2. The EuroVoice
March 2010
HBA Europe Board of Directors 2010 The President’s Voice
President: Friederike Sommer, Founder
Dear All,
Friederike Sommer Training & Consulting
President elect: Jolanda Groenhuijzen, My name is Friederike
Managing Director, MyLanda GmbH Sommer and I have been a
Vice-President: Isabelle Buckle, Business training consultant and coach
Director Strategic Global Account Applied for more then 20 years, with
Biosystems a main focus on leadership
Immediate Past President Barbara Gerber, development.
Senior Director Client Services Europe,
I have been an active member of HBA since the
InterbrandHealth
very first brainstorming session back in 2005,
Treasurer: Gabriele Matthias, Research which was the beginning of HBA Europe. I am
Associate, Novartis Research Foundation FMI truly honored by the opportunity to serve as your
Secretary: Sabine Aslan, Paris president in 2010!
Chapter Mentor: Cathy Sohn
2010 is the official HBA ”Year of the Chapter”.
Senior VP, Worldwide Business Development,
Our European chapter has grown and developed
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare rapidly and I see this additional focus on the
chapter as an opportunity for Europe to become a
Directors at large strong and solid component of HBA worldwide.
We will be conducting a survey in April to identify
Membership: Annelie Stapela what European HBA members consider to be
VP Commercial Operations, R-Squared important, as well as gain your input on what you
Executive Search and Selection would like to see more of. Please take the time to
Programs: Dragana Zivkovic provide us with your feedback. More information
will follow via email.
Business Analyst, Novartis Pharma AG
Mentoring: Britta Luescher, Corporate Maintaining our core programs and developing
Citizenship and D&I Executive Animal Health, new markets within Europe is one of the key
Novartis objectives for our team this year.
EuroVoice: Silvia Pellegrini, Client Services Our Pan European Leadership Conference in 2009
Director, Sentrix Global Health Communications focused on leadership development in times of
Corporate Relations: Deborah Wong, economic uncertainty and rapid change. In such
Director CI, Novartis Pharma AD an environment it is important to follow the
Advocacy: Cherie Faiella, Executive Director, trends in industry, which will be one of the most
Office of the Chairman, Ernst&Young LLP important objectives of HBA Europe in 2010.
Talent Management: Gaia Pieraccini,
Managing Director, Mederis -Continued next page-
Marketing: Yasmina Eroglu, Head of
Marketing EEMEA, Oncology Novartis Pharma
AG Join the Ranks
Women in Science: Christine Billy, Scientific Not a member yet…?
Coordinator, Novartis Pharma AG; Linn Get Connected - Join today's leaders
Hjortsberh, Project Manager, Archimed Medical committed to professional growth for women.
Communications AG Get Involved - Gain powerful networking and
PR: Ritalba Lamendola, Associate, Valeocon leadership opportunities.
Management Consulting Get Ahead - Take advantage of career
enhancement & learn about industry issues and
trends.
For more information visit http://www.hbanet.org
3. The EuroVoice
March 2010
“The President’s Voice”
In this matter, our Senior Advisory Board, launched in Fall 2009, is providing us
with strategic guidance and advice. We are very proud and thankful to have
gained the support of a number of very senior and highly respected health care
professionals.
Besides this, HBA Europe is now cooperating with global and local healthcare
companies. These partners & sponsors offer an enormous resource of industry
insights, senior role models and knowledge.
I look forward to further developing these relationships in the coming year and
learn how we can grow with them the HBA in Europe.
Building a strong organization all starts with engaged and enthusiastic members
and volunteers. Being an active member has provided me with great personal
benefit and thus I feel very strongly about establishing a solid talent management
program within HBA Europe. Members should be offered the opportunity to not
only contribute to the community, but to get an immediate return by acquiring
‘hands-on’ experience and broadening their skills.
Looking forward to an exciting and proactive year with you all!
Sincerely yours,
Friederike Sommer
What is Missing From Your Resume?
By Linn Hjortsberg, Project Manager, Archimed Medical Communication and Co-director Women in
Science
Times are rocky. The industry is struggling. It is not a great time to be looking for jobs. According
to www.salary.com 65% of the workforce is passively or actively looking for jobs. The number of
actively looking individuals increased by 17% during the last year.
Bonnie Lappin CPC, President, The Lappin Company, has provided in-depth, customized
resume consultations to over 4,000 of professionals for over twenty years. One rainy evening in
October, she joined the Women in Science (WIS) group at Restaurant Safran-Zunft in Basel to
give her insight on how to advance one’s career by discovering hidden skills, strengths and
talents. In this very interactive session Bonnie discussed what Hiring Managers are typically
searching for in a candidate and what Human Resources are screening for when they receive
resumes.
3
4. The EuroVoice
March 2010
What is Missing From Your Resume? - cont’d -
So how do you stay attractive for employers when the positions are few and competition is
tougher than ever? How do you get noticed when recruiters spend an average of 90
seconds scanning your CV?
According to Bonnie, individuals working in Life Sciences dedicate years to attaining
academic degrees that give them the necessary credentials to pursue their chosen
professions. More years are invested in gaining job experience, but typically no time is spent
learning how to best present their experience and credentials in the one document they will
continually use to advance their career—their resume.
So how do you improve the chances your resume will not get lost in the pile? What is the
primary purpose of a resume? To get you an interview! Look for key points from the job
description in order to understand what the employer is looking for. Identify the key
points that match your experience and customize you resume to highlight the sought for
skills. Many people make the mistake of thinking one need only one resume, said Lappin,
however, it is not only perfectly fine but necessary to work with multiple customized CVs.
Matching key points get you to the interview, once there you have the chance to give
the full picture.
HBA NEWS FROM PARIS
The French membership of HBA Europe has grown
significantly over the last months and, as a result, has set
up a local organising committee based in Paris. Committee
members include Chantal Legrand from Pfizer (Event
Locations), Pascale Auge from Ernst & Young (Event
Content), Catherine Heron from Chandler Chicco (Local
Media Relations) and Gabriele Silvagni from Grey
Healthcare Group (Committee Chair). The Committee has
already appointed ambassadors in many Paris-based
companies to spread the HBA message and increase its
visibility within the organizations. The group met earlier
this year to work on the events calendar for 2010 and is
confident that HBA members will appreciate what it is in
store for them. Here are some of the topics in our program
of events: Health 2.0 (April 14th); Market Access (May
20th), Leadership (June 24th), Personal Branding
(September), Mentoring (October 14th) and Negotiation
(November). HBA Europe is looking forward to an exciting
year full of opportunity and growth in Paris!
5. The EuroVoice
March 2010
Connect with the HBA from any computer
By Carol Meerschaert, MBA, RD
HBA Director of Marketing and
Communication
You enjoy connecting with other HBA members at seminars and social events, but how
do you stay connected between meetings? Social Media! Join the HBA on Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter and our blog and stay constantly connected.
Facebook
Facebook's mission is to give people the power to
share and make the world more open and connected.
Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up
with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos,
share links and videos, and learn more about the
people they meet.
The HBA has a page as do several chapters. Both
members and non-members can become “fans” of the
page. This shows their support and gives us
permission to contact them via Facebook message and
posts updates on their home page when they sign in.
Having a Facebook page allows the HBA to get in front
of the 350 million Facebook users worldwide. It serves as a free outreach tool to increase the
public awareness of the HBA, find prospects, engage members, promote events, share photos,
and create a dialog. Facebook is viral marketing. The average user has 130 friends, who all see
when a person writes on the wall (posts an open message) or RSVPs for an event. People
who would never visit our website can find out about the HBA and your C/A events and
activities.
Since you can view Facebook in the language you select it lowers language barriers. (70
translations are available on the site and about 70% of Facebook users are outside the United
States). Facebook also has an easy interface for sharing photos, adding events, posting links to
articles and more.
Go to http://www.facebook.com/hbanet and become a fan.
6. The EuroVoice
March 2010
Connect with the HBA from any computer - cont’d-
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world,
representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate
with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals. LinkedIn has
over 55 million members. The HBA has a group. You can use this shortcut URL to access it:
http://ow.ly/KyIl. You must be a member of the HBA to join. The LinkedIn group allows HBA
members to post news, promote events, and create a dialog using the discussion feature.
Over half of all HBA members are in the group and we get 10 requests to join each day (up from
10/week in November). When you join the group you assist the HBA because all of your
connections see the HBA logo at the bottom of your profile and learn about us.
The HBA group has subgroups within the main group for the Affinity groups (Women in Science,
Women in IT, Women in Transition, etc) to foster targeted discussions across geographic
boundaries.
Twitter
Twitter asks one question, "What's happening?" Answers must be under 140 characters in length
and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web. The HBA account is @HBAnet.
Twitter allows us to send messages about HBA events, deadlines, news in a very short, time
efficient manner. At this point we follow 143 companies and individuals and 112 follow us,
including people from London, Bangkok, Paris, Toronto, and Heidelberg. Twitter allows us to see
news from our members and corporate partners.
Twitter has 18 million users, expected to grow to 25 million by the end of 2010. You gain
exposure to people you would not find other places. We encourage all members to join Twitter
and then follow the HBA.
Blog
A blog is the place for more casual news, and longer
articles. You gain exposure to people you would not find
other places. Our blog is on Wordpress, an open source
free blogging tool. The HBA twitter feed shows on the right
side of the blog. The blog allows us to repeat news found on
the website so that it is searched and found by people who
read blogs. Linking back to our website from a blog hosted
on WordPress increases our search engine rankings (how
high up on the page our website shows up in a Google
search).
We encourage all members to read our blog
http://hbanet.wordpress.com/ and comment on the stories.
Volunteers can be added as authors if you have someone
who wants to write for the blog.
As you can see the HBA is working hard to help
all of us communicate. Please join us online!
7. The EuroVoice
March 2010
Evening with Deborah Dunsire, HBA 2009 Woman of the Year
By Sandrine Haguy, Administrative Expert, Novartis AG
Basel, January 27th 2010. Dr. Deborah Dunsire, CEO of Millenium
Pharmaceuticals and the HBA Woman of the Year 2009 joined HBA
Europe at the Solvay Pharmaceuticals site in Basel to share her
experience and thoughts of working as a woman in the healthcare
industry.
The award ‘HBA Woman of the Year’ is given to a woman that, just like
Deborah, meets the following criteria: success in the healthcare
industry, strong leadership capabilities, proven mentoring skills,
dedication, a commitment to giving back to women, and
contributions to the community.
Deborah was born in Zimbabwe from Scottish parents and studied in
South Africa to obtain a medical degree as a general practitioner. As she
wanted to specialize in ophthalmology but had to one year to start her Deborah Dunsire
training, she decided to bridge this time working in a hospital emergency
room. However, when she saw a job announcement in the newspaper for
a position as clinical researcher in a pharmaceutical company, with many
perks and a good salary, she decided to apply for this position, not
realizing how this change would impact her direction in life. Instead of
working in a hospital, she has now been active for 22 years in the
healthcare industry.
She discovered the importance of her work and its impact on patients,
and decided to continue. It is also a lot of fun!
She worked in Sandoz in South Africa where she found her mentor, the
CEO, who advised her to pursue an international career in order to see
The audience captured by Deborah’s speech
how other cultures work and operate. It is a very valuable experience in
an industry that changes frequently. She then moved to Novartis where
she spent 17 years passionately participating in the creation of the
Oncology Department whilst progressing from one function to another; “it
was a wonderful experience to help patients”.
Then came the offer to become CEO of Millenium. This was a difficult
decision to make. “I feared to fail and even to be fired by the Board of
Directors. I called my mentor for advice and he asked me what could
happen? In any case nobody is gonna die. It is true, we think that our
problems are important but they are not. I realized that I was now 17
years in a company where I had reached a comfortable zone and it was Networking apero after the presentation
time to take the challenge to change and lead Millenium”. It was a lot of
work to build the commercial function, to develop new products
successfully and grow the business. The success of Millenium was
noticed by Takeda. If she had to reply again to the question “what are you
going to loose?”, she would say: “even if what is in front of you does not
seem very safe, you need to take the risk if you want to grow”; and do not
forget that work is a piece of your life, a part that YOU choose”.
8. The EuroVoice
March 2010
Evening with Deborah Dunsire, 2009 WOTY - cont’d -
The audience was very impressed with her story and asked many questions.
The future of the industry is to focus on one million patients in the developed countries, while there
are ten million scientists in poor countries. What is your view on where medical innovation will
come from?
Deborah: I see a rise of Asia and emerging nations. The focus is on education. China is the second
country in Scientific discovery and publication compared to the US. In the next two decades we will see a
strong influence from China and the pressure on developed economies to be more innovative and
competitive and not self-contented.
What is it going to take for us to grow and be as successful as you are?
Deborah: You need open-mindedness of who is making the decision. There should be more diversity in
high-management. Frankly there is no recipe. There is no opportunity to grow unless there is advocacy.
The person above you should give you what you need to develop yourself. If you do not have it, move!
Most of all think of who you are, feel respected and get coaching if needed.
I did all the things mentioned above. How to succeed in complex organizations and in the world of
today?
Deborah: You cannot do it alone. You need to draw others in. Learn all the time, see what people expect,
your team will help you. You should be in a collaborative environment.
Companies are going through major changes. A lot of emotion is showed. What would be the
perspective on emotion and interaction with colleagues?
Deborah: Stress shows up and emotion is valuable. Emotions are part of our lives. Allow people to bring
their whole self to work and in exchange you will get willingness to take risks, energy, innovation… It is
better to say what an emotion is instead of leaving it as it can be misinterpreted.
How did you survive the first 6 months when you decided to leave Novartis and your comfortable
zone?
Deborah: Don’t be scared to ask stupid questions and read a lot. You should look for people who can give
you the answers, people who have experience and are willing to help you. Be comfortable with
imperfection because it has its benefits: you learn a lot!
Do you balance gender when you choose your leadership team?
Deborah and Stefan Borgas (CEO Lonza): Performance is better when a team is diversified. If the top of
the organizations do not believe in the benefit of diversity, it will not work. Do not listen to words, believe
in behaviors. Look for organizations which walk-the-talk.
WOMEN IN SCIENCE (WIS)
WIS is an HBA program dedicated to fostering the advancement of women working in a scientific function. WIS
operates in sub-groups who discuss and research topics and then share their findings with the group at large during
monthly dinners. The output of the research work can be a publication, training, conference, etc.
Each WIS member is offered to either work with a sub-group on an already identified topic or to select a topic on
which she wishes to initiate sub-group activities. Sub-groups in Basel and Paris are currently working on:
• How do analysts judge an R&D portfolio
• How to transition from academia to industry
• How to transition from one company to another or from a function to another
• Boss/associate relationship and its impact on job satisfaction and career development
• Innovation in Europe
9. The EuroVoice
March 2010
Interview with Cherie Faiella
Global Strategist, Office of the Chairman Accounts
Ernst & Young and HBA Europe Board Member
Cherie, we met two years ago at the pan-European annual event, which
you were attending for the first time. You are now a committed sponsor
and dedicated member of the HBA European board. What made you
decide to become more involved with HBA since your first introduction to
our group?
In late 2006, I relocated from NYC to Zurich with Ernst & Young, a long-standing sponsor of HBA,
to build our Global Pharma Center and lead the Pfizer and J&J global accounts in EMEIA. A year
later I learned about the European HBA Chapter. After attending the 2008 pan-European
conference and observing the outstanding accomplishments of the founding board, becoming
actively engaged was essential. I was weary of theorists and in my view Europe was ready
for authentic leaders such as these, well prepared to pioneer new business models in the health
industry as it relates to the business impact of women at the table and in the boardroom. This
conversation was happening at HBA Europe and I knew how to help advance this agenda and
contribute in a meaningful way.
In addition there were 4 primary drivers that created the type of passion which evolved into my
board commitment over the following two years:
1) The opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with the dynamic, intelligent and compassionate
women and men of the HBA Europe whom I now have the honor of calling, friends
2) Co-creating and building from what is really still green field. I am not one of the founding board
members of the EU Chapter, but I am a fairly early adopter and supporter and have been able to
co-build and contribute in areas where I have expertise and passion which has given me great
satisfaction
3) The chance to be a small part of expanding the HBA, established over 30 years ago. Our
chapter is the first outside of the USA. We are at once a European HBA Chapter and a pilot for
globalization. This is an outstanding opportunity to help pave the way, yet it is at the same time
a responsibility. We are sharing insights on culture, legislation, policy and more with our USA
colleagues as well as learning and integrating EU Partners
4) I appreciate the opportunity to return the gifts which I was afforded by my long ago mentors, who
opened the right doors and my imagination beyond what I could have believed was possible.
Your initial responsibility last year was forming the first European Senior Advisory Board
with senior level executives from our industry and in 2010 as Chairwoman of the Ad Board.
What motivated you to undertake these challenging tasks at these points in time; what was
the process; and what personal rewards have you received from these specific activities?
The EU HBA board leadership collectively had long felt the time was right in the evolution of the
Chapter to form a senior advisory board to help direct the strategy of the chapter, in alignment
with the key objectives as set forth by the HBA Board of Directors and Executive Board. The
chapter board also wanted to ensure that what we were building for the membership had an
external and senior level perspective that would help inform our views and add fresh and innovative
ideas. We are interested in creating programs for more senior level members to participate in and to
encourage our Corporate Partners to contribute along with their internal women's networks as this
will enrich the experience for our HBA membership. Selecting the current board members in 2009
was a complex process to ensure we had the correct mix of leaders from Industry, Academia,
Government and overall Innovation. We took the time and spent the first year in the selection,
nomination, invitation and induction process which was inclusive and based on consensus.
10. The EuroVoice
March 2010
In retrospect, given the outcome of our current talented and generous Senior Advisory Board, it was
absolutely the right thing to do.
The career demands of these professional women and men are exhaustive, and I personally feel
humbled by the time and contributions they are making on behalf the HBA Europe. To be the Co-
Chairwoman of this board of outstanding leaders is indeed an honor.
Can you share a few more words about the role or mission of the Senior Advisory Board and the
views they have expressed that have helped HBA Europe? Also, have these views been
implemented as yet?
The Senior Advisory Board’s mission is to operate as a think tank to provide new ideas and contribute to
understanding and maximizing diversity to strengthen the HBA. They have committed to challenging our
priorities to maintain a clear focus on the HBA Board and our strategic imperatives.
These leaders are true propellants to the building of an HBA community in Europe and enhancing
the visibility of the organization to drive the leadership development of women. The board
members recognize that we are a young chapter in Europe but also appreciate the value of HBA
membership and partnership and understand the role they play in shaping the future. We are excited by
the views expressed thus far and we have already integrated several of the excellent ideas into the HBA
marketing, speaker programs and corporate partnership committees and actual events in Europe. HBA
‘partnerships’ is a key initiative and we are actively engaged in becoming more global. As an example, in
2009 E&Y nominated the first ever Global Rising Star from France. In 2010 J&J and Amgen (non EU
board) nominated their Global Rising Star from Europe and E&Y from China. We hope more corporate
partners will join in the global integration by choosing Rising Stars from Europe or others locations in the
world in 2011. J&J Global D&I is partnering with the HBA in Europe as a direct result of our J&J HBA
Senior Advisory Board Member. Board members from GSK, Pfizer, AZ, Roche, Elan, Novartis, INSEAD
are making impressive contributions and helping us with improvements. I would love to mention
everyone, suffice it to say, each member of the HBA Senior Advisory Board in Europe is extraordinary.
If you were to encourage our European members of the Chapter to get more involved, what would
you tell them?
I highly recommend and encourage our European members to become more involved by volunteering on
a committee, sponsoring an event, actively networking, mentoring and/or expressing an interest in a
board role that is aligned with their passion and expertise. I am passionate about people, world cultures,
relationships, collaborative leadership, new business models, strategy, innovation and inclusion. These
led me to become Director of Advocacy and Chairwoman of the Senior Advisory Board as well as EY
sponsorships. So, ask yourself, what is your passion?
I also believe when it comes to investing in a professional network, women should be more actively
involved earlier in this journey and throughout their careers. We build networks to essentially engage and
share, learn and develop. It’s hard work actually, but it’s a critical success factor. Joining in the programs
and events and inviting a guest to introduce them to the HBA network, is getting involved.
And one last thought, our intentions are so important. Kwai Yu, Founder of the Leaders Café, and author
of the book: Knowing, Doing, Winning expresses intent best, "I believe you should look for an
opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. "
If we each come to the table with the true intent of supporting and helping each other, not only to sell or
receive, just imagine.....the rich exchange of ideas, knowledge and information in the room, all with the
intent of making a difference in the lives of the people you meet. Your relationships and network will
begin on this foundation and flourish.
Cherie was interviewed by Silvia Pellegrini, Client Services Director, Sentrix Global Health
Communications – Europe and EuroVoice Director
11. The EuroVoice
March 2010
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: THE KEY TO THE FUTURE
by Sandrine Haguy, Administrative Expert, Novartis AG
Basel, January 12th 2010. We had the pleasure Project management is the set of processes
to start our first HBA WIS event of the year with that manages the delivery. A project manager
Roger Dixon, B.Sc., C. Math., MIMA, PMP, analyses the situation and plans, manages and
member of the board of PMI Switzerland, who tracks the delivery. The key to Project
presented “Project Management: The Key to the Management is to understand how the delivery
Future”. This topic raised great interest process is progressing and not to get too deeply
according to more than 30 participants. Roger into the work itself. Leadership in Project
introduced the different aspects of Project Management raised interest in the audience.
Management. There were several questions such as: “Is
Project Management is all about people and leadership needed to lead project? How to best
is universally applicable. It exists in all areas and teach people in leadership? How to deal with
is not-industry specific. conflicts? How to get resources? Our speaker
replied that leadership is characterized by a
The three main pre-requisites in Project person having personal authority and the ability
Management are: to motivate followers, rather than using
1. Adequate knowledge of the project organizational authority. With strong leadership,
environment one uses soft skills to manage the team. A
2. Project management process skills leader needs to understand how to
3. The human element (soft skills). communicate efficiently. “The best way to
develop leadership is to work closely with
The human element is the art of dealing with people to help them deliver what is required.
people, managing conflicts and Everything rests on the way you manage
demonstrating strong leadership skills, which and treat people”. In case of conflict, it is
is crucial to Project Management. “The process important to concentrate on the stakeholders’
skills can be learnt but the human skills are more expectations. This will enable a resolution to be
difficult to acquire and typically need significant more readily found. Resource problems can be
experience”. Women are generally better in the avoided by involving steering committee, as
softer areas of Project Management. Women are they are ultimately responsible for ensuring that
well-represented in the field of Project business value is delivered. The final point
Management and in fact the first PhD in project concerned Project Management in a global
management was obtained by a woman. environment. “Globalization can prove
During the session a question was asked problematic to Project Management”,
concerning the difference between project commented Roger. “The distance between the
management and product management. Product team leads to more information being
management is the process of building and exchanged via documents and less through
delivering the product. face-to-face meetings”.
12. The EuroVoice
March 2010
Clinical Trials – Legal and Ethical implications from a Lawyer’s Perspective
First Italian ‘Women in Science' event - with the participation of Giulia Bramanti, Eversheds
Bianchini law firm
By Silvia Pellegrini, Client Services Director, Sentrix Global Health Communications – Europe
Milan, December 10th 2009. Moving to a foreign country can be challenging but
energizing. Doing business in a foreign country can be demanding but
rewarding. Can you imagine what running a clinical trial in a foreign country
could bring you? Luckily we have Giulia Bramanti, associate of the law firm
Eversheds Bianchini, expertly lead us through the intricacies of running clinical
research trials in Italy, a country not undeservedly known for the creativity of its
people and the complexities of its legislative system.
Imagine your US based company wishes to include an Italian center in an international research trial,
and imagine you have to set up your trial procedures starting from a pre-established international
clinical and administrative protocol. An ethics committee in the chosen healthcare center will need to
review and approve your international protocol, ensuring that it is viable and compliant with both the
national and regional regulations that govern the provision of healthcare (the Italian healthcare services
are managed and administered by regional authorities). Upon receiving the approval from the ethics
committee, you will enter the clinical trial agreement which occurs between you and the healthcare
institution, and not with the individual investigator - as this would not be allowed by Italian law. This
agreement would be a fairly short one, as duties and responsibilities are covered in detail by Italian law
and for this reason they don’t need to be specified at length. You should note, for example that it will
not be possible to limit your liability of negligence or misconduct and that, as a sponsor, you will have
the duty to provide an insurance coverage against the risks and damages that can be provoked by
the trial (as established in the guidelines published by AIFA, the Italian government body that regulates
the pharmaceutical sector).
The ethics committee will also review and approve your informed consensus form, one of the most
critical documents in the process. Balancing out the information about clinical risks involved and
adverse events with expected positive outcome is a job of great responsibility as it is assumed that the
patients should confirm participation also based on full understanding of the content of the form, feeling
free to withdraw at any stage. How you drafted your consensus form will also be considered should any
legal case take place. In fact it is not rare that ethical questions deriving from the patient’s right to
health arise in the course of a trial. Giulia cites some common situations which make us realize the
important role of the ethical committees on one side and legal depts. and advisors on the other: patient
unable to give informed consent, patient not having a legal representative, patient not feeling free to
make the choice, patient not receiving any follow-up after participating in the trial, patient wanting to
continue treatment with the research drug, patient not being provided with an updated consensus form
with the latest trial data, etc. to mention a few.
Lastly, due to time running and certainly not for having exhausted the topic, another area where you
should be particularly careful in international trials in the treatment of personal data and the
protection of confidentiality. In Italy, there is an authority that regulates this aspect and determines
that the investigator is the only party entitled to be fully informed about the patient information. This is
generally difficult to achieve for many reasons, but it is even more challenging in the case of
international trials, since data are often transferred abroad, and very likely to countries with different
data protection laws.
Thanks to Giulia, we leave this WIS event convinced that running international clinical trials is not an
easy walk and that you better include in your backpack a knowledgeable team of lawyers to navigate
you through the maze of laws, regulations, decrees, guidance, guidelines, etc., particularly in ‘intensely’
legislated countries like Italy.
HBA Europe and the Women in Science initiative wish to thank the law firm Eversheds Bianchini for
hosting the event.
13. Euroleader’s Voice
The EuroVoice
A column by Angelica Mirza , Partner- Amrop, Global Executive Search
December 2009
angelica.mirza@amrop-asa.com
Paola Corna Pellegrini
A leading pharmaceutical senior executive and mother of two shares her
inspiring life and career with HBA Europe
Before telling you about my career, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself as a
person: I am 51 yo, married with Marco Manfrin, an ENT Doctor and University
Professor, and we have two children, Francesca (21 yo) and Matteo (15 yo). My
family has always been my first priority, despite the passion and the huge amount of
time I have always dedicated to my job. It was hard, but the family eventually worked
as a team to everyone’s satisfaction and enrichment, including the companies I
worked for.
My 27 years carrier, after a University degree in Mathematics and an MBA, began at Henkel Cosmetic
where in 8 years I progressed from Assistant Brand Manager up to Marketing Manager Personal Care.
After having Francesca, my first child, I moved to the Insurance Services Industry, joining Europe
Assistance as Marketing Director and becoming Sales & Marketing Director in the following 5 years. In ’94
my second child Matteo was born. When after the five months of compulsory maternity leave I was offered a
‘diminished’ role, I decided to leave the company and to invest my time in exploring a new professional route
as consultant and in taking care of my children.
In 1996 I had the opportunity to enter the Pharmaceutical Industry as Marketing Director Novartis
Consumer Health Italy, where I spent some fundamental years of my carrier, becoming BU Head OTC in
2002, General Manager OTC in 2004 and participating in the global development of key brands like
Voltaren OTC.
After 10 years with Novartis, I decided to capture the opportunity from Zambon Pharmaceuticals to further
develop my professional experience by taking over the role of World Wide General Manager and Member
of the Board of Directors of Zambon Pharma, and CEO of Zambon Italy SpA. Not being mobile for family
reasons, this was a unique opportunity for me to play an international role: Zambon Pharma SPA is in fact a
family-owned Italian multinational company, with a turnover of ca 440 M € of which 75% abroad, directly
present in 12 countries through its subsidiaries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, The Netherland,
Switzerland, Russia, Brazil, Colombia, China, Indonesia = 90% of the turnover) and through L&D
agreements in other 33 countries over the world, 3 manufacturing plants, 1800 employees.
In Zambon I really had the opportunity to reshape the company: I defined a new long-term strategy and
implemented a new business model and organizational structure in the HQs and the key countries. These
structural changes have enabled the company to achieve a significant growth of both the top line and the
profit improving the economics of all the countries.
In January 2009, I decided to start my own business and I have been Independent Corporate & Business
Strategy Consultant in the Healthcare and Well Being area since then.
Among my clients Accenture Life Science, Zambon Pharma and other European and Global
Pharmaceutical/Biotech companies interested in defining the best strategy to enter the European and Italian
market and to find partners.
3
14. The EuroVoice March 2010
Very recently, at the end of 2009, I was selected by the “Ready for Board Women” initiative as a
suitable candidate for BoDs in important private and public companies. I am proud to be part of this first
selection, in particular because in Italy the situation is dramatic: despite 58% of the university graduates
being women, only 17% of top managers are women and only 6 % of the board members of listed
companies are women (including daughters of the owners!).
The aim of this successful initiative, promoted by the PWA (Professional Women Association) with the
support of Bocconi University of Milan and the endorsement of the Italian Government and the Minister of
Equal Opportunities, was to demonstrate that if you look closely, there are many qualified women for BoD
positions, against the myth that there are few qualified women for these roles. “Ready for Board Women”
published a book which includes the profiles of 72 women managers. The criteria definition and selection
of suitable candidates was made by an advisory board, including leading Executive Search companies which
contributed voluntarily with their competencies and network of contacts.
I hope my story will inspire and give enthusiasm to all the women who have to cope with all their personal
and professional challenges in building their carrier. Thank you HBA for the opportunity to share my
experience with all of you and for the continuous effort in promoting the women leadership in the
Healthcare industry.
.
ADVICE FOR TALENTED WOMEN
from Paola Corna Pellegrini
Be yourself. You don’t have to hide your feminine soul to imitate men in order to be
valued as manager. I know that it is hard sometime to get respect from the male
managers, but we have to educate them and to make them understand that our value
addition to the business comes right from our diversity.
Don’t try to be a “bionic woman”. We have to accept that we can’t be the best wife,
the best mother, the best manager (according to male criteria, that mainly translates
in ‘time dedication’): I tried, but after some very difficult years I had to give up and ask
for my husband’s support. He accepted and since then he has been concretely
helping me in managing…the family. We have to make the others around us
understand that there is a benefit for all of them, within the family and the company, if
we play all those different roles in our life.
Try to find a good balance between personal and professional life.
Look for a good mentor. Within the organization or outside, ask for transparent and
challenging feedbacks about your managerial skills and your behaviors, share your
professional aspirations and ask his/her help to design the path to make them
happen.
Sell yourself. Don’t expect that the others recognize your value even though you
achieve outstanding performances.
Ask for a carrier improvement and path definition and for salary increases
when you believe you deserve it.
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15. The EuroVoice
March 2010
**UPCOMING HBA EUROPE EVENTS**
Paris, April 14th, 2010
Health 2.0 in Europe: major market trends and business opportunities
London, April 14th, 2010
Putting Market Access at the Heart of Commercialization
Milan, April 19th, 2010
How to be Headhunted – Networking event
Paris, May 20th, 2010
Market Access: strategies to drive success at any stage of your
product lifecycle
Paris, June 24th, 2010
The 'Masculine' and 'Feminine' Sides of Leadership
Milan, June 2010
M&A: how to manage the M&A to improve business without disruption
Munich, June/September 2010
Kick off event in Munich
Paris, September 2010
Branding yourself: enhance competitive advantage and professional
advancement
Zug, September 2010
Event with J&J and Amgen
Paris, October 14th, 2010
The core principles of mentoring: a catalyst for professional
development
Milan, October 2010
Career , Competencies within a Global Company: from Country to HQs
Paris, November 2010
Negotiation Techniques - How to win by not negotiating against
yourself
