1. About Values & Behaviors of
PhD associates in Clinical
Research & Development
Yves Geysels
Director Clinical Operations, Quintiles Belgium
Antwerp Doctoral School, April 16, 2012

2. Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this presentation are
the sole responsibility of the author and do not
necessarily reflect those of the company.
I have no financial relationships to disclose

3. Who am I ?
– Msc in Physical Education, 1980; MSc in Rehabilitation Sciences and
Physiotherapy, 1983
– Doctor in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, 1990
– 1991: Clinical Research Associate (CRA) at Hoechst
– 1991: Lecturer at the UA, Dept. of Sportsmedicine
– 1998: Clinical Trials Manager Bristol-Myers Squibb
– 2001: Head International Clinical Research Operations , Novartis Belgium
– 2012: Director Clinical Operations, Quintiles Belgium
– 2012: Visiting Professor , University College Antwerp (Artesis)

4. Source: Careers of doctorate holders: employment and mobility patterns; Laudeline Auriol, OECD1, 26-Mar-2010

5. Interested in a career in CR&D ?
–Job Description
–Hiring Process
–Personality

6. Job Description

7. Hiring Process: The Ideal Candidate
Profile (=Role)
JD
Technical Skills Personality
Competencies

8. Learning agility factors
 Comfortable with complexity /  Self aware / personal improver
ambiguity  Situationally responsive
 Finds solutions to tough  Politically agile
problems
People  Skilled communicator / conflict
 Reads broadly manager
 Curious to a fault
Agility
Mental High Change
Agility Potential Agility
 Tinkerer / never satisfied
 Has drive/ personal presence  Takes the heat of
Results resistance
 Adaptable
Agility  Introduces new “slants”
 Builds high performing teams
 Leads change
 Beats the odds: resourceful

9. Values and Behaviors

10. Values and Behaviors

11. Recommendations
–There is a need for PhDs in private sector!
–Pimp up your CV
–PhDs do pass first screenings
–Choice: expert career path vs managerial
position
–Be creative, innovative and enforce leadership
behaviors
–Learning agility factors: key for success
–Work towards the values and behaviors of the
company

12. Globalisation
Every morning in Afrika, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it
will be killed
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will
starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a
gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
Source: The World is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman, 2005