmeet Sawhney is a life sciences industry executive, marketing leader, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and data analytics. He is currently the global head of marketing at Axtria. Jasmeet has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences domain and has helped build and scale three successful companies. He has received several company and individual awards, including Inc 500, Deloitte Fast 500, Crain’s NY Fast 50, NJBiz Fast 50, Business of the Year, SmartCEO Future 50, Top CMO, Forty Under 40, and many more.
Jasmeet Sawhney - LinkedIn
Axtria on LinkedIn
Sameer Sardana - LinkedIn
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Matt Bachman is in charge of the Commercial Operations for Milestone Pharmaceutical company, a biotech company launching a novel treatment for patients with PSVT. Jasmeet and Matt discuss the intricacies of building a commercial function for an emerging pharma company, with Matt highlighting distinctions between working in a large pharmaceutical company versus a smaller one. They also delve into crucial factors influencing decision-making for the future, with a particular emphasis on the formidable challenge of navigating data considerations. Matt introduces a compelling and reflective concept, emphasizing that decisions must be "Fit for Purpose.” That is sound learning, no matter the size of your organization.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:32] Matt discusses the key differences between working for large pharmaceutical companies and his current position
[3:41] Matt explains his vision for setting up the commercial function
[5:50] Matt discusses how he decides what priorities are needed for Milestone to benefit the company
[8:05] Matt shares what components he wants to implement to build a foundation for data-driven commercialization, and he is developing a data governance system
[13:16] Matt speaks to the technologies and capabilities that they are planning for the future and how he is putting his team together
[17:27] Matt shares what he has learned in the process of setting up the commercial function
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In a smaller company, when you don’t have the resources of a large entity, you have to determine the must-haves and what things would be nice to have. You need to be able to make adjustments quickly for growing or scaling back.
Connecting with stakeholders, department heads, and other management figures in a smaller organization is more straightforward. The absence of a sprawling corporate structure, as seen in larger companies, facilitates smoother and faster communication.
A company can make a big mistake by spending resources on collecting data, and then they find out it needs to be more accurate data. The perfect time to make data governance decisions is when you are starting out before you start collecting massive amounts of data you won’t ever use.
BIOGRAPHY:
Matt Bachman brings over 20 years of experience in the insights and analytics arena at both large pharma and small biotech companies. During that time, he has worked closely with brand teams to commercialize numerous drugs in multiple therapeutic areas. These include drugs for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular drugs that were first in class and novel therapies, as well as the ones that had little clinical differentiation, which presents its own set of challenges. From a customer standpoint, he has worked on commercializing drugs that targeted specialists and also the ones that targeted broad-based PCPs. He currently leads the commercial operations for Milestone Pharmaceuticals, a small biotech company launching a novel treatment for patients with PSVT. Before Milestone, Matt worked for large companies like GSK and BMS.
YOUR HOST: JASMEET SAWHNEY
Jasmeet Sawhney is a life sciences industry executive, marketing leader, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and data analytics. He is currently the global head of marketing at Axtria. Jasmeet has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences domain and has helped build and scale three successful companies. He has received several company and individual awards, including Inc 500, Deloitte Fast 500, Crain’s NY Fast 50, NJBiz Fast 50, Business of the Year, SmartCEO Future 50, Top CMO, Forty Under 40, and many more.
Jasmeet Sawhney - LinkedIn
Axtria on LinkedIn
Matthew Bachman - LinkedIn
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Sunil Agarwal is the Principal and Head of Clinical Excellence Practice at Axtria. He leads digital transformation and improvement programs for top pharma companies. Jasmeet and Sunil discuss how patients can be served better by including real-world data in clinical trials and research. Real-world data is not a replacement for traditional trials, but it is helping drive the future evolution and innovation in our industry. The goal is to save lives and provide better patient outcomes. Don’t miss this thought-provoking episode.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:50] Sunil explains the challenges with randomized control trials and why we need to leverage real-world data
[4:48] Sunil expands on how collecting environmental location or contextual data could lead to insights such as the correlation between activity and health changes
[6:00] Sunil gives examples of cases using real-world data
[9:16] Sunil outlines challenges faced, for example, the quality of the data collected
[12:06] Sunil expands on the regulatory considerations for using real-world data in clinical trials
[14:43] Sunil shares a couple of the innovations and unique approaches that he is bringing to customers
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There is a lot of potential to effectively use all types of real-world data for clinical trials, even though it has its own set of challenges, such as data quality, privacy, and bias, and there is an emerging need for data-driven and digital solutions to utilize real-world data and minimize its limitations.
There is a wider availability and increasing acceptability of real-world data among global regulatory bodies when companies follow key regulatory considerations.
To ensure successful and cost-effective use of real-world data for clinical trials, companies need a set of capabilities and some enablers, which include data science and engineering, domain expertise, ethical considerations, and support from regulatory agencies.
BIOGRAPHY:
Sunil Agarwal is the Principal and Head – of Clinical Excellence Practice at Axtria. He leads digital transformation and improvement programs for top pharma companies across solutions, including next-gen clinical platforms, patient analytics, and automated regulated submissions. He has also spearheaded business function consolidation and technology modernization programs. As a thought leader, Sunil has shared his expertise at several international life sciences forums on emerging topics such as mHealth, clinical data sciences, and AI/ML. He is an active contributor to analyst and advisory briefings. Sunil holds M.Tech and B.Tech degrees in Computer Science from Dortmund University, Germany.
YOUR HOST: JASMEET SAWHNEY
Jasmeet Sawhney is a life sciences industry executive, marketing leader, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and data analytics. He is currently the global head of marketing at Axtria. Jasmeet has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences domain and has helped build and scale three successful companies. He has received several company and individual awards, including Inc 500, Deloitte Fast 500, Crain’s NY Fast 50, NJBiz Fast 50, Business of the Year, SmartCEO Future 50, Top CMO, Forty Under 40, and many more.
Jasmeet Sawhney - LinkedIn
Axtria on LinkedIn
Sunil Agarwal - LinkedIn
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Ashish Thakur, a strategy and technology executive at Axtria, joins the podcast this week. Ashish has a proven track record of fostering business growth through insightful data utilization for his clients. We'll dive into the concept he terms the "Journey of Data" and use real-life examples to illustrate how this approach can effectively transform struggling businesses into thriving ones. Furthermore, we'll delve into the signal-to-noise ratio, discerning the value of data and distinguishing between meaningful and irrelevant information. Join us for an insightful exploration of the Journey of Data and its practical applications in business.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:40] Ashish explains what the “Journey of Data” means for a specific business or organization
[5:04] Ashish describes how one can decide and identify relevant data sets to use
[6:38] There is a difference in the quality and the usability of these data sets
[8:30] Ashish gives an example of a signal-to-noise ratio
[11:44] Ashish supplies an example of the various stages: the start, the evolution, the growth and the conclusion of the journey of data
[17:27] Jasmeet inquires about how Ashish helps his customers
[20:59] Ashish discusses some key takeawaysKEY TAKEAWAYS
It’s important to recognize and vet the critical business objectives you want to achieve and operationalize the drivers and how they will be deployed.
It’s essential to acknowledge the signal or signals to track and the appropriate KPIs, which would help you measure this. KPI is not the governing factor. Interpretation of the KPI is the governing factor.
The key determinant in keeping our true north aligned is giving the correct information to the right audience at the appropriate business life cycle as it progresses.BIOGRAPHY: Ashish Thakur
Ashish Thakur is a seasoned strategy and technology executive with a track record of incubating business units, building products and platforms, and establishing critical processes to grow businesses efficiently.Over and over again, Ashish has redefined what it means to bring delight to customers. He has successfully turned around dysfunctional business charters and applied a non-linear scale to drive growth. He can do this by leveraging 25 years of cross-functional and multi-country experience across business and technology within the Pharma and Healthcare space.
At Axtria, Ashish leads the BI Reporting & Visualization competency center. He owns the charter to make processed data impactfully rendered to deliver meaningful insights to the full spectrum of executives and stakeholders.
Ashish holds a Bachelor in Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad.
YOUR HOST: JASMEET SAWHNEYJasmeet Sawhney is a life sciences industry executive, marketing leader, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and data analytics. He is currently the global head of marketing at Axtria. Jasmeet has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences domain and has helped build and scale three successful companies. He has received several company and individual awards, including Inc 500, Deloitte Fast 500, Crain’s NY Fast 50, NJBiz Fast 50, Business of the Year, SmartCEO Future 50, Top CMO, Forty Under 40, and many more.
Jasmeet Sawhney - LinkedIn
Axtria on LinkedIn
Ashish Thakur - LinkedIn -
In this episode, we are delighted to have Arvind Balasundaram as our guest, who serves as the head of the Commercial Insights & Analytics (I&A) division at Regeneron, a pioneering biotechnology firm renowned for its groundbreaking medical innovations. Our conversation centers around data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI)'s pivotal role in the Life Sciences industry. Arvind shares his insights on the three significant shifts currently unfolding in the realm of data and analytics, and he delves into the crucial consideration of quantity versus quality when making data-driven decisions. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of how the dynamics of this industry are transforming.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[4:06] Arvind discusses significant changes in data and analytics and focuses on the first major change.
[8:18] The second major change is the evolution from small data to big data we can store.
[10:43] The third change is how much data we have to parse before we get to knowledge and how quickly we have to turn it around from input to output.
[12:41] Arvind shares his thoughts on the quality versus the quantity of insights and what insights and analytics are all about.
[17:56] Arvind discusses how you make choices on what data you select.
[22:34] Arvind explains why decision-makers need to drop their biases regarding data curation, and he gives an example.
[25:55] Arvind discusses the realm of possibility versus probability.
[33:44] Arvind explains what he sees as the challenges moving forward and how he sees mindset and culture changing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The concept of having more data is good; however, what is more important is getting the data you need, not just more and more in quantity.
The cost of data can be prohibitive, so the selection of the data used is critical.
Data that includes sentiment would be a more accurate way of doing insights and analytics in healthcare.
BIOGRAPHY: Arvind Balasundaram
Arvind leads the Commercial Insights & Analytics (I&A) group at Regeneron, a leading biotechnology company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. In this capacity, he oversees the implementation of deep insight frameworks and analytical capabilities to help bring the power of science and new medicines to patients who need them. A primary focus of the I&A group is to help realize Regeneron’s mission to do well by doing good.
Prior to Regeneron, Arvind also spent time at Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer, mainly on the early pipeline and launch side of the business. During his tenure at these companies, he participated in several industry-leading pharma brand launches, spanning diverse therapeutic areas.
Arvind earned his MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He also recently attained the Award of Achievement in Digital Analytics degree from the University of British Columbia (in association with the Digital Analytics Association) and a Certification in Data Science at UC Irvine (in association with Predictive Analytics World). He is a former Associate in the Applied Analytics Capstone program at Columbia University and a member of the Design Thinking Advisory Board at Rutgers University.
Arvind is a past President of the Pharmaceutical Management Science Association (PMSA). His interests include exploring new capabilities to enrich the understanding of customer experience and engagement in omnichannel business ecosystems, staying engaged in the evolution of machine intelligence and AI, and identifying choice contexts and biases in noisy decision-making environments.
YOUR HOST: JASMEET SAWHNEY
Jasmeet Sawhney is a life sciences industry executive, marketing leader, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and data analytics. He is currently the global head of marketing at Axtria. Jasmeet has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences domain and has helped build and scale three successful companies. He has received several company and individual awards, including Inc 500, Deloitte Fast 500, Crain’s NY Fast 50, NJBiz Fast 50, Business of the Year, SmartCEO Future 50, Top CMO, Forty Under 40, and many more.
Jasmeet Sawhney - LinkedIn
Axtria on LinkedIn
Arvind Balasundaram - LinkedIn
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It is crucial for life science businesses to keep up with the fast changing technology in their space. Shikha Singhal, the Head of Data Science practice at Axtria joins us to discuss how the shift in technology is impacting life sciences and why data science is suddenly rising to the attention of so many people currently. She discusses the challenges that customers are facing and how companies should build the capabilities to handle the challenges. Tune in today to learn where companies are seeing the most immediate impacts and how to stay ahead of the curve.
In This Episode:
[3:13] Why are we talking about data science now? It's been around for a while - what has changed?[6:04] What is the impact on life sciences due to the changes in technology?
[8:36] What kind of challenges are customers facing as they try to adapt?
[13:13] How should companies build the capabilities to handle the challenges?
[19:46] Are there any specific applications of data science where customers are seeing immediate impact?
[22:16] What are the innovations and unique approaches Shikha brings to her customers?
Key Takeaways:
With the recent advances in technology, data science has the potential to transform internal operations for scale and agility and revolutionize the way we identify and engage with customers, which in turn has a significant impact on business and patient outcomes.A large majority of these initiatives fail because of various reasons that are shared in the episode.
It is critical that life sciences companies plan upfront and invest in the right partners and technologies but most importantly on the people and culture front.
Bio:
Shikha Singhal
Shikha leads the Data Science practice at Axtria. She is the force behind productionizing AI/ML at many of the top global life sciences companies. As someone who understands the scope and scale of AI/ML applications within our industry, I can attest that this role comes with a lot of responsibility and requires a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge. And Shikha has no shortage of both. In fact, she is one of the very few leaders I know who have such an extensive array of experience across the life sciences domain, business operations, data analytics, and building new capabilities and solutions. But it’ll be a miss if I don't mention the expertise that probably matters the most - it's her ability to build, train, and effectively scale teams. Shikha is truly a champion when it comes to developing and solidifying culture, enabling the teams to reach their potential. This is what I call her "superpower", which alone sets her so far apart from the other data science leaders. Shikha has spent over two decades in the Life Sciences industry and her impact can be seen not only at Axtria but at all the global life sciences companies she has helped throughout her career.Your Host - Jasmeet Sawhney
Jasmeet Sawhney is a life sciences industry executive, marketing leader, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and data analytics. He is currently the global head of marketing at Axtria. Jasmeet has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences domain and has helped build and scale three successful companies. He has received several company and individual awards, including Inc 500, Deloitte Fast 500, Crain’s NY Fast 50, NJBiz Fast 50, Business of the Year, SmartCEO Future 50, Top CMO, Forty Under 40, and many more.
Links Mentioned:
Axtria: Better Health Outcomes with AI, Digital Transformation, Omnichannel
Shikha Singhal LinkedIn
Jasmeet Sawhney LinkedIn
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Patient experience and engagement is so vital to their health success. Vishal Singal, a Principal at Axtria, highlights why patient engagement is so critical and what aspects need to be implemented for patients to feel like they are in charge of their health and medical decisions. He is helping pharma companies drive patient engagement by focusing on patient preferences and goals, the limits or tools set in the ecosystem that develops trust and transparency with the patients, integrated experience, and growing patient cohorts. It’s essential for patients to feel like they are in control. Tune in today to hear why patient engagement is so critical.
In This Episode: [1:46] What is patient engagement? [3:27] Why is there so much pressure against the traditional approach of patients being consumers? [7:00] How are access, education, awareness, and digitization impacting pharma's ability to increase patient engagement? [12:50] What needs to happen to drive better patient engagement? [17:50] How is Vishal helping pharma companies drive patient engagement? [24:00] What are the three key takeaways Vishal wants people to understand? Key Takeaways: Patients are having information overload. Too much information is coming at people, making it difficult for patients to understand all the details they need. Patient-centered health centers should be the future state where patients can gather information and make decisions on their time. To drive better patient engagement, these four areas need to be improved: patient preference and goals, some limits or tools are set in the ecosystem that develops trust and transparency with that patient, integrated experience by breaking siloed patient solutions, and patient cohorts. Bio Vishal: Accomplished Biotech leader helping Senior Pharma Executives improve brand performance / patient outcomes by bringing together clinical, business, technology and traditional and non-traditional (a.k.a. digital) sources of healthcare data. I have focused on 3 key areas Therapy Focus - Areas of oncology, neurology, cardiovascular, diabetes Functional Focus – Patient and HCP marketing strategies and tactics such as TPP Testing, Market Landscaping, Pre Launch Planning, Portfolio Impact, Digital Transformation which results in Helping brands find and reach the right audience (patients and HCP’s) using AI/ML and Advanced analytics Helping influence the prescribing and adherence decisions based on real-world evidence Measuring impact across a multi-channel/digital and Integrated Delivery Network controlled environment Global Focus – Helped clients globally US, Europe, AsiaPac and LATAM and developed offerings for GTM for BRIC countriesBIO: Your Host - Jasmeet Sawhney
Jasmeet Sawhney is a life sciences industry executive, marketing leader, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and data analytics. He is currently the global head of marketing at Axtria. Jasmeet has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences domain and has helped build and scale three successful companies. He has received several company and individual awards, including Inc 500, Deloitte Fast 500, Crain’s NY Fast 50, NJBiz Fast 50, Business of the Year, SmartCEO Future 50, Top CMO, Forty Under 40, and many more.
Links Mentioned:
Vishal Singal LinkedIn
Jasmeet Sawhney LinkedIn
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The evolution of marketing mix modeling is changing how companies do business. Not only is it affecting how analysts and business users relate to the marketing mix, but it is also creating a large shift regarding budgeting. Dr. Rosenwein, the Director of Advanced Analytics & Data Science at Bayer, joins us to discuss what he is seeing with the evolution of marketing mix modeling and how to prepare for the future. He talks about what we have seen so far in the marketing mix evolution and what is the driving force behind it. Dr. Rosenwein also highlights why understanding evolution is critical to be successful in the marketing space. Tune in to learn how to apply changes to your business and prepare for the future.
In This Episode:
[3:07] How has the marketing mix practice evolved, and what drives the change?
[4:47] How are the technical sides evolving in the marketing mix?
[7:23] How is AI/ML impacting the marketing mix?
[8:26] Does Dr. Rosenwein believe software is changing this field?
[10:19] Are the marketing mix budgets getting impacted by the evolution?
[12:34] What changes does Dr. Rosenwein see for the next five years?
[14:14] How are the roles of an analyst and business user changing as they relate to the marketing mix?
Key Takeaways:
There is increasing pressure on businesses to invest wisely in promotions and choose their allocations optimally.
It is essential that interdependencies are modeled between promotion tactics.
There is a higher trend in utilizing digital tactics, and the ROI shows that the higher budget towards digital tactics is successful.
Bio:
Moshe Rosenwein is interested in the application of optimization models and methods to business problems across many application areas: pharmaceutical marketing and sales, customer relationship management, e-commerce, call center operations, telecommunications network design, and supply chain optimization. He spent his 34-year career at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Medco Health Solutions, Novartis, Eisai, and, currently, Bayer. In his current role, Rosenwein is responsible for optimizing the allocation of promotion resources – including sales force personnel and digital media – across the Bayer portfolio.
Links Mentioned:
Moshe's LinkedIn Profile
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In today’s episode we are joined by Terry Coutsolioutsos, Senior Vice President of Sales Operations, Marketing, and Communications at Siemens Healthineers. We discuss how the “experience economy” has become so critical for business, yet the life sciences industry still struggles to meet the needs of both their customers and employees. Tune in to learn how these companies can use data and analytics, and the right mindset, to adapt quickly.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:50] Why has the “experience economy” become so important, not just for MedTech but for the success of every business?
[5:28] What are the current trends in the experience economy?
[9:03] The key customer experience changes that must be made by Med Tech companies.
[11:25] How do organizations adapt to the generational differences in its workforce? How do they keep these different generations engaged?
[14:43] The role played by data and insights in driving both customer and employee experiences.
[17:39] The challenges organizations face in collecting, analyzing and using data to drive experiences.
[19:50] How must leaders adapt in this environment? Does there need to be a change in their mindset?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The internal and external work environment has changed drastically, driven by key areas: generational demographic shifts, Covid which has made our virtual worlds come alive, and rapidly changing buyer and employee preferences. Business demands and needs are shifting. Commercial teams need to have the data to understand the market and organizational performance. Customer and employee experiences need to be measured and addressed, because implications are significant. Today’s organization needs to have a transformation mindset. Specifically, about how to adapt to environmental and market changes and how to empower teams to adapt to the external changes around them.BIO:
Terry Coutsolioutsos has over 30 years of medical device and technology experience across multiple market segments and specialty verticals. He has worked at companies like Siemens Healthineers, Abbott Vascular, and Boston Scientific, and has built a long and successful career in sales, marketing, commercial operations, and strategic corporate accounts. Most recently, Terry led the Marketing, Commercial Operations, and Communications teams for Siemens Healthineers North America, where his team was chartered with cohesively positioning and marketing the company, demonstrating value to key decision-making customer segments, and supporting a harmonized approach to sales operations excellence.
Terry Coutsolioutsos on LinkedIn
Axtria on LinkedIn
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In today’s episode, we are joined by Mehmet Bozbay, Head of Field Deployment, Incentives & Analytics at Astellas Pharma US. We discuss the evolution of the field force and how it plays into the success of sales reps. Mehmet talks about the shift seen since the pandemic and what areas need enhancing to create the proper execution and effectiveness for success. He talks about how the role of sales reps is evolving and where customers are expecting more. Tune in to learn how healthcare providers and sales reps are changing the game, where they are investing, and other tips on improving the quality of their field force.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:40] Strategy and evolution for deploying the field force and the impact due to COVID. [4:20] Customer standpoint: how have their needs evolved? [5:30] How did interactions change during the pandemic? [8:00] Are call plans still available in this new world? [9:20] How are pharma companies adapting to ensure their reps are prepared and qualified to conduct business within account-based models? [11:08] What evolution do you see in incentivizing the field force? [13:18] How should analytics interplay with field force operations? [14:21] What does the field force roadmap look like?KEY TAKEAWAYS:
In the post-COVID world, the need for a well-rounded promotion strategy is extremely important. Having personal and non-personal promotion levers in their swim lanes can lead to many lost opportunities. The role of a sales rep is more important than ever in an increasingly complex marketplace. A harmonized deployment approach, incentives, and supporting analytics enable the success of the sales rep of the future. Successful implementation of an omnichannel strategy requires alignment and buy-in across the organization.BIO:
Mehmet Bozbay is Head of Field Deployment, Incentives & Analytics at Astellas Pharma US. He has more than 18 years of experience in sales and marketing strategy and operations. His specialties are Salesforce Incentive Design & Compensation, Sales & Marketing Operations, Field Analytics, and more. Mehmet has been with Astellas Pharma US for over eight years.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Mehmet Bozbay LinkedIn
Astellas Pharma US
Axtria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/axtria/
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In this episode, we are joined by Parimal Shah, the General Manager of Ultrasound Radiology at Siemens Healthineers. Parimal is a recognized transformational MedTech leader who focuses on clinicians and patients. We discuss the changes in the MedTech industry over the last twenty-five years, the key challenges that the industry is facing right now, and the interrelationship between customer relationships and product experience. Tune in to learn more about the current status of leadership in the industry and why it needs to evolve. Finally, Parimal shares his predictions on the industry and digitalization for the next two years.
In This Episode, We Cover:
[04:23] Key challenges the MedTech industry is facing right now. [09:24] The interrelationship between customer relationships and product experience. [13:27] The issues that need to be solved to succeed in customer experience expectations. [15:25] Why does leadership need to evolve? [17:50] Parimal shares where he sees the digital transformation in the next two years.Key Takeaways:
Customer experience in the MedTech industry is viewed in two different ways. First, what it takes to get this product in the hands of customers in the way in which it can be managed and used. Second, business continuity is seen as a higher priority in the minds of our customers, and this is coupled with how they use it, the convenience of use, the cost at which it comes, and how it can be digitized so that it can be used by clinicians who are not as well versed with the products. Leadership in the MedTech industry needs to evolve. The industry requires leadership who can be versatile and diverse enough to look at current technologies and trends and how they will impact the customer's business. The nature of digital is majorly influencing the buying decisions. It is about who owns the data, what you can do with it, and what outcomes you can change with it.About Speaker
Meet Parimal:
Parimal Shah is currently the General Manager of ultrasound radiology at Siemens Healthineers. Before Siemens, he served in various leadership roles offering increasing responsibilities at Becton Dickinson, Baxter, and GE healthcare. He's a recognized transformational MedTech leader, focusing on clinicians and patients. He has held many positions in product development and R&D including Senior Vice President of product development for innovation and clinical research specific to ultrasound. He has done key investments and product portfolios, front-end innovation, and strategic external partnerships. Parimal has achieved above-market growth and P&L across multiple market segments with different customer needs. He has significant experience in executing with large teams and building technical and operational organizational capability. And if this was not enough, he rounds off all this experience with a proven track record for launching medical devices globally and new and established markets.
Resources
Parimal Shah on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/parimalshah/
Axtria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/axtria/
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In this episode, we talk with Ravi Kuppuraj, a digital health innovator and entrepreneur with over 25 years of healthcare experience and leadership. As we discuss the rapidly increasing role of technology and retail companies in the healthcare space and the current challenges and opportunities in the digital healthcare space. Tune in to learn more about the Care Everywhere Paradigm, what the Care Everywhere experience looks like for a consumer, and the challenges of adapting the paradigm.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[03:10] What are the roles of retailers in the digital health space? [06:22] The Care Everywhere Paradigm, what does it mean, and what does it look like for the patient? [09:15] Challenges of adapting the Care Everywhere Paradigm. [12:10] How do new technologies enable the Care Everywhere Paradigm? [14:42] The key factors that need to be in place for the Care Everywhere solution to succeed.KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Home is the center of the healthcare ecosystem. Technology innovation, including devices, variables, connectivity, and other factors, like the pandemic have clearly accelerated the Care Everywhere Paradigm adoption. The innovations might be in place, but the actual delivery of all of it is both a challenge and an opportunity. Together, the retail and tech industry will make a huge impact.LINKS MENTIONED:
Ravi’s LinkedIn Profile
BIO:
Ravi Kuppuraj is a digital health innovator and entrepreneur with over 25 years of healthcare experience and leadership. Ravi was most recently a Business Leader at Connected Sensing – General Care at Philips, where he successfully incubated and integrated new sensing technologies into mainstream monitoring.
Ravi’s professional career in healthcare has also involved leadership roles in leading global teams at healthcare powerhouses including Spacelabs, Draeger, and Philips. As an entrepreneur, he also founded and launched startups in the cloud-based, remote patient monitoring space. These startups have enabled physicians to diagnose and treat patients quickly and accurately.
Ravi is passionate about technology and digital health, and how its consumerization can enable democratization and equity in healthcare. Ravi has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and an MBA.
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In this episode, we are joined by Bharti Rai, an accomplished and versatile leader with 25 years of experience in healthcare and Big 4 management consulting. She has been at the forefront of strategy, business, and digital transformations to champion data-driven decision-making and customer-centricity with a dynamic and collaborative leadership style. We discuss the biggest challenges for pharma and life sciences companies during commercial transformation and the consequences for companies who refuse to evolve. Tune in as Bharti shares how companies can measure their success in the commercial process and what kind of mindset companies should adopt to achieve transformation successfully.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[02:04] What role does culture and mindset play in commercial transformation? [07:45] Bharti shares the four biggest digitization challenges for pharma and life sciences companies. [16:20] How macro-level areas must be carefully navigated when driving maturity across people, processes, and systems. [20:29] Measuring and tracking the success of the digitization process. [25:11] What should pharma and life sciences companies look for when building their teams and the talent pool.KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Digital transformations usually start top-down with leadership and then progress to the rest of the functions. Getting the leadership to believe in it is not enough. It has to permeate the rest of the organization. Pharma and life sciences companies understand that digitization is inevitable and necessary, but they struggle to figure out how to do it effectively and with lasting effect. Most companies are solely focused on technology and miss out on other essential elements in digital transformation, such as the importance of people, evolution, talent, mindset, and culture.LINKS MENTIONED:
Bharti Rai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raibharti/
Axtria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/axtria/
BIO:
Bharti Rai is an accomplished and versatile leader with 25 years of experience in healthcare and Big 4 management consulting. She has been at the forefront of strategy, business, and digital transformations to champion data-driven decision-making and customer-centricity with a dynamic and collaborative leadership style.
She joined Novartis in 2018. As the VP of Commercial Operations, Insights, Data, and Analytics, she led the vision and creation of the US function from the ground up and transformed it from a back-office function to a strategic one that helped with decision-making across the business.
Prior to Novartis, she held roles at Bayer Healthcare and Deloitte Consulting across processors engineering, digital health, commercial, operations, and data. She is recognized as an industry thought leader and is the recipient of numerous industry awards.
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In this episode of the Life Sciences Leadership Podcast, Rita Sharma, General Manager and Vice President of International Growth for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Salesforce, talks about how life sciences companies can enable experiences to meet the expectations of connected consumers.
We dive into how the life sciences industry is changing and evolving — from the focus on healthcare providers to the shift on the end consumer and the role of the COVID pandemic in bringing about this change. Tune in as Rita also shares key findings from Salesforce Research’s Connected Healthcare Consumer Report, which focuses on providing insights into what consumers expect from healthcare and life sciences companies and a lot more.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[03:09] – Why the life sciences industry, which has long been focused on healthcare providers, is witnessing a shift to the end consumer. [05:39] – Rita shares key findings from Salesforce Research’s Connected Healthcare Consumer Report, providing insights into what consumers expect from healthcare and life sciences companies. [07:36] – Massive shifts in the industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; the pandemic has created an amazing opportunity for pharma companies to build a trusted relationship with consumers. [14:32] – The role that data and analytics play in enabling customer experience. [17:04] – The value vertical software brings that is built specifically for the life sciences industry.KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Consumer expectations from life sciences companies are on the rise, and they are not currently being met. Pharma and med-tech companies are making efforts to innovate in how they connect with patients as consumers. Data and applications will facilitate the ability to scale consumer centricity globally.LINKS MENTIONED:
Connected Healthcare Consumer Report by Salesforce Research: https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/trusted-healthcare/
Rita Sharma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritasharmanow/
Axtria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/axtria/mycompany/
BIO:
Rita Sharma is the General Manager and Vice President of International Growth for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Salesforce. Previously, she was Vice President of Product Management and was the founder and architect of Health Cloud, the patient engagement platform for Healthcare and Life Sciences that is based on an innovative patient-first approach. She has more than 15 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare, with both Fortune 500 companies and startups, and has been recognized throughout her career as an authority on creating digital health platforms and helping transform health management and delivery for patients, professionals, and health systems.
She has been recognized by Becker's as “Top Health Leaders to Know.” Prior to Salesforce, Rita was Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Glooko, Director of Global Strategic Marketing at LifeScan, and CEO and Co-Founder of FoundHealth.com
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In this episode, Ivan Pandiyan, Vice President of Global R&D at Natus Medical Incorporated, joins us to discuss the evolution of digital therapeutics in contrast to traditional therapeutics. First, we talk about how digital therapy is being used to diagnose and treat diseases and the role of a biomarker in identifying a specific disease. Then we look at the role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enabling the environment for research and development of digital therapeutics as an alternative to traditional therapy. Finally, we discuss the success digital therapeutics have had and its future role in the pharma and life sciences industry.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[02:35] What are digital therapeutics, and how are they different from traditional therapies? [04:10] The discovery of digital therapeutics and how do we go about finding and validating the efficacy of digital therapies. [08:07] How are regulatory bodies ensuring the safety of digital therapies and what are the guidelines and boundaries established by the FDA? [12:50] The role of software, data, and artificial intelligence in enabling digital therapeutics. [17:05] The maturity of digital therapeutics and the challenges companies face in development. [19:00] The success of digital therapeutics.KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Digital therapeutics are real, and they are the future. We will see them either replace or complement traditional therapies. Digital therapeutics have the potential to cure diseases without the chemical side effects that come with traditional pharma therapies. Digital therapeutics are currently applied in targeted areas. More data will enable further development of the ecosystem and the digital therapy space.LINKS MENTIONED:
Axtria:
https://www.axtria.com
Ivan Pandiyan on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-pandiyan-b0819b5/
BIO:
Ivan is a global product and technology visionary who has launched multiple innovative and disruptive products from concept to commercialization. He has expertise in strategic planning and growth strategies, and effectively translates business goals and customer needs to develop and launch highly complex and innovative products. Ivan serves as a mentor and senior advisor at innovative startup incubators such as gBETA Medtech and MN Cup. He is an expert in technology led strategy planning and exponential growth.
Ivan is currently the Vice President of Global R&D at Natus Medical Incorporated. In this role he is responsible for teams across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. He leads technology and product strategy roadmaps, and achieves strategic innovation through research, partnerships, technology licensing, and acquisitions.
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Vikram Batra is a senior leader in Axtria’s Decision Science practice. In this podcast, we discuss how AI and software is accelerating discovery, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. We understand how the industry is shifting towards rare diseases, the challenges and how pharma leaders deal with them. Vikram then discusses the role of AI/ML in helping to solve patient diagnosis and the value it brings to the stakeholders. Tune in as we speak about the importance of pharma leaders investing in relevant data sets and why an accelerating speed of diagnosis is a win-win for all.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[02:50] How the industry is shifting towards rare diseases and what it means in the long run.
[04:55] Rare diseases are a completely new paradigm in context to blockbusters and traditional drugs. Vikram describes these challenges and how pharma leaders can deal with them.
[07:50] Rare diseases are unique; there needs to be a very connected approach for tackling this complexity.
[11:50] How AI/ML is helping solve the patient diagnosis problem.
[15:00] Key takeaways from Vikram’s discussion
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
People suffering from these rare diseases spend between five to seven years before receiving a correct diagnosis. Having a good understanding of the patient journey in rare diseases is critical. Pharma leaders must invest in relevant data sets and build the required infrastructure for new models that leverage AI/ML. Accelerating the speed of diagnosis is a win-win for all.LINKS MENTIONED:
Vikram Batra on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikram-batra-89053a3/
BIO:
Vikram is a senior leader in Axtria’s Decision Science practice with over 20 years of analytics, consulting and leadership experience. He has worked on both ends of the spectrum – working for large pharma as well as a long tenure as a management consultant. Vikram has a proven track record of addressing challenging strategic issues for pharmaceutical customers and helping them with comprehensive solutions across brand strategy, sales operations, and market access. He has built, coached and led diverse analytics teams that successfully deliver insights using advanced data analytics and AI. His experience spans across global markets including Top 5 EU, Australia, Canada, and other geographies.
Before joining Axtria, Vikram held roles of increasing responsibility and leadership at MarketRx, Sanofi, Information Resources (IRI) and Health Products Research (HPR).
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Chris Gish has over 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry in sales and commercial leadership roles. He describes sales rep 3.0, how the customer and industry play a role in its evolution, and the skills and competencies needed to become a sales rep 3.0. We discuss technology, alignment, what pharma organizations would need to do to enable this new role, and the barriers preventing the set-up of the sales 3.0 ecosystem. Tune in as we chat about the importance of the sales rep in modern and future pharma and what we can expect ahead in the years to come.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[03:18] What does Chris mean by sales rep 3.0 and the evolution of the sales rep over the years.
[05:25] The role of the pharma customer in the evolution of sales rep 3.0.
[07:08] The skills and competencies a sales rep needs to become a sales rep 3.0.
[11:17] The timeline to set up a sales rep 3.0 ecosystem and the barriers to doing so.
[15:29] The importance of the sales rep in the future of the pharma industry.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Effective promotion and selling in the pharmaceutical space are about effective communication.
Sale rep 3.0. is about how the traditional selling role, behaviors, and competencies will evolve as our communication continues to change.
Pharma must keep up with customers' changing preferences and must hire and train for new skills.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Axtria
https://www.axtria.com
Chris Gish on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgish/
BIO:
Chris has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry across sales and commercial functions. He has held multiple leadership positions, heading sales divisions for large sales teams at Pfizer and Sunovion and at two startup companies, Alder Bio and TherapeuticsMD. At Sunovion, he grew the company’s flagship asset, Latuda, into a blockbuster billion-dollar brand. Chris also worked at Pfizer for 21 years with roles in Sales, Marketing, and Training, culminating in leading all promotion assets, including digital and personal. He currently works in Leadership Development, Coaching, and Sales Force Effectiveness as Principal Consultant at GishGroup and a senior consultant at Accelerated Leadership Group.
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Charlie is a Principal at Axtria with over thirty years of experience in health care, financial services, and management consulting. He takes us through his personal journey and his experiences with rare diseases, how they impacted the individuals around him. Tune in as he explains why they are elusive, why diagnosis for these diseases is difficult, and the symptom surfing phenomena that occurs with the onset of these elusive diseases. He explains what the pharma industry must do to better detect and diagnose rare diseases and why he chooses the pharma industry to contribute to a better future for all.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[03:10] The journey of rare diseases from a personal perspective – recounting the struggle as it unfolded from Charlie’s point of view. [07:52] Symptom surfing and why elusiveness in rare diseases can be so frustrating. [12:13] Coping with rare diseases in the family - the sacrifices and challenges. [15:03] The challenge of diagnosis in rare diseases and understanding what the family goes through. [21:47] The pharma industry and its progress in finding cures for rare diseases.KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Rare diseases are hard on all levels – they are devastating for the families and extremely complicated to diagnose, treat, and manage. We must understand the patient’s and their family’s journeys to be able to help them better. It is imperative for the pharmaceutical industry to maintain continuous focus on solving rare diseases. There is a silver lining: Many of these diseases can now be diagnosed, and as the industry’s focus shifts to rare and orphan drugs, there is hope that we will soon have a cure for them.LINKS MENTIONED:
Axtria:
https://www.axtria.com
Charlie on LinkedIn :
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-thompson-957490/
BIO:
Charlie has over thirty years of experience in health care, financial services, and management consulting. Charlie has worked with eleven of the top fourteen global pharmaceutical firms, helping them launch close to ten billion dollars in products.
Charlie is a Founding Principal at Axtria where he leads major client transformations, such as commercial launches, post-merger integration, go-to-market pivots, and global digitization initiatives. His clients have publicly acknowledged his ability to help guide major initiatives that leverage clear values and guiding principles, along with authentic communication and storytelling. Previously, Charlie was a principal with marketRx, and before that he was with Assurant where he launched a new department to support direct marketing operations.
He graduated from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management with majors in Finance and Marketing, and was selected Top Marketing Student by the faculty. He is a frequent guest speaker at Georgia Tech, Emory, PMSA, and the Sales Management Association on marketing strategy, sales force effectiveness, life sciences industry, and entrepreneurship. He also holds a patent in application of predictive models in customer call centers.
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Amanjeet Saluja is a Principal at Axtria with over 22 years of experience across analytics and management consulting. First, Aman speaks about why customer experience has become such a hot topic in the pharma industry. He defines what customer experience means within the context of pharma. If pharma executives invest in improving the customer experience, they can expect massive growth; Aman explains how. Tune in as we talk about the proper sequence of steps pharma executives must take to place the customer experience at the core of their commercial strategy.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[02:45] Why the customer experience has become a hot industry topic. [05:30] How Aman defines the customer experience within pharma in the context of selling drugs and devices. [12:25] The results that executives can expect as they invest in improving the customer experience. [13:45] The right sequence of steps pharma executives must take to bring customer experience to the core of their commercial strategy. [16:15] Takeaways from today's conversation with Aman.KEY TAKEAWAYS:
The companies that invest in premium customer experiences see about 1.8 to 2 times faster growth. Companies must focus on culture, leadership, commitment, and empowering their teams. Driving the customer experience as a core element of a commercial strategy is critical. The top must drive the customer experiences and do so in a phased manner to ensure early experimentation and refinement.LINKS MENTIONED:
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanjeetsaluja/
Axtria Insights Library
https://www.axtria.com/axtria-research-hub-pharmaceutical-industry/
BIO:
Aman is a Principal at Axtria with over 22 years of experience across analytics and management consulting. He has built and scaled multiple analytics practices across organizations' sales, marketing, and enterprise risk functions throughout his career. Recently, his focus area has been advanced analytics for healthcare and life science clients.
Aman has advised many pharma companies on various issues, including commercial strategy, customer-centric marketing, and artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)-based analytics. Currently, his thought leadership work focuses on new commercial and organizational models, harmonizing commercial processes globally, building over-arching ecosystems of omnichannel capabilities, driving premium customer experience levels, and industrializing analytics. His insights have appeared in Pharmaceutical Executive and multiple other media outlets.
Previously, Aman was President and Angel Investor at CoCubes Technologies Pvt. Ltd, an AI/ML-based online assessment and hiring platform. He was instrumental in scaling the organization five-fold and enabling the venture's successful exit via Aon Hewitt's acquisition. Before that, he was the Head of Quantitative Analytics at Ocwen Financial, where he developed and embedded next-gen analytical algorithms into multiple mortgage product lines. He is the original inventor of a US patent on an integrated approach to collections cycle optimization. Before Ocwen, he was one of the key leaders to build out and scale up analytics services practices at Inductis Inc. in the areas of risk, marketing, and operations analytics. The venture exited successfully via EXL Services' acquisition.
Aman earned his B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
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In this episode, Cheryl Blanchard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Anika Therapeutics, joins us to discuss her unique journey to bettering patients’ lives. First, Cheryl talks about how Anika Therapeutics has transformed over the past few years, and how technology has played a massive role in Anika’s transformation as a business. Every company has its own value system and culture; Cheryl explains how she merged different cultures into one coherent team. Tune in as we chat about the importance of everyone’s role in a company in the context of creating future therapies.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[03:10] About Cheryl’s journey and how Anika Therapeutics has transformed over the past few years. [08:00] How technology has played a role in Anika’s transformation as a business. [11:30] The challenges Cheryl faced in acquiring companies and integrating them into the existing business. [14:10] How Cheryl merged different company values and cultures into one coherent team. [16:55] The importance of everyone’s role in a company in the context of creating future therapies.KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Acquiring and integrating companies is challenging for business owners. You must focus on clear performance goals when integrating businesses. Merging multiple company work cultures is difficult. However, a successful merge could make or break the difference in your bottom line. Most companies don’t consider company values when acquiring a business. It’s critical to have all team members on the same page and working toward the same vision. Technology can be a game-changer for your business; make sure you are staying up to date with advancements.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Anika Therapeutics
https://www.anikatherapeutics.com/
BIO:
Cheryl is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Anika Therapeutics. Anika is a global joint preservation company focused on early intervention orthopedics.
Prior to her work at Anika, she served as the President and CEO of Microchips Biotech, a venture-backed biotechnology company developing regenerative medicine and drug delivery products. She was there from 2014 until its sale to Daré Bioscience.
Earlier, she served in multiple officer positions at Zimmer, including Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, and General Manager of Zimmer Biologics. Cheryl was also a member of Zimmer’s executive committee and founded, built, and led Zimmer’s Joint Preservation and Regenerative Medicine business.
Cheryl is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has served as a Board Director for Vigil Neuroscience, Dare Bioscience, CeramTec, and Anika Therapeutics.
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