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 The Healing Sector

 
 
In the eighth century nearly one third of all Japanese died in a smallpox epidemic. In India at least seven religions deities provide smallpox protection. However, for much of the world, smallpox is gone. Polio, too.
Billions of the world’s citizens live longer and better, and their pain is mitigated via the pharmaceutical sector. Especially in the last century and change, it’s ramped up and clearly become an crucial sector, giving grandparents more years with their grandchildren, keeping parents healthy, and healing and protecting children.
Here we highlight some people who love working in this vital field. They share what drew them to the pharmaceutical and biomedical arena, what they love about it and how they’ve risen to success within it.
 
Moxie Makes a Difference at Allergan 
Dwight Moxie, vice president and assistant general counsel at Allergan, comes from a pharma family: “My father and family drew me to this sector. My father was in pharmaceutical sales and my brother is now in pharmaceutical sales. It’s almost like a family business.”
However, despite the familial ties to this field, Moxie began his career in another sector. “For the first two years of my career, I worked at a Philadelphia law firm where we all wore suits,” he shares.
Eventually, the importance of the work in the pharmaceutical sector drew Moxie to the “family business.” He explains: “I love we make amazing products that truly do help people gain better health and a better quality of life. I fundamentally believe in the products we sell. I believe in the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.”
Once at Allergan - a $23 billion diversified global pharmaceutical company that has headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, Parsippany, NJ and Weston, FL - he also came to love the trust the company has in its 30,000 employees around the world. 
“I also love how Allergan empowers its employees,” he says. “Whether senior or junior, you’re empowered without 20 layers of bureaucracy. You’re given more freedom. You’re empowered to use your intelligence and training to grow the company.”
Of course, Moxie is also empowered: “I love that I’m embedded with my business units. I can provide meaningful advice. I can…develop the business strategies to creatively and efficiently move their business plans forward. It’s real time about huge decisions. It’s exciting to give the advice that has a direct effect.”
For those still in school, Moxie elaborates about how you, too, can have such a direct positive effect after graduation: “If you’re in law school, then whatever plan you have for your career, forget about that. Prepare yourself for opportunity. You do that by not being singularly focused on one dream job. Equip yourself with universal talent. Students focus on the substance of the class as opposed to thinking of the skill you should acquire, such as legal writing. The language of a lawyer is the written word. Laws change, but the skills of being a good legal writer is universal. If they’re offered by the school, take those courses.”
And go beyond the gathering of good grades, the vice president and assistant general counsel adds. “Look for true feedback as opposed to fixating on the grades you earn. Don’t be satisfied with the product of your work. Be inquisitive about the process that took you there. Seek honest feedback and use that to get better. That feedback in law school has little consequences once you’re learning. Once you’re practicing, mistakes have consequences.”
 And once you start working, keep learning, Moxie emphasizes. “When I first started, everyone was smart and had way more wisdom than me. You have the least knowledge and are being paid a good amount of money and the expectations are high. You will doubt yourself, but trust your training. I was a good student and had the skills to do it. Humility also helps. Don’t try to look brilliant at every moment. When given an assignment, I humbly asked, ‘How would you do this? How would you approach this?’ Don’t try to be the smartest person in the room. You’re not. You don’t have their experience.”
Moxie further advises that wherever you are in career, be sure to exceed expectations and be nice.
“You have no job description. Opportunity comes from chances presented to you. Take those chances. It’ll show you’re a team player, lead to something bigger and expose you to senior people in your organization. Tackle more than what you’re being paid for. Also be nice. People root for people who are nice. Be nice to everyone, from your assistant [and] someone in the mail room to your boss. Treat people exactly the way you want to be treated. It becomes your brand. People push for people whom they like,” he firmly believes.
It’s worked for Moxie, who was selected last year as one of the “100 Most Influential African Americans in the L.A. Area,” a Vanguard award.
For more details about career opportunities at Allergan, visit allergan.com/careers.
 
Eikerenkoetter Helps People at Express Scripts
If you want to work in the pharmaceutical sector, then heed the words of Laura Eikerenkoetter, senior director, human resources at Express Scripts, for a big part of her job is locating and hiring talent.
“I partner with leaders to ensure we have a talent strategy that drives business results by increasing employee engagement, while attracting, retaining and developing high-performing talent,” says Eikerenkoetter.
Her own work engagement is easy, given the importance of Express Scripts’ products. “I always wanted to have a job that had meaningful impact on people. What I love about working at Express Scripts is we have a mission that matters. We make the use of prescription drugs affordable and accessible for tens of millions of patients. It just doesn’t get much more meaningful than that. In my role within HR, I help ensure we have the best talent doing the best job to serve those tens of millions of patients.”
She specifically loves her work in HR and urges young professionals and college students alike to follow in her footsteps because she feels it’s a field that offers options.
“Human resources is a great field - stick with it! HR has evolved extensively over the years. There are so many areas of HR that you can go into based on the work you like to do. If you’re a numbers person, then you can get into compensation. If you’re a data person, then you can get into a reporting and analytics function. If you’re a strategic thinker, then you might enjoy the HR business partner role or a role within HR strategy,” she offers.
However, like all fields, it comes with challenges: “We’re about six months into a major model change within HR at Express Scripts. When my role changed from HR generalist to HR business partner, I had some anxiety about what that really meant. I often times wondered if I would be able to effectively make the transition from tactical to strategic and [wondered if] my business partners see the value in my new role. I found the best way to navigate through those uncertainties was to do my research [about] how HR business partners at other companies made the transition: what were the challenges and how did they overcome [them], what worked really well, what were the competencies that helped the business see and feel the value of the HR business partner role? [I] couple[d] that with a robust development plan, and I began to embrace the change.”
Today, Eikerenkoetter’s work in HR also lets her support her colleagues: “I love [helping] people be their best, from developing and seeing my team grow and become more confident in their roles to working with the business develop and retain their talent.”
However, the greater benefit is bettering the lives of people around the world, according to the HR senior director at St. Louis, MO-based Express Scripts, which provides integrated pharmacy benefit management services, distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical products and offers extensive cost-management and patient-care services.
“I think what I’m most surprised about is that people don’t really understand what we do. Before I worked here I had a very general understanding - Express Scripts was the company that managed my prescription benefit. We do so much more than that. If you need help managing cholesterol, we provide personalized care, online tools and resources. If you have pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), then our pharmacists and nurses are here for you to help and support you every step of the way. We take bold action and deliver patient-centered care to make better health more affordable and accessible,” explains Eikerenkoetter.
Her advice to those seeking to join and rise in the pharma sector is this: “Work hard, have a perspective, use your voice, challenge the status quo, embrace feedback, and, lastly, develop a love for learning.”
For more information regarding job opportunities at Express Scripts, visit careers.express-scripts.com.
 
Hicks’ Work Supports Mallinckrodt’s Mission of Improving Lives
Michael-Bryant Hicks, senior vice president and general counsel for Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, is a lawyer, but wants to be quite clear that he’s a pharma professional first: “I’m a business manager of a pharmaceutical company, who happens to lead the legal function…in much the same way that a tight end is still first a football player.”
Hicks has executive responsibility for all legal functions, including litigation, intellectual property, environmental, regulatory, mergers and acquisitions, and other general legal activities. He also leads a team of 50 out of 4,000 colleagues, and those colleagues comprise a culture of deep thinkers doing deeply important work at Mallinckrodt, a multibillion-dollar specialty biopharmaceutical company headquartered in St. Louis, MO and focused on managing complexity and improving lives.
“Mallinckrodt is a very thoughtful and intentional organization. People at all levels of the company apply rigorous analysis into decision-making and the design of the organization. Mallinckrodt commits to achieving what it aspires to be: a top specialty biopharmaceutical company that provides products to help patients affected by some of the most complex or difficult medical conditions,” he explains.
A Fulbright Scholar who earned a juris doctor degree from Yale Law School, Hicks enjoys his role: “What I love about being a general counsel is that my team’s work spans across every aspect of business, which often requires a contract or relates to a legal issue or question. The legal function is at the center of it all to help the company advance its strategic plan. It is our job to be a business partner to facilitate, execute, help remove barriers and manage risk.”
He also loves Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals’ purpose and products. “I was drawn to healthcare because I wanted a greater purpose. I wanted to take pride in my contributions to the world. I found this industry provides an opportunity to do work where you see how you make a positive difference, whether it’s developing cures [for] diseases or driving innovation in how healthcare is delivered. It’s rewarding to see greater health outcomes because of the work your organization does - people living longer, healthier lives. Like many, I want to work in an industry where you can leave a legacy, not just collect a paycheck. That’s important to me,” Hicks shares.
For those interested in creating a meaningful legacy of work, Hicks offers some advice and shares some insight gained during the course of his career: “There’s no magic recipe. A constant theme in my success has been to pursue broad knowledge, experiences and cultures. My time in the oil and gas industry taught me about working within regulatory frameworks. Working on international projects and in foreign countries helped me understand how different international legal systems work. Guiding legal work on different types of business transactions gave me diverse business insights.”
Hicks continues: “Whether working in Quito, Ecuador on a pipeline project or building a plant in the Middle East, these projects helped me discover that opportunities and issues are common across the world, requiring dealing with risks and decision-making expertise. The cultures and governmental frameworks are different, and working within these diverse environments helps shape how you view the world.”
He further encourages students “to be well read and to invest time in learning about different political views and systems, all which help enable understanding of the world around us.”
Broad experiences should be guided by broad vision, he adds.
“Don’t try to be a fortune-teller about the future of business. Don’t narrow your sights on a career in the ‘hottest’ industry. Instead look to build your career working for people who demonstrate an interest in and a track record of mentoring, guiding, teaching and prioritizing professional development, regardless of industry or company. Success is not a job in a bubble industry,” Hicks notes.
For additional information regarding career paths at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, log onto mallinckrodt.com/careers.
 
Hale Leads AbbVie Team That Provides Key Medical Info
Karen Hale, vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer at AbbVie, urges students to steer by passion: “Find something you love. Find your passion. Find something that’s personally satisfying to you. What you love to do, you will do well. And you will be rewarded for that. If you don’t enjoy it, then don’t do it. You won’t get recognized or be rewarded.”
Hale’s passion is the pharmaceutical sector. “There is a plethora of new and different issues facing us every day. The pharmaceutical industry is very dynamic and ever-changing. There’s always a new challenge. This keeps it very exciting and still amazes me 19 years later,” she says.
Headquartered in North Chicago, IL , AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company that employs more than 28,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries, with 130 working with Hale in compliance.
“My team and I are responsible for ensuring we accurately educate physicians with appropriate company materials and scientific medical information for purposes of informing them about patient outcomes when our live-saving products are used,” she explains.
Their life-changing, life-saving work is a point of pride, according to Hale. “We’re also responsible for helping employees make good choices and follow the same principles of honesty, fairness, respect and integrity. Our pride comes from the positive difference we make in the lives of people around the world. I love the fact we manufacture and make available innovative, cutting-edge medicines that have the ability to have a remarkable impact on patient lives.”
Want a life-changing, life-saving career, too? Here’s Hale’s advice to make that happen: “I would advise students of any discipline to seek broad experiences that will help them grow and understand the sector. The better one understands the sector, the better he or she will be able to achieve the client’s business objectives.”
The pharmaceutical sector will challenge you, but take a deep breath and sally forth, she advises.
“Each new opportunity demands more than you may first anticipate. It’s like that in your career, too. Each opportunity requires more responsibility than originally anticipated. These are the moments that define you. Take a deep breath and focus on the opportunity at hand. Once you get that opportunity, focus on getting it right to succeed. As my mother says, ‘If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing right,’” Hale concludes.
To learn more about job opportunities at AbbVie, visit abbvie.com/careers/home.html.
 
Glakpe Gets Creative at Galderma USA
Esinam Glakpe, consumer brand manager, aesthetic and corrective business at Galderma USA, is paid to be creative. “I design and implement the consumer marketing strategy for Galderma aesthetic and corrective injectable treatments, including creative campaigns, media mix, promotions and in-office education materials. I manage several external agency teams including creative, digital, PR/communications and media buying to develop and execute direct-to-consumer marketing programs,” she explains.
“While I do not have any direct reports, I partner with employees in different departments like legal, regulatory, medical, sales, compliance and communications to bring marketing campaigns to life,” she continues.
It isn’t just creative work. It’s revitalizing work, serving our bodies’ largest organ.
“Galderma is committed holistically to skin health providing science-based solutions to healthcare professionals and their patients at all ages and all stages of life. Today an estimated 1.4 billion people are in need of skin health solutions, whether they have skin conditions or want healthy skin to stay healthy. So I like that by working at Galderma, I have an opportunity to help people with their skin health journey and discover options that are accessible to them via the care of licensed healthcare professionals. I enjoy engaging with plastic surgeons, dermatologists and aesthetic specialists to understand the needs of their patients and the emerging trends in aesthetic and corrective techniques.”
Not all products by Fort Worth, TX-based Galderma, a global pharmaceutical company whose sole focus is on dermatology and skin health, are sold over the counter.
“The most surprising thing about my company is that we have an extensive portfolio of skin health solutions and are bringing a lot of innovation to the market. Most people know Galderma as the makers of Cetaphil®, but they don’t realize that we also have prescription and aesthetic and corrective products, as well. Galderma’s mission is to partner with healthcare professionals to provide innovative medical solutions to people with skin health needs,” Glakpe clarifies.
Whether prescription or over the counter, the products’ integrity comes from the company’s integrity, according to Glakpe: “I like that Galderma is highly committed to providing a working environment where integrity, innovation and professional development are a part of everyday life. The company acknowledges its success is determined by the success of the employees, so there’s emphasis on creating a professional atmosphere where employees have the opportunity to grow.”
However, growth sometimes comes down bumpy roads. “Doing something for the first time can be a scary experience because there isn’t a clear road map of how things should be done to arrive at the end goal. I’m a planner and a linear thinker, so I like to take sequential steps towards completing a project,” she elaborates.
“During my time as product development engineer in research and development at a large consumer packaged goods company, I led a project to create a new product design for a paper product that would communicate visually and tactically to consumers that the product was soft and strong. My colleagues in design had developed a pattern that contained intricate elements that had never been run on the production line before, and I had the job of scaling up the design so that we could make the product at the plant,” she recalls.
Glakpe tapped seasoned talent for this new challenge.
“I brought together the experts in the field with more than 15 to 20 years of experience to get their input on the potential risks and ways to minimize those risks. So I took the advice of my colleagues, but I also trusted my gut that just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it won’t work,” she shares.
“By taking calculated risks and testing two options in the plant, I was able to deliver the original design intent for the new product and pave the way for future product designs that featured even more intricate designs. The product went on to deliver more than $50 million in sales,” she proudly states.
Find more information about careers at Galderma USA by logging onto galdermausa.com/careers/CareerOpportunities.aspx.
 
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