Owning your career and stepping out of your comfort zone
Sandra Heller gives examples from her own circuitous career path (380 words, 2.5 min)
Taking opportunities and pursuing skills outside of the scope of one’s current position is vital for career advancement, according to Sandra Heller, General Manager of Seagen Canada.
In her talk during the 15th Annual National Pharmaceutical Congress, Heller (photo below) illustrated her argument with experiences from her own career.
“I’ve realized, throughout my career, the importance of following opportunities and taking myself out of my comfort zone,” said Heller. “I’m a firm believer that you must own your career.”
“In high school, I was a cashier at a local pharmacy,” she said. “They asked if I wanted to learn about being a technician. I was interested and found myself reading the big blue CPS books to understand what the products were used for. This took me down my career path in pharmaceuticals.”
Heller said she had her first career opportunity working for a consulting company that ran patient support programs (PSPs), which were just starting up. Later, she was approached with an opportunity to set up and run a PSP from inside a Pharma company. She learned about Interactive Voice Response Systems (IVRS), telephony systems, and hiring and training staff, which she had no previous experience with.
“I have also done more traditional roles: product manager, sales manager,” Heller said. “But I would continue to try to learn about areas I wasn’t familiar with. For example, when working in oncology, I wanted to understand more about market access, and I took courses for deeper knowledge.”
All these experiences set Heller up for the opportunity to be the Canadian lead at Seagen, a biotechnology company focused on cancer care. She described learning about quality systems, SOPs, Dell applications, distribution models, aligned reviews, and how to negotiate effectively with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance.
Heller has a few words of advice. “First, the importance of rolling up your sleeves and getting the work done.”
“Second, don’t be defined by your job description,” added Heller. “When there are opportunities to learn more, take them. These experiences might lead you in a different direction that perhaps you were not anticipating. Third, be curious and learn from others.”
Heller concluded by saying: “If you want something you have never had, then you have to do something you have never done.”
THIS WEEK 03/08/22
Teva Canada Limited announced the public drug plan reimbursement of AJOVY by Alberta, Saskatchewan, Québec, Veteran Affairs Canada and the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB). AJOVY is a subcutaneous injection for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults.
Pfizer Canada is recalling all lots of Accuretic (quinapril hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide) medication because of the presence of a nitrosamine impurity (N-nitroso-quinapril) that exceeded the acceptable level.
Novavax shared the findings from its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial that showed a high level of efficacy for NVX-CoV2373, its protein-based Covid-19 vaccine, over a six-month period. Additionally, the vaccine showed an efficacy of 82.5% in providing protection against all Covid-19 infections, both symptomatic and asymptomatic.
Bayshore announced on their Facebook page that their Specialty Rx pharmacy division is donating medical supplies to Ukraine to support emergency response activities during the crisis with Russia.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Season Six of the NPC Podcast has concluded, an ongoing exploration of Pharma’s purpose, process, and people with a diverse list of guests across eight episodes.
Podcast co-hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain spoke with guests for various perspectives on career development, understanding cancer patient journeys, the impact of the pandemic on work in Pharma, and lessons from the vaccine rollout. Did you miss an episode? Catch up now!
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 18 years. In the selection committee’s view, they stand for a representative cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. Each week, NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge one past Hall of Fame Honouree.
2007 Inductee
Graham Jobson
Toronto
Editor’s Note: Graham is currently a Principal at GSJ Consulting.
“I started as a salesman and in my view, I am still a salesman,” says Graham Jobson, President and CEO of Solvay Pharma Inc., reflecting on his 29 years in the pharmaceutical industry. A university graduate specializing in accountancy and finance, he had decided early on that he didn’t really want to be a chartered accountant. When an acquaintance suggested he should consider selling pharmaceuticals, it was a revelation to the young man who at the time had “no idea there were people selling drugs to doctors.”
Anxious to leave his first job selling chocolate for the large confectionary company, Nestlé, he focused his efforts on seeking a sales position in the pharma industry. Before long he landed a sales rep position at Syntex. “I remember going into doctor’s offices to try and sell HRT and most of the doctors said, ‘can you tell me what HRT is? I was even thrown out of some Catholic surgeries for trying to sell the pill to women over 50 who didn’t really need the pill,” he comments. Shortly thereafter he was appointed to a marketing position responsible for the anti-inflammatory drug Naprosyn, as well as a range of contraceptive pills.
After a couple of years, he would move to Eli Lilly where he enjoyed three years in marketing and sales management. “Then they tapped me on the shoulder and said they were looking for an internal auditor,” and it was a fascinating opportunity for him to travel throughout the UK and Europe as the company “policeman.”
He returned to Lilly’s UK office two years later to take over the marketing portfolio, initially for their GP products and subsequently for the hospital division. He would also help launch the controversial new antidepressant, Prozac, which he recalls as being both a “good and bad” experience. While sales did well, marketers struggled with the loss of control of the product to the media “not just the British media, but Larry King, Joan Rivers--whoever else wanted to jump on the bandwagon in North America.”
Jobson’s next promotion to National Sales Manager in 1989 would last for two years before a phone call from a headhunter would point him in the direction of Fournier. “I was 38 at the time, and I was getting to the stage of my career where I either stayed at Lilly for the rest of my life or did something else,” says Jobson, who would set up Fournier’s UK sales and marketing operations “from scratch.” The office, he recalls was “about 6 feet by 6 feet square, with a single sheet photocopier and a cell phone,” -a departure from the sophisticated corporate culture he left behind. It was Fournier that persuaded Jobson to leave the UK, charging him with the task of taking over the Montreal-based Canadian operation.
Now overseeing Solvay’s Canadian operations, Jobson says he will always have respect for his background in sales, adding that the best ideas for selling to doctors come from the people in front of doctors–the sales rep. “Although I’m not selling drugs to doctors the way I used to, I’m selling ideas and concepts for other people to take and develop. In that way, I’m selling to other companies that Solvay is a partner they can trust and respect.”
A high-energy individual, he is a true believer in the “competitive spirit.” Nevertheless, “without the tremendous support over the years from many talented individuals and my family, I would not be where I am today.”
NEXT WEEK
In the 03/15 edition of the NPC Healthbiz Weekly, more from the powerhouse panels of the 15th Annual National Pharmaceutical Congress. It’s easy to get your no-charge subscription and have the issue sent to your phone or inbox each Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. sharp.
Stay safe, stay sure, and stay on your game. We’ll see you again next week.
Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom, Sandra.