Everyone has experienced poor customer service in one form or another. Say you want to call a company with a question or a complaint about a product. You’re likely to be informed by an automated voice that, “Due to the high volume of calls we are currently experiencing, your anticipated wait time will be X minutes.  For faster and more convenient customer service, please visit our website at www.wedon’tcaretospeaktoyou.com.

During a conversation with Pascale Witz, leader of Sanofi’s newly created global divisions and strategic development organization, the former GE executive commented on the value of headhunters (recruiters) in being able to do more than fill talent gaps. 

Choosing to come to work for Sanofi in July 2013 couldn’t have been an easy decision for Pascale Witz. After all, she was leaving a job as president and CEO of GE Healthcare’s medical diagnostics business, a company where she had worked for the previous 17 years. Furthermore, Sanofi was facing huge patent cliff hurdles during this time period. 

“When I got ill, it was completely by surprise,” says Dr. Jan Vesseur. The former general practitioner who now works as a civil servant for the Netherlands Ministry of Health was on a skiing trip in France when a fall forever changed his life. “My daughter, also a doctor, was with me,” he recalls. “The fall was very soft, and we couldn’t believe it was anything other than some low-back pain.”

Years ago I was asked to enroll my daughter in medical research. As I recall, the University of Buffalo physician approached me shortly before my child was to undergo a procedure. They were hoping to take a few additional tissue samples that wouldn’t lengthen the procedure nor harm my daughter. I said no to this request.

There are plenty of articles out there telling us who to follow on Twitter. For example, Twitter In The Life Sciences: The Ultimate ‘Who To Follow’ Checklist, Fast Company’s take on who the most creative people in business follow, Luke Timmerman’s suggestion on who life science pros should follow, 31 Influential Business Leaders To Follow On Twitter, Top Leadership Experts To Follow In 2015, and so on.

In September 2014, Gilead announced a generic licensing agreement with then seven India-based generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to increase access to Hepatitis C treatments in developing countries.

Bill Strohl, Ph.D., VP and global head of Janssen BioTherapeutics and author of over 120 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and Barry Springer, Ph.D., VP of strategy and external innovation, Janssen BioTherapeutics, an awardee of multiple patents and grants for his work in the field of biotechnology, shared their insights on some of the trends and challenges facing the biopharmaceutical industry. 

In a meeting at BIO International’s 2015 conference , I am greeted by Barry Springer, Ph.D., VP of strategy and external innovation; and Bill Strohl, Ph.D., VP and global head of Janssen BioTherapeutics. My goal, find out how J&J is preparing for what some are calling the biotherapeutic revolution.