E25 - Embracing the Unknown: Navigating Ambiguity for Innovative Success

Real Time with WLP’s 31st episode features Kim Ferras, Senior Biopharmaceutical Representative at Amgen, speaking to the importance of Self-investment:  How to make Physical Fitness a Sustainable Priority.   With over 20 years’ experience, Kim, speaks frankly with Virginia Fairbanks, Mental Health Specialist, Lundbeck, on how health and fitness can play a vital role in humanizing the workplace, and can lead to career growth and improving overall business results.  Kim shares her philosophy of making physical fitness achievable and sustainable within one’s personal and professional life. 

This month’s podcast features Dyisha Reliford, VP, DEI Strategic Initiatives with Cencora, sharing why health equity is such an important topic that is re-emerging within our industry for our 30th episode of Real Time with WLP. In this podcast, Dyisha speaks with Angelina Braithwaite, Director, Strategic Client Engagement at Brunel where she shares her own personal journey and how it shaped her professional role in DEI and health based initiatives. Dyisha’s perspective is an opportunity for reflection on how leaders at all levels can instill change during this authentic and inspiring conversation.

Episode 29’s podcast features Domenico Beneveneto, Vice President of the Canadian Business Unit at MIP, our second male guest in our Real Time with WLP series. In this podcast, Domenico speaks with Jody Franklin, Director, Partnerships & Commercial Sales, CPhA, where he shares his philosophy on how one’s own approach as a leader can create workplace opportunities for women to succeed.  Take time to reflect on how women professionals can more proactively seize opportunities. About Domenico Benevento Domenico is a highly accomplished leader with nearly two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and medical consumables industries. Currently serving as the Vice President for the Canadian business unit at MIP, Domenico holds the reins in shaping the strategic direction and overseeing the commercial management of the Canadian division. Known for his customer and stakeholder-centric approach, he brings a distinctive perspective to problem-solving, ensuring that MIP's business aligns seamlessly with the needs of all those involved. Domenico's journey began as an award-winning sales representative, demonstrating proficiency across diverse disease areas including Cardiology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Oncology. His versatility extends to contributions in sales, marketing, training, commercial operations and fostering collaborations with government bodies, all aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility through innovative solutions. Valuing purpose-driven leadership, Domenico's strategic vision is centered on driving performance and positive outcomes for MIP in Canada. He champions a collaborative, growth-oriented workplace culture, prioritizing the development and well-being of his team while maintaining an unwavering commitment to innovation and performance.

Episode 28 is a special year-end podcast featuring some of our inspiring past guests (Christine Sakdalan, Chris Cummins, Dr. Carol Parker, Vanessa Roknic, Emma Charles, and Dana Singleton).  In this final podcast of 2023, they reflect on what they wish they had known earlier in their careers and share these moments that will inspire you to take pause for your own professional reflection.

This month’s Real Time with WLP podcast episode is with Dana Singleton, Senior Vice President & Sector Lead – Health at Edelman.  In conversation with Jessica Lovett, Dana explores Finding Balance in your Life as a Rule, not a Goal. She shares her view on the concept of balance, exploring its misconceptions and dynamic nature when managing different aspects of life.  As a woman leader responsible for managing teams, she has practical guidance on achieving personal balance and on how she supports her teams with their own self-investment.  Take a few minutes for yourself & listen to this thought-provoking conversation. With more than 18 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare areas, Dana is responsible for the strategic development of multi-faceted communications campaigns, senior level client counsel and account direction.  Dana excels at bringing together teams to execute integrated campaigns involving Edelman’s social and digital teams, paid & performance, earned media experts, and insights and analytics. Whether focused on planning, client relations or training, Dana is a team player who enjoys collaborating with colleagues in all sectors and specialties. At Edelman, Dana leads accounts for Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme, GSK, AstraZeneca, Merck Canada Inc. Her extensive experience includes work in a diverse number of therapeutic areas including neurology, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, mental health, chronic pain, digestive health, cardiovascular health and diabetes. Throughout her career, Dana has worked with stakeholder groups including the Eczema Society of Canada, Crohn's and Colitis Canada, PKD Foundation of Canada, Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Arthritis Society.  On behalf of her clients, she and her teams have been recognized in Canada and internationally with industry awards from the Canadian Public Relations Society, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Canadian Marketing Association. Dana also serves as the Canadian lead for GWEN, Edelman’s Global Women’s Equality Network.

In this episode of Real Time with WLP, Emma Charles, Senior Vice President- Intercontinental Markets, Bristol Myers Squibb and Cindy Woodcock from the WLP Mentoring Committee and Program Lead, Stakeholder Engagement at Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), talk about "The Critical Role of Authenticity as a Mentor". Emma describes what authenticity means to her and how it contributes to building positive relationships between mentors and mentees. We explore the “What If” approach and its impact on fostering authentic connections. Emma Charles is Senior Vice President of Intercontinental Markets at Bristol Myers Squibb. In this role, Emma oversees a diverse region, with responsibilities for 70+ markets across the world, including China, Asia, Australia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, Brazil and the Middle East. Prior to becoming SVP of Intercon, Emma was Vice President, General Manager & Board Member of BMS Italy for over six years. Before joining BMS, Emma spent more than nine years at Pfizer as Central European, Turkey & Israel Cluster lead, Head of Strategy & Business Development for Europe and Regional Lead of Rare Diseases and Neurosciences for Europe. She was with Janssen in both France and the U.S., leading commercial divisions within their neurosciences business. Emma began her career at Pasteur Merieux (now Sanofi Pasteur) working within their vaccine business as Marketing Manager of South East Asia and Global Brand Manager of Vaccines. Emma is passionate about accelerating and expanding access of innovative medicines to patients and about fostering employee engagement that thrives on diversity, inclusion and a strong speak-up culture. Her biopharma career spans more than 25 years across commercial, corporate strategy and business development operations. Emma graduated from a leading French business school in Paris, in Marketing & Finance. Emma currently resides in Rome, Italy with her family.

We invite you to listen to the newest episode of Real Time with WLP, Embracing the Unknown: Navigating Ambiguity for Innovative Success, featuring @Vanessa Roknic, Director, Digital Transformation & Innovation, Novo Nordisk and Diana Veronica Ferraez, Member of the Digital Committee at WLP. Vanessa shares her insights on how leaders can create a culture that embraces ambiguity and encourages innovation. Discover practical strategies to help up-and-coming leaders navigate ambiguity successfully. ABOUT VANESSA ROKNIC Vanessa Roknic has built a solid reputation for transforming organizations by identifying customers’ pain points, ideating viable solutions, and leading high-performing teams to execute. She leverages her R&D background coupled with expertise in front-end drug development and regulatory compliance to inform digital innovation and transformation from initial problem identification to creation of a total solution. Vanessa champions innovation across global enterprises through complex problem solving, strategic partner engagement, high-performance team building In her current role as Director, Digital Transformation and Innovation for Novo Nordisk, Vanessa leads the operations and expansion of the company’s first internal innovation incubator: Apis Labs. She builds novel partnerships with internal groups and external academic institutions to accelerate the volume and velocity of the innovation portfolio. Throughout her 8-year tenure with Novo Nordisk, Vanessa progressed from clinical project management roles first in Australia and then in the US, to newly formed roles in business performance and commercial innovation. She met the executive team’s mandate to pioneer a Proof of Concept (PoC) innovation incubator that drove rapid, incremental, and iterative experimentation to identify innovation opportunities. Vanessa holds an MBA from Colorado State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Microbiology / Immunology and Genetics from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. She completed Drug Development Product Management training at UC San Diego.

In this episode of Real Time with WLP “Imposter Syndrome: Time to Change the Narrative”, Dr. Carol Parker Walsh, Founder and Owner of Carol Parker Walsh Consulting, speaks with Tamara Lovi, Chief Business Officer at ROSE LifeScience Inc., about the different types of imposter syndrome and how women can manage it. Dr. Carol Parker Walsh is the founder and owner of Carol Parker Walsh Consulting, is a boutique strategic advisory, coaching, and training and development firm specializing in helping organizations and leaders unlock their innovation potential. They provide services in foresight strategy, coaching, facilitation, and leadership development. Dr. Parker Walsh is an award-winning master-certified executive coach, personal brand strategist, TEDx speaker, and 3x Amazon best-selling author. A sought-after international keynote, Carol is a Fellow of the Harvard Institute of Coaching and a published member of the Forbes Coaches Council, Newsweek Expert Forum, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, and Entrepreneur’s Leadership Network, the resident career expert on ABC’s AM Northwest Morning Show. Dr. Parker Walsh is a 2009 Iris Award & Women of Achievement winner. She was selected as one of the 100 Dynamic Leaders of the Year by Exeleon Magazine in 2022, and DotCom Magazine awarded her company the 2021 Impact Company of the Year Award. In addition, her podcast, The Midlife Career Rebel, was named one of Mac’s List Top Career Podcasts for 2022.    

Join us on an inspiring episode of Real Time with WLP! In this captivating discussion, Dr. Joan Fallon, visionary scientist as well as the Founder & CEO of biopharmaceutical company Curemark, sits down with Dorothy Czylyski, Partner & President at No Fixed Address Health (NFA Health), to unveil her life's mission of championing the health and wellbeing of children worldwide. Discover how Dr. Joan Fallon fearlessly embarked on an extraordinary path of leadership and sheds light on the transformative impact she's making by challenging the status quo. Prepare to be inspired by her passion for changing lives through reimagining innovation. ABOUT DR. JOAN FALLON Joan holds over 300 patents worldwide, has written numerous scholarly articles, and lectured extensively across the globe on pediatric developmental problems. A former Assistant Professor at Yeshiva University in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. She holds appointments as a Senior Advisor to the Henry Crown Fellows at The Aspen Institute, as well as a Distinguished Fellow at the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Franklin & Marshall College and The Pratt Institute. She currently serves as a board member at the DREAM Charter School in Harlem, the PitCCh In Foundation started by CC and Amber Sabathia, Springboard Enterprises an internationally known venture catalyst that supports women–led growth companies and Vote Run Lead a bipartisan not-for-profit that encourages women on both sides of the aisle to run for elected office.  She served on the ADA Board of Advisors for the building of the new Yankee Stadium and has testified before Congress on the matters of business and patents.  Joan is the recipient of numerous awards including being named one of the top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2020 by Goldman Sachs, 2017 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year NY in Healthcare and received the Creative Entrepreneurship Award from The New York Hall of Science in 2018. Joan also recently published her first book, Goodbye, Status Quo: Reimagining the Landscape of Innovation in January 2022. Now as a respected business leader, doctor, and academic, Joan is driven to share what she has learned and the perspectives that brought her success.

In this episode of Real Time with WLP, Terri Drover, Director-General, Health Products Stewardship Association, in conversation with Angelina Braithwaite, Senior Client Partner- Brunel, shares how navigating a 30 year career in pharma set her up for a leadership role in a globally recognized Association made up over 140 pharma and pharmacy  based members, forging environmental stewardship and sustainability for Extended Producer Responsibility Programs. Terri candidly shares her journey leading her to leadership, and more importantly the impact she is making by navigating allyship, building alliances and offering advice to newcomers in the pharma industry.