How to Manage Your Career: Aligning Personal and Career Goals
Dave Cann gives insights into Inizio Engage, adapting to change, and experiences that have shaped his approach to management. (1,119 words, 5.5 minutes)
In an era of dizzying scientific advances, Dave Cann chooses to see opportunity amidst uncertainty. As senior director of business development at Inizio Engage, a health services and technology company, Cann brings an optimistic vision to turbulent times. “For those that can embrace change and adapt with speed, I think it brings unparalleled opportunity,” he said recently, offering a hopeful note in a podcast interview on the NPC Podcast from the National Pharmaceutical Congress.
Cann [pictured below] said Inizio does everything from insight generation to medical affairs capabilities, experience, design of patient solutions, and sales promotion. According to Cann, the company generates meaningful partnerships with clients to challenge conventional thinking, empower patients to make better health decisions and enhance treatment outcomes. “Inizio is an Italian word that translates to a new beginning,” he said. “I think it’s a good reflection of what we’re trying to do in healthcare, and it’s time for a new start. It’s time to look at things through fresh eyes and innovation, to be more ingenious and creative in our approach to market great healthcare products to our patients.”
During the episode, Cann also mentioned how adapting to change is essential for a successful career. “We’re always faced with change,” he said. “And it’s an unrelenting need to embrace it.” He said that change is less evident for senior professionals helping to run corporations since it happens below the surface. Still, these executives need to bring change up into the senior leadership layer. “For those working for these organizations, they certainly need to be looking at how they can potentially adapt and evolve in their roles within the organization,” he said. “Or maybe even look somewhere else to placate personal development growth objectives they have professionally and personally.”
Cann suggests stepping out of one’s comfort zone and taking calculated career risks to achieve real change. He emphasizes the importance of having mentors, friends, and family to challenge and push oneself personally and professionally.
Cann has learned some crucial lessons throughout his career that have changed how he manages things. He believes that maintaining a balance between work and personal life is essential. According to him, prioritizing the needs of your own family is not shameful or selfish, but it is your primary responsibility. However, he says it should not come at the cost of the organization you are working for. His advice: Stay focused on what is important to you and what can help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
THIS WEEK 01/23/24
Health Canada approved Horizon Therapeutics’ inebilizumab for injection (Uplinza) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) who are anti-aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G seropositive (AQP4-IgG+).
Sun Pharma and Taro Pharmaceutical Industries entered into a definitive merger agreement.
Thermo Fisher Scientific received Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) approval from the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), allowing the company to manufacture RNA-based products at its Monza, Italy site.
Telecommunications giant Bell announced $1,000,000 in new grants from the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund to support ten additional organizations helping to create real change for members of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities in Canada.
LISTEN UP
In season 11 of the NPC Podcast, Andrea Schwarz, Commercial Lead in Canada at BeiGene Canada, gives insights into launching a commercial team during the pandemic, being at a company that focuses solely on oncology, and providing opportunities for the next generation of pharma. Hear her in conversation with podcast hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain.
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002 to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our vocation and inspire others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 21 years. In the selection committee’s view, they represent a cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge the 2023 Hall of Fame Honorees over the next few weeks. Nominate a colleague for the 2024 Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame here.
2023 Inductee
Gerard Fernandes
Managing Partner and President
Noviscend Inc.
Toronto
Gerard Fernandes, Managing Partner and President at Noviscend Inc., was inspired by his father, Rudy Fernandes, who was inducted into the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame in 2004. “He always told me about how important it was for Canada to have the right medications for patients,” remembers Fernandes, who recently held the position of Executive Director, Head of Commercial (Canada), at Alexion Pharmaceuticals for three years. “It was his strong belief that the pharmaceutical industry in Canada was making sure that we had access to the same medications that the U.S. or other countries have access to.”
Fernandes began his journey in the pharma industry as a medical sales representative with Fournier Pharmaceuticals and joined Biogen Idec, which is responsible for brands like Amevive in dermatology and Tysabri in neurology. He moved on to consulting and developed product launches with BioPharma Strategic Consulting, returning to the marketer side with UCB Pharma Canada Inc., focusing on rheumatoid arthritis.
Fernandes joined Alexion Pharmaceuticals in 2009 as Director of Marketing and Diagnostics and there he developed physician awareness around rare conditions such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), and the company’s treatment, Soliris™ (eculizumab). “That was an amazing product,” recalls Fernandes, noting the challenge of raising disease awareness of rare conditions. “If it is a rare disease, our goal was to help physicians identify their patients with the rare disease.”
The next phase in Fernandes’ career as Launch Excellence Lead, International focused on global markets but remained in the rare disease space. “It was an amazing learning opportunity, and I love to learn,” says Fernandes. “I was based in Canada but in Europe about two weeks out of every month. There was a lot of travel involved and understanding other markets.”
Fernandes led a successful launch of Ultomiris™ (ravulizumab) for the treatment of PNH in Germany and had the foresight to recognize an error in supply forecasting of the therapy and correct the error, thus avoiding a potential drug shortage and tainted launch of the product.
His promotion to Head of Commercial in Canada for Alexion allowed Fernandes to build the best team possible while keeping in mind the objective of getting the best medicines available to Canadians. As a leader at Noviscend Inc., Fernandes continues to deliver on that objective.
“My dad’s goal was always to help Canada be the best it could be and have the best healthcare system,” says Fernandes. “And that’s my goal.”.
NEXT WEEK
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