New Media Mavens These tech-savvy marketers are energized by the possibilities present in the plethora of social media and other cutting-edge message-delivery tools.
Alyson Connor • Driving Better Health Behaviors Curious. Passionate. Alyson Connor was a zookeeper. Alyson Connor can make the most complex science not just accessible, but exciting and relevant. Name: Alyson Connor Current position: Partner and Senior VP, Strategic and Behavioral Services, MicroMass Communications Date and place of birth: August 1971; Winston Salem, N.C. Education: M.S., Health Behavior and Health Education, Virginia Tech; B.S., Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill First Job: Barning tobacco at age 14 First Industry-related Job: Biomedical Researcher with the Center for Alcohol Studies, UNC Chapel Hill Alternative profession: Adventure guide, ice cream flavor creator, chocolate taste tester Professional associations: Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, American Public Health Association, The Society for Public Health Education, American Evaluation Association, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Giving Back: Diabetes Sisters, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Words to Live by: Think wrongly, if you please, but in all cases think for yourself. — Doris Lessing Awards: American Cancer Society’s National Collaborative Evaluation Fellowship Over the past several years, Alyson Connor has built MicroMass’s unique behavioral division, developing creative ways to apply behavioral science to marketing. She has led teams in applying behavioral science in such a way that it serves as a differentiator for brands at the patient, clinician, and managed care level. This achievement takes a rare combination of condition-specific knowledge and big-picture thinking. She combines an extensive knowledge of both clinical and patient perspectives with an uncommon willingness and desire to tackle difficult challenges and uncover new understandings. Ms. Connor makes even the most complex science not just accessible, but exciting and relevant. She works with the creative department to make sure that behavior-changing insights are expressed in a way that will best grab attention and cause patients to change their ways. Ms. Connor’s curiosity and innovation have led to numerous patient and healthcare provider insights that have impacted both the pharmaceutical industry and related health industries. In the past year, she has uncovered breakthrough insights into patients with metabolic diseases; why people use social media and how to reach them; women with diabetes; and how to influence patients who struggle with obesity. The health-education programs she has designed and implemented have helped hundreds of thousands of patients lead healthier lives. The challenge for marketers, she believes, is to truly understand what motivates and is valued or needed by consumers, be they patients, nurses, doctors, etc. Digging deep to understand what drives people’s behaviors is difficult. It requires a scientific approach — combining anthropology, psychology, and sociology — to understand why people do what they do. Uncovering the behavioral drivers and barriers to build campaigns from these deeper, richer insights leads to solutions that are truly impactful, stand out among the clutter, and provide value and better health outcomes, she maintains. New challenges excite her. She and her team have built predictive models to understand which patients will take their medication correctly and which ones won’t. She is always delving deep into data sets to find correlations that heretofore had gone unnoticed. Ms. Connor leads by example, understanding the importance of shared responsibilities to advance outcomes. She finds strength in the talents of everyone she works with, and she helps MicroMass employees leverage those strengths to make smart decisions. A supportive manager, a savvy executive, and highly collaborative, Ms. Connor instills enthusiasm and buy-in from all those around her. Frank X. Powers • Brand Acclaim Name: Frank X. Powers Current position: President, Dudnyk Date and place of birth: Oct. 30, 1972; Hackensack, N.J. Education: B.S., Mount St. Mary’s University; MBA, Philadelphia University First Job: Rich’s Deli First Industry-related Job: Brand consultant, Stan Gross Associates Alternative profession: Third-grade teacher Professional mentors: Robert and Claudia Timbo, Lorna Weir, Barry Schmader, Eric Sjogren, Bill Staats, Chris Tobias, Bill Volz, Ed Dudnyk, Joe Trefaller, and Liz Dow Giving Back: The Pathway School, March of Dimes, Leadership Philadelphia, The Coco Foundation, Career Wardrobe, ACHIEVEability Words to Live by: Do or do not. There is no try. — Yoda Awards: The Pathway School — dedication and foresight designation Frank Powers once battled, caught, and released an 8-foot sailfish off the coast of the Florida Keys. Frank Powers is a new model of marketer, with a tremendous mind for strategy and a vast knowledge of new media. Driven. Passionate. Early in his career, Frank Powers developed a passion for branding. His first significant business accomplishment, which he achieved at 27, was ascending to the leadership of Stan Gross Associates, a nationally renowned brand psychology firm. This experience exposed him to the inner workings of global brands, such as DuPont and Coke, as well as blockbuster pharmaceutical brands, such as Nasacort, Taxotere, Avapro, Zocor, and Mobic. His 10-year career at Dudnyk has been punctuated by success after success, earning him rapidly increasing levels of responsibility and acclaim. His appointment to president in 2009 marked the pinnacle of an agency career in which he was promoted six times. As president, Mr. Powers took a 20-year-old business and totally reinvigorated it, infusing it with energy and excitement at a time when so many companies of similar size were closing their doors. He has led the company’s transformation from a traditional print-based pharmaceutical ad agency to a multichannel marketing machine poised for the future. Change is inevitable in the industry, and he says when the entire salesforce of one of the agency’s brands was eliminated he recognized the importance of nontraditional physician interaction. Under his leadership, Dudnyk is thriving, with 2010 revenue increasing by more than 40%, and $2.5 million in new business wins. For each of the past three years, Dudnyk has exceeded its own projections and increased staff as other agencies struggle with layoffs and the economic downturn. In fact, the company has enjoyed 18 consecutive profitable quarters. His goal is to build a global footprint for the Dudnyk brand, which is distinguished by its envelope-pushing self-promotional campaigns. Mr. Powers is a new model of marketer, with a tremendous mind for strategy and knowledge of new media. He bemoans the lack of creativity and originality in the life-sciences regulated marketing environment. Mr. Powers exhibits an unparalleled commitment to excellence in everything he is involved in. He serves as a guiding light for his associates. One of a kind, Mr. Powers has a rare combination of attributes: patience, caring, and strategic intellect. At every level of his career, Mr. Powers has achieved amazing results, constantly surpassing expectations and creating the next set of challenges for himself as well as those around him. And if people aren’t sure they’re up to the challenge, he’ll pull them up to achieve success. He believes anything worth doing in life is worth doing well, taking advice from Yoda, the Jedi master from Star Wars: “Do or do not. There is no try." Kurt W. Mueller The Agency Doctor Kurt Mueller has his own Blind Side story — an “adopted" son Gabe. Known at Roska Healthcare Advertising as the agency doctor, Kurt Mueller is a true innovator in digital healthcare marketing. Known at Roska Healthcare Advertising as the agency doctor, Kurt Mueller is a true innovator in digital healthcare marketing. He sees the big picture and can identify trends, uncover opportunities, and diffuse problems with ease. He leverages his vantage point to drill down to create digital strategies that work. Mr. Mueller loves every aspect of the blend of personal interaction with patients and caregivers. He also loves combining the continual need to study science and improve patient outcomes. He looks deeply into both the scientific advances in medicine, as well as into the emotional drivers that can help or impede patients from staying on course with therapies that can make a real difference in their health and quality of life. A geek at heart, Mr. Mueller believes technology is a real game-changer. He has tapped into all the latest technology trends, such as augmented reality, indirect response codes, mHealth, and the wonderful world of Google. What he doesn’t do, however, is grab hold of the latest shiny object and talk clients into implementing tactics just because they’re cool. For Mr. Mueller, it all comes down to nailing the core strategy first. The integrated marketing strategies Roska Healthcare Advertising produces for customers are not only founded on their key customer insights, but also insights Mr. Mueller has gained through personal use of technology. Never one to back away from a challenge, Mr. Mueller says he is looking forward to playing a role in helping the industry adapt to an evolving marketplace, for example marketing and communicating to physicians, patients, and caregivers. The expanding universe of digital communications in healthcare marketing is perceived by many as a minefield too treacherous to navigate until clearer FDA guidelines are released to offer a road map for safe passage. Rather than wait, Mr. Mueller takes a more proactive approach by completely immersing himself in all of the discussions taking place around the Internet and social media hearings, as well as keeping his finger on the pulse of the discussions happening in press briefings and social media. He actively contributes to the buzz on the topic and consistently offers ideas about how to integrate digital and social media safely and effectively while the industry guidelines are under development. His insights are sought out by media; pharmaceutical companies looking for advice about forming cogent, enterprisewide social media policies; and a following of interested healthcare marketers, who regularly engage in spirited online discussions about what’s next in this pivotal space in the healthcare marketing arena. In all of these activities, Mr. Mueller embraces a collegial approach, which engages all constituents in conversations about advancing healthcare communications through technology. He and a group of his peers who are thought leaders in this area have pushed the conversation about social media in healthcare communications from a wait-and-see approach to a solutions-oriented discussion with policymakers, industry representatives, healthcare professionals, healthcare marketers, and patients. He says there is also a shift that’s occurring away from mass-marketed drugs toward personalized medicine, which means mass DTC marketing programs aren’t going to work under the new model of healthcare. In addition, Mr. Mueller looks at ways to empower patients through technology. He has influenced the discussion around space-limited Internet advertising, and he has been a trailblazer in adopting quick response codes to deliver content-rich messages in real time to patients’ mobile phones. He is a technology champion and remains always on the cutting-edge of the newest tools in the digital communications arsenal, which he applies with strategic precision to every campaign he executes. Next on the agenda for Mr. Mueller is having Roska Healthcare Advertising nationally recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies and one of the best places to work. Scott Weintraub Think Local Marketing and its finer nuances are Scott Weintraub’s passions and areas of expertise. As co-founder, partner, and chief marketing officer of Healthcare Regional Marketing (HRM), Mr. Weintraub has earned a substantial book of business for the agency with his regional marketing expertise and his exceptional ability to build client relationships. Understanding that healthcare is increasingly a local business and that brand marketers need to deal with differences in the market, he has shaped regional marketing as a must-have competency for the healthcare industry. His strength is taking complex information from multiple data sources to form clear strategic regional plans. The insights he develops educate and motivate physicians in target markets. The information is critical in helping patients get the care they need. Mr. Weintraub’s approach to regional marketing is extremely strategic, yet he can break it down to simple tactical execution. With the changes facing the industry today, this effort is of unparalleled importance. Using his years of experience in consumer and professional marketing and overall understanding of the pharmaceutical space, Mr. Weintraub adds value to all of the agency’s clients. He assesses their needs and recommends only the strategies and tactics that make the best business sense. Today, HRM, which Mr. Weintraub cofounded in 2007, has grown to a multimillion-dollar business with more than 50 employees. Overall, Mr. Weintraub takes a focused approach to business and personal pursuits. Once a strategy is agreed upon, he stops looking at options and totally commits to executing the plan. He says while at times he may miss opportunities in a changing environment, he makes up for it with great execution of the original plan. Name: Kurt W. Mueller Current position: Chief Digital and Science Officer, Roska Healthcare Advertising Date and place of birth: July 1969; Philadelphia Education: BSAS, Visual Communications, University of Delaware First Job: Working in a junk-mail room First Industry-related Job: Art director at Holton Namiatka Jones, Lafayette Hill, Pa. Alternative profession: Physician Professional mentors: Mike Kelly, Coach, Great Valley High School Track and Field; Jay Bolling, CEO, Roska Healthcare Advertising; Raymond Nichols and Martha Carothers, University of Delaware Giving Back: Soup kitchens, Toys for Tots, shelters for battered women and children, caring for abandoned and abused animals Words to Live by: Go big or go home Awards: Web Health Awards; Communicator Awards; W3 Awards Geek. Strategic. Scott Weintraub was captain of his high school wrestling team. Scott Weintraub is an evangelist for regional marketing in the healthcare industry. Focused. Fun. Name: Scott Weintraub Current position: Co-founder, Principal, and Chief Marketing Officer, Healthcare Regional Marketing (HRM) Date and place of birth: November 1963; New York Education: MBA, University of Cincinnati; B.S., Industrial Engineering, Penn State University First Job: IT, Procter & Gamble First Industry-related Job: Assistant brand manager, Procter & Gamble Alternative profession: Trainer or professor (15 years ago it would have been center fielder for the N.Y. Yankees) Professional mentors: Dave Stewart and Pat Andrews, Pfizer Words to Live by: Revenue solves all problems Keeshia M. Muhammad Anyone can lead in good times, but leadership is tested in challenging times. It’s a maxim Keeshia Muhammad, executive director of marketing at Teva Women’s Health, draws on for everything she does. Ms. Muhammad has an uncanny ability to marry medical communications, PR, advertising, marketing, finance, and strategy by bringing together multiple strategic partners to work closely together to drive business results. Fully committed to everything she does, Ms. Muhammad brings an energetic, authentic, genuine desire to succeed. While she has high expectations and is results-oriented, she never asks people to do more than she is willing to do herself. Cutting through the clutter of noise, she can create or realize a vision and have people follow. They do so, not because they have to, but because they believe in the same vision and Ms. Muhammad. She has the ability to push the envelope without compromising relationships; she improves relati nships by constantly seeking to enhance the work environment and get more out of people than they thought possible. She is focused and determined to achieve extraordinary results, not on her own, but through and with the people she works with and leads. Her energy, strategic ideas, and direction have driven the brands she is responsible for, as well as inspired junior staff members to rise above their goals. She encourages her team to seek and learn about new and cutting-edge ways to go to market. Her enthusiastic approach to business, relationships, and life have garnered a broad group of friends and support networks. Known for working hard and playing hard, Ms. Muhammad has a good sense of humor and never takes herself too seriously. While Ms. Muhammad did not have a formal mentor, she was observant and made the most of her interactions with people in leadership positions or who she admired, such as fellow 2011 PV 100 honoree Sander Flaum. She learned many lessons from her grandfather and her parents while growing up, but it was not until Myrtle Potter won the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Woman of the Year Award in 2000 that she came to realize that there was greater potential for African-American women to be in leadership positions in pharma. Today, Ms. Muhammad says it is important for her to take time to encourage and develop talent, both for her company as well as for society as a whole . Breath of Fresh Air Dynamic. Passionate. Name: Keeshia M. Muhammad Current position: Executive Director, Marketing, Teva Women’s Health Date and place of birth: December 1969; New Jersey Education: B.B.A., Finance, College of William and Mary First Industry-related Job: Manager, marketing finance, Schering-Plough Alternative profession: Sports entertainment management and marketing Professional mentor: Sander Flaum, Flaum Partners Professional associations: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.; National Association of University Women; The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association; NY American Lung Association; National Association of Professional Women awards: National Association of Professional Women VIP Woman of the Year in Industry, 2010; She’s A Lady in Business Award, JBC Hope for Humanity Inc., 2008; Pharmaceutical Executive’s Emerging Leaders, Top 45 Under 45, 2008; Altana Pharma’s HBA Rising Star, 2007; Schering-Plough Marketing Manager of the Year, 2001 Keeshia Muhammad played varsity basketball in high school; her team played against Dana Owens (aka Queen Latifah). Keeshia Muhammad has an uncanny ability to marry medical communications, public relations, advertising, marketing, finance, and strategy by bringing together multiple strategic partners to work closely together to drive business results. Lars Merk A Marketer for the Ages Lars Merk began his marketing career back in the second grade. A self-proclaimed “pencil smuggler," he recognized that a market existed for No. 2 pencils, a demand that he met on a weekly basis. The early lessons learned regarding scarcity as a basis for economic principles started him thinking about customers as he had to ensure both students and teachers were happy with the service he provided. Fast-forward to today, and Mr. Merk, product director at Johnson & Johnson, is considered the consummate marketer, recognized for his efforts by his company, his peers, and the media for creating the first pharma-sponsored iPhone app for doctors, the BlackBag Medical Resources platform. Additionally, he led the development of CNS portfolio digital marketing efforts to improve integrated and optimized e-platforms, including advancing the BlackBag platform by launching a complimentary Web-based platform and charting future enhancements. The BlackBag initiative, J&J’s first branded mobile integrated digital platform for healthcare professionals, is just one of Mr. Merk’s successes; he also led U.S. pharmaceutical efforts for an exclusive multibrand, multicompany partnership with Sermo Inc.; he served on the U.S. pharmaceutical social media team and as key opinion leader for global Johnson & Johnson digital and social media efforts and educational initiatives; he created the digital marketing council to improve digital marketing competencies across the company’s North American pharmaceutical group; and he led the pharmaceutical sector digital/alternate channel customer centricity work stream to identify ways to improve customers’ experience seeking information from the company’s brands via digital means. He has provided inspiration to those outside of his company as well, and he is recognized as one of today’s brightest, most innovative, and effective people in the pharma marketing space, particularly on the client side. While he takes every assignment seriously, he says the industry is experiencing unprecedented technological change, and his current role is the most challenging. Mr. Merk says healthcare reform, global financial challenges, evolving international economies, biological advances in disease treatment, and paradigm shifts are influencing how patients expect to receive healthcare. He fervently believes the delivery of healthcare around the world can be improved by the technologies available today and those that continue to unfold on a daily basis. These technologies include new ways to deliver telemedicine; systematic improvements in health data availability; new efficient and convenient ways to get public health information into the hands of those who need it; and diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and surgical technologies that prevent some of the most serious health issues. He enjoys working on consumer initiatives and says he would enjoy leveraging his digital experiences across a broader portfolio of consumer-facing brands. He also would eventually like to gain experience in other regions of the world, as he believes that the U.S. healthcare model could benefit from some of these insights. Mr. Merk takes great pride in the efforts put forth by his company, and relates that one of his career highlights was receiving a letter of thanks from a physician who appreciated how J&J helped one of his patients. Cautious. Decisive. Name: Lars Merk Current position: Product Director, Risperdal Consta, Johnson & Johnson Date and place of birth: October 1970; New Haven, Conn. Education: B.A., Economics and Government, Connecticut College, 1991; Candidate Masters of Health Policy, 2014 First Job: Second-grade pencil smuggler First Industry-related Job: Sales representative, Janssen Pharmaceutica Alternative profession: Public service Giving Back: American Red Cross, DonorsChoose.org, Habitat for Humanity, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, The Jed Foundation, and many others connected via: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yammer Twitter address: http://twitter.com/larsmerk; follows: A number of people across the healthcare, digital media and public health fields, including regular tweets from: Shelly Palmer, Chris Schroeder, Marc Monseau, Karene Infranco, Xavier Petit, Eileen O’Brien, Joel Selzer, Bob Harell, Jonathan Richman, Fabio Gratton, Craig DeLarge, and Steve Woodruff Favorite Smartphone Apps: Angry Birds, The Weather Channel, and Flipboard Words to Live by: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. — Martin Luther King Awards: Top 30 Emerging Leaders, Pharmaceutical Executive Magazine, 2011; Concerta, Digital HCP Efforts, No. 1, L2 Digital Index; 2010 James E. Burke Award for work on the BlackBag Medical Resources app; Johnson & Johnson BlackBag medical resources app; Forbes Top 10 App List, 2009; Top 25 Marketer of the Year, DTC Magazine, 2009 Lars Merk carried the Barney balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Lars Merk is devoted to using customer insights to develop marketing campaigns that capture the big picture to achieve business goals. Darielle Ruderman Consumer Champion Name: Darielle Ruderman Current position: Senior Director, Respiratory Consumer Marketing, GlaxoSmithKline Date and place of birth: December 1967; Montclair, N.J. Education: B.A., Smith College; MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University First Job: Jewelry buyer, Tiffany & Co. First Industry-related Job: DTC campaign developer for Wellbutrin Alternative profession: Running instructor Connected Via: LinkedIn Words to Live by: Do what you love (even if it means sacrificing status or money) Awards: Six-time winner of GSK Marketing Excellence Award for Outstanding Consumer/Patient Program (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010); two W3 awards for Website excellence; PhAME Award for best branded print Ad; MM&M Award for Best Product Ad in Consumer Press; Rx Club Award of Excellence; three Rx Club Video Award of Excellence; and Effie Award for healthcare products Passionate. Organized. Darielle Ruderman is a champion for the consumer. In her 19 years of experience in consumer marketing she has been a successful product manager at companies such as Tiffany, Kraft Foods, and, for the past 11 years, GlaxoSmithKline. Ms. Ruderman says she is always extremely passionate about her job, whether she is marketing diamonds, cheese, or medicines. And when it comes to marketing medicines, she is among the most decorated marketers in the industry. From her start at GlaxoSmithKline, when she developed the first direct-to-consumer campaign for Wellbutrin SR to her current position as senior director, respiratory consumer marketing, she has been recognized for outstanding consumer/patient programs six times. Among her many other awards, she was honored with the PhAME Award for best branded print ad; the Rx Club Award of Excellence, three Rx Club video awards of excellence; and an Effie Award for healthcare products. Moreover, for her work, Ms. Ruderman was one of the recipients of the 2010 Advertising Working Mother of the Year award. Her colleagues say it should be no surprise to anyone that this smart woman would go so far. And though unfamiliar to marketing pharma brands when she joined GSK, her experience positioning brands was a significant asset to the company when DTC was new and the company was learning how to optimally market prescription products to consumers. Ms. Ruderman helped the company successfully navigate this unfamiliar territory, and helped propel Imitrex, the aforementioned Wellbutrin SR, and Advair to blockbuster success. Today, as a senior product director, she is charged with leading all consumer strategy, advertising, media, and CRM for the entire GSK respiratory portfolio. Recently, she played an integral role helping GSK select a new media partner across all prescription and OTC products to help the company compete more effectively in an increasingly digital media environment. In the 8th grade, Darielle Ruderman lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands and had to take a boat to school. Alyson Connor The Human Connection Human health behavior has long fascinated Alyson Connor, who was drawn to public health after serving as a coordinator for the NC/VA twins epidemiology project. She says trying to solve the age-old question of nature vs. nurture when it came to human behavior was fascinating, particularly in studying twins. Uncovering the behavioral drivers and barriers to build campaigns from consumer insights, she says, leads to solutions that are truly impactful, stand out among the clutter, and provide value and better health outcomes. She was able to use her knowledge of patient behavior to address one of her most challenging assignments in the field. As a hearing person, Ms. Connor had to overcome trust, language, and cultural issues as she tried to embed herself in the deaf community. Ultimately, it was an amazing project from which Ms. Connor learned a great deal, and she is still in contact with the people she met. Mentoring is important to Ms. Connor, partner and senior VP, strategic and behavioral services, MicroMass Communications, who says she has been lucky to have strong, intelligent women help her learn to try to find balance or at least step back and prioritize what is really important. In turn, she wants to help other women do the same, learn from her mistakes and successes, and help them find their own way with their careers. Ms. Connor stands up for and supports her team, and provides everyone around her with the opportunity to be the best he or she can possibly be. Employees describe her as a great role model for today’s young professionals. When a colleague came to Ms. Connor for help after her father was diagnosed as terminal with gallbladder cancer, Ms. Connor provided her family with strategies to help decrease the intense nausea associated with the chemo and pain medications. As a result the patient was able to increase his strength and spend time with those he loved. Ms. Connor also provided a list of physicians in the area to get second opinions on the patient’s rare and complicated cancer. The knowledge and support Ms. Connor provided helped her colleague find strength to get through a difficult time. Ms. Connor’s desire to impact the diabetes community has also fueled MicroMass’s partnership and pro bono work with the nonprofit organization, Diabetes Sisters. This collaboration has helped Diabetes Sisters create a more powerful voice through several PR campaigns and established orange as the color for women with diabetes. For Alyson Connor, Partner and Senior VP, Strategic and Behavioral Services, MicroMass Communications, uncovering the behavioral drivers and barriers to build campaigns from consumer insights leads to solutions that provide value and better health outcomes. Family: Husband, Kevin; three sons, Ian, 6, Bennett, 4, and Griffin, 1; one dog, three fish, and random lizards, frogs, and bugs Hobbies: Hiking, biking, outside activities with her family Reading List: The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks; Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely; The Informationist by Taylor Stevens; I Totally Meant to Do That by Jane Borden Favorite Movie: Anything with Cary Grant Bucket List: Dive the Great Barrier Reef; volunteer as public health worker in developing country (preferably women and children’s health work); learn to play the guitar; family trip across the U.S. visiting national parks; finish her Ph.D.; finish knitting the sweater she started seven years ago; see the Great Wall of China; ride in a hot air balloon connected via: LinkedIn and Facebook Favorite Smartphone App: SoundHound, Hipstamatic, Sudoku Life Lessons: Learn to admit you are wrong Under The Cloak of Invisibility: See how her kids act when she’s not around Time Travel: The future to see how it all turns out Getting Personal with Alyson Connor Scott Weintraub Customer-Focused Scott Weintraub, Co-founder, Principal, and Chief Marketing Officer of Healthcare Regional Marketing, takes a regional approach to marketing that is extremely strategic, yet tactical. Family: Wife of 24 years, Randi; son, Alex, 19; daughter, Ashley, 13 Hobbies: Family-focused, attending hundreds of his children’s activities; jet skiing; watching the Yankees; running about 25 miles per week Reading List: Percy Jackson; Working Together: Why Great Partnerships Succeed by Michael Eisner, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz Favorite Books: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie; Good to Great by Jim Collins Favorite Movie: Animal House Bucket List: Stand-up at a brand name comedy club Inspired by: Co-workers at HRM connected via: LinkedIn, Facebook Favorite Smartphone Apps: HRM’s app and ESPN ScoreCenter Favorite Place Visited: The Jersey shore Life Lessons: While insightful strategy is critical, flawless execution needs to be the No. 1 strategy Under The Cloak of Invisibility: A week with President Obama at the White House Time Travel: Back to see Babe Ruth play for the Yankees; future — five years to see how the healthcare industry has changed, then come back and make adjustments As co-founder of Healthcare Regional Marketing (HRM), Scott Weintraub’s approach to marketing is making the messages regionally applicable, while maintaining the overall strategic direction that can be translated down to tactical executions. For the past five years, in addition to growing his clients’ business, he has been focused on nurturing his employees. As a result, the company has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, let alone the pharmaceutical industry. This has been a true highlight for Mr. Weintraub, who says what he likes best is the opportunity to provide great jobs for his employees. At the same time, he says helping companies to rethink and understand the discipline of regional marketing is a huge reward. Mr. Weintraub is dedicated to sharing thought leadership. And he is working to form a formal mentoring program at HRM as he considers mentoring to be one area that has helped him excel. He says he was fortunate enough to have good managers at P&G and Pfizer, and continues to draw on dozens of people in the industry as mentors. Formally, Mr. Weintraub mentors someone from the P&G alumni group. He is inspired by those he works with at HRM, saying while he has had the benefit of working at some great companies filled with people who have great minds, the focus on the customer and trying to do right by clients is what inspires him most. Early in his career, he says he learned an important but pertinent lesson. In his first year as a marketing manager at Procter & Gamble, his department exceeded its goal by 2% and he was praised as a “genius." The next year the department missed its revenue goal by 1%. It was the most stressful year of Mr. Weintraub’s life to that point, with people questioning every decision he made and nobody calling him a genius anymore. It was then he realized that regardless of any issues a business is having, revenue solves all problems. Mr. Weintraub says the period where he was co-president of HRM was difficult, as his focus had to be on growing the business. Today, he has found his niche as chief marketing officer at HRM. It’s a perfect role for him since it allows him to focus on his passion, which is to work closely and directly with customers. Kurt Mueller Breaking New Ground Kurt Mueller, Chief Digital and Science Officer, Roska Healthcare Advertising, enjoys spending time interacting with people to come up with cool, innovative marketing strategies that break new ground. Life got a lot easier for serial entrepreneur Kurt Mueller when Roska Healthcare Advertising acquired his former digital agency. The deal has allowed him to focus on what he loves best and divest parts of the job that he doesn’t enjoy, such as negotiating insurance contracts, filing corporate taxes, etc. Now he can spend more time interacting with people — both internal and external — to come up with cool, innovative marketing strategies that break new ground. In addition, he gets time to do what he enjoys the most: mentoring and building relationships. Mr. Mueller enjoys having a positive impact and contributing to a person’s career, and the value that they deliver to the company’s customers. He believes being a mentor extends one’s personal success. As an agency leader and mentor to junior staff, Mr. Mueller always goes out of his way to cultivate the talent on Roska Healthcare Advertising’s team with steadfast attention, high expectations, and consistent praise for work that is well done. His work ethic, selfless dedication to nurturing staff, and single-minded focus on creating strategic programs that help clients get the greatest value for their marketing efforts have earned the respect of everyone he works with. Mr. Mueller says his toughest task to date was managing a project where he and his team had three months to architect, plan, and roll out content for a truly dynamic, database-driven Web portal. They had to fully implement on-site (within the customer’s IT environment), develop a full-blown CMS system, and train customers to use it within the deadline. Mr. Mueller ended up running three teams 24/7 (artists, programmers, QA, everything). The team successfully launched the site, but he says lesson learned: request a longer timeline next time. A visionary on the role technology will play within healthcare, Mr. Mueller is frequently called upon for speaking engagements and has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Redlands. Before joining Roska Healthcare Advertising, he founded, built, and sold two interactive healthcare communications companies. In addition to his commitment to staff and colleagues, his willingness to go the distance shines through in his own Blind Side story. About 10 years ago, his wife, Atoussa, was sipping an iced tea when a small boy, Gabe, grabbed it. Rather than punish him for this petty theft, she let the child know that if he had asked for the drink, she would have given it to him. The next morning at 5 a.m. there was a knock on her door. She looked out the window and there he was, asking if he could come up for breakfast. She fed him and he went off to school. He came back for dinner and to do homework that day, and then the next after that, and the next after that. Atoussa moved to Boston for about two years. At that point she lost touch with him. When she moved back to the area and married Mr. Mueller, she told him about the boy. They set about finding Gabe and took him under their wing, and for all intents and purposes raised him as their son, giving him the love and support he lacked in his city life. Since Gabe was 14, he’s been a part of the Mueller family. He has a room in their house, spends holidays with them, and the Mueller’s daughters know him as their brother. The family has helped mentor and shape him to the point where he has graduated from high school and is presently enrolled in college. Gabe has grown under the Muellers’ mentorship and Mr. Mueller believes that his son will be a catalyst of change — someone who didn’t get lost in the system and who will pay it forward. Mr. Mueller’s generous heart also comes into play at work where he has helped lead the charge at Roska Healthcare Advertising to create a community outreach program called Roska HealthCares, which engages in a wide variety of philanthropic initiatives to give back to the community. In this capacity, he has helped efforts to collect toys for children in need during the holidays; initiate professional clothing donations as part of the Dress for Success program of greater Philadelphia; and provide veterinary care and supplies for abused and neglected animals. At home, he and his wife pick a different organization each month and volunteer their time to get involved and make a difference in their community. Mr. Mueller believes that every individual has the capacity to make a profound difference, and that when you’ve been given a lot, you have an obligation to give back in equal or greater measure. Family: Wife, twin daughters, 3, and father figure and mentor to Gabriel “Gabe" Harvell Hobbies: Auto racing, competitive games, family outings Reading List: The Art of War by Sun Tzu; The Bar Code Book: Reading, Printing, and Specification of Bar Code Symbols by Roger Palmer Favorite Books: Cyberpunk by Katie Hafner; The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom; Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins Favorite Movie: The Matrix Reloaded Bucket List: Spontaneous international travel; work with others to help them achieve their potential Inspired by: His wife, his twin daughters, his son Gabe, people he works with Connected via: Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora, blogs Twitter address: @RoskaDigital; follows: #socpharm, @EileenObrien; #hcmktg; #hcsm; #epharma; #digipharma; #mhealth; #fdasm Favorite Smartphone App: the Goggles component of the Google app Most Unusual Place Visited: Locarno, Switzerland Life Lessons: Allow yourself to succeed Under The Cloak of Invisibility: Karl Rove’s house to learn how a true strategic mastermind works his magic, while remaining relatively under the radar; the inner circles of Facebook and Google Time Travel: Future, 100 years to get a preview of the degree to which technology has been integrated into (or overtaken) the fiber of people’s lives Lars Merk • Driving Progress Lars Merk approaches what he does with a genuine, down-to-earth zeal for doing good work and driving progress for his company, consumers, and healthcare professionals, and the industry as a whole. His peers say he is heavy on substance, intelligence, and passion but light on ego and self-promotion. Self-described as curious and decisive, he was from a very early age raised to always be curious about the world around him. This led to his being quite inquisitive about unfamiliar areas and experiences that are rich and varied. This in turn led to a lot of gray cells packed with interesting and at times unusual information. This continuous curiosity allows him to pull insights from a broad array of experiences, people, and readings. In today’s world, he says these broad-based experiences allow him to make better decisions more often. He adds that decisiveness has been an important part of his success through the years. Sometimes that decisiveness he says means making a decision between A, B, or C and sometimes that means knowing when to place his trust in the decisions of others and move forward with the execution of the idea or plan. In his current role as product director for Risperdal Consta, an important Janssen brand, he is specifically responsible for all brand activities. With numerous marketing awards under his belt, Mr. Merk continues to be a leader for J&J’s social media and digital efforts and looks to improve healthcare for those who need it most. He says the industry helps improve the human condition each and every day and the largest challenge that he and his colleagues face is ensuring that this effort is understood by the political leaders, healthcare providers, and patients who need the products put forth by his and other pharmaceutical companies. People who work in the industry care deeply about the healthcare system in this country and those that it serves, he says, and we must each work diligently to demonstrate our commitment to everyone who is part of the U.S. healthcare system, not through fancy PR campaigns, but through our daily activities, behaviors, and decisions. Mr. Merk says he has been fortunate to have several mentors over the years and believes mentoring is a great way to help others reach their full potential and develop their own insights as well. Mentoring provides both mentor and mentee with a learning opportunity and generally creates a stronger organization for the long term and that is good for everyone, he says. If Mr. Merk were not a first-class marketer, he would no doubt devote his life to public service. He believes there are not enough people who give of themselves to serve at various levels of government by lending their expertise to help drive meaningful change. He believes it would be an interesting experiment to build public/private employee exchanges to leverage resources to the public sector to collaboratively tackle problems that do not get addressed due to the stressors that exist on the public employee infrastructure. Mr. Merk takes giving back seriously. He has been involved with the American Red Cross over the years and continues to be a blood donor; and in fact he has donated 14 gallons of blood over the years. He says this is an easy way to give back to the community and one that can make a difference for up to three patients in need each time a pint of blood is donated. His family also gets together each year and picks a project to fund through DonorsChoose.org. Mr. Merk says this is a great way for children to get involved with charitable giving as they can understand the needs of classrooms similar to their own. Finally, he says he is fortunate that he also has the opportunity through J&J to assist with a number of charitable causes, such as Habitat for Humanity, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, The Jed Foundation, and many others. Family: Wife, Rorie; children, Mallory, 10; Gavin, 9; Peter, 3 Hobbies: Cooking, reading, exercising, and traveling Reading List: On China by Henry Kissinger; PRE Commerce by Bob Pearson Favorite Books: The Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk Favorite Movies: The Philadelphia Story and An Affair to Remember Bucket List: Visit the Seven Wonders of the world not yet seen; experience family milestones graduations, jobs, weddings, and grandchildren Inspired by: His parents and grandparents and Dr. Paul Janssen Most Unusual Place Visited: Mauritius Life Lessons: Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today — James Dean Under The Cloak of Invisibility: His children’s school; he’s just not sure he believes teachers’ reports of model behavior Time Travel: Back to the early 1600s in New England and then 1900s in Brooklyn to try and figure out how and why we lost the sense of community that was once central to our society and pivotal to our success as a nation In his current role as Product Director, Lars Merk is specifically responsible for all marketing activities for Janssen’s Risperdal Consta. Darielle Ruderman Consumer-Driven Experience Family: Husband, Lee; Twin daughters Rachel and Lindsey, 12; son, Ethan, 9; Shih Tzu, Roscoe Hobbies: Running half-marathons; watching her girls compete in basketball and gymnastics, and bragging that they are both state champions Reading List: The Week magazine Favorite book: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers Favorite Movie: Say Anything Bucket List: An African safari Inspired by: Her daughters Favorite Smartphone App: Google Mobile and Weather Channel Under The Cloak of Invisibility: In her son’s room while he is playing make believe by himself Time Travel: Back to the day Apple went public (and invest every penny she had) Darielle Ruderman, senior director, respiratory consumer marketing, GlaxoSmithKline, is relied upon for her expertise in consumer marketing, and is frequently consulted to provide feedback. She is a marketing leader with 19 years of consumer-focused brand management experience with diverse products, industries, and companies. She is a consistent top performer, with a proven track record of success delivering business objectives and driving brand growth, as evidenced by the many accolades she has received since entering the pharma industry in 2000, including being recognized three times — 2004, 2005, and 2009 — as one of the Top 25 DTC Marketers by DTC Perspectives magazine for excellence, leadership, and innovation in DTC marketing. Among the key competencies for which she is known and that inspire her colleagues and peers are consumer positioning and strategy, strategic and tactical planning, creative development and production, leadership and agency management, and market research. Her colleagues laud her as a mentor and champion to everyone on her team. She is admired for taking an active interest in helping people grow. What is most inspiring to her colleagues is that she manages to lead a full, rich life in addition to these accomplishments. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children: 12-year-old identical twins Rachel and Lindsey, and 8-year-old son Ethan. When she’s not working, she can be seen cheering them on in basketball games, swim meets, gymnastics competitions, and the like. Frank Powers Substance and Style For life-sciences clients, Dudnyk President Frank Powers is the real deal, delivering results that reinvigorate and create results for brands. Since working with Mr. Powers, one client has seen its leading brand enjoy increased market share and prescriptions each month since 2009, with no extra spending. That’s a story that even makes the client’s board of directors smile. Although Mr. Powers’ business acumen and style are inspiring, not everything about him is about numbers or business. For example, he created a one-of-a-kind Dream Achievement program for Dudnyk’s employees, complete with a Dream Manager who will help them achieve life goals outside of work. People naturally gravitate toward Mr. Powers and colleagues seek out his opinion on how to improve a project or how to get clients to buy into a creative vision. He encourages employees to push the creative envelope, pushes people when they get complacent, and consoles them when things haven’t gone well. Colleagues say he helps them become better creative thinkers, and makes them feel as though he has all the time in the world for them. Industry and community involvement are important to Mr. Powers, including serving on boards, fundraising, and inspiring a culture of volunteerism. In 2009, Mr. Powers started a Dudnyk commitment to the March of Dimes. His enthusiasm inspired his employees, with nearly 100% making financial contributions and close to that same number participating in the local March of Dimes walk. The Dudnyk team, under Mr. Powers’ leadership, was named the best new team in 2010, and again took part in the walk in April this year. Mr. Powers is a core class fellow of Leadership Philadelphia, an organization whose mission is to mobilize and connect the talent of the private sector to serve the community. As a fellow, Mr. Powers participated in a year-long series of intensive seminars that enhanced his civic knowledge and awareness, and also enriched his already robust leadership skills. He was nominated for this position by a former Leadership Fellow who was also a principal at a Philadelphia-based healthcare advertising agency, demonstrating how well Mr. Powers is liked and respected by his competitors in the industry. Upon completion of the program, Leadership Philadelphia then asked Mr. Powers to join its board of directors to help lead communications and marketing strategy. He has been a repeat guest on the Executive Leaders radio program, which honors individuals who have risen to leadership roles through hard work and dedication. He has also used his position of leadership at Dudnyk as well as his strategic marketing talents to service many pro bono clients. One of these clients is The Pathway School, a nonprofit private school that serves students on the autism spectrum. Mr. Powers led a team that developed an entirely new marketing campaign for the school, summarizing the school’s mission with the tagline: It’s Not About Forcing a Fit, It’s About Finding a Place. The artwork, which featured a series of puzzle pieces, has given the school a powerful message. He was recently honored for dedication and foresight on behalf of The Pathway School. Another nonprofit organization that has benefited from Mr. Powers’ talent is The Coco Foundation, a small family organization founded in honor of a critically ill child. Dudnyk President Frank Powers is more than the leader of his agency; drawing inspiration from the international superstar Jay-Z, he sets the creative and innovative tone for marketing and strategic executions. Family: Wife, daughter Hobbies: Golf, reading, technology, Philadelphia sports, hiking Reading List: The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns; The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly Powers; Decoded by Jay-Z; This is a Book by Demetri Martin Favorite Book: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Favorite Movie: Point Break Bucket List: Travel to Ireland, buy a lake house, live in San Diego, teach third grade Inspired by: Jay-Z connected by: Twitter, Foursquare, LinkedIn, active blogger twitter address: @fxpowers; follows: Pharma, advertising, design, Philadelphia, NFL Favorite Smartphone App: Words with Friends Most Unusual Place Visited: Bruges, Belgium Life Lessons: Write consistently about your area of expertise. Doing so challenges your thinking, makes you smarter quickly, and ultimately provides a deeper knowledge base from which to draw upon. Time Travel: Doesn’t want to disturb the fabric of the space-time continuum (have you not seen Back to the Future?) Keeshia Muhammad • Rising to the Challenge Keeshia Muhammad is a superior healthcare marketing professional and polished executive, and under her skilled leadership, Teva has been able to maintain a market leadership position in the short-acting beta agonists (SABA) category and increase market share in the crowded inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) category. A confident decision-maker, Ms. Muhammad uses both quantitative and qualitative analyses to fully assess competitive market factors and develop plans to position products effectively. Her strong business and financial background complement her marketing experience and ability to identify business development opportunities, achieve results, and manage profitability. She rises to every challenge, and delivers. In her new position as executive director, marketing, Teva Women’s Health, the challenge is to maximize the products in the portfolio and shape a vision for the future of her division, while infusing the rigor and financial acumen required to convince management she and her team can deliver. Passionate about making a difference in the lives of patients, Ms. Muhammad says a true career highlight was when she was able to bring a fledgling singing trio of African-American girls, ages 8 to 10, two of whom had asthma, to her company’s national sales meeting earlier this year. This act allowed the company to put a face to what its sales representatives were doing every day. These girls were able to realize their dreams and not let their asthma limit them because of the products Teva produces. Their performance at the sales meeting brought many in the audience to tears. A forward-thinking marketing executive, she says the e-environment is going to be interesting for the industry, with adoption only the very tip of the iceberg. Going forward, Ms. Muhammad is eager to play a role in improving the landscape and options for women related to healthcare. Family: Married, daughter, 8 Hobbies: Golf, traveling, sports, and activities her daughter is involved in (dance, Girl Scouts, sports, etc.) Reading List: Executive summaries Favorite Book: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers Favorite Movie: Silence of the Lambs Bucket List: Work with Michelle Obama and her “Let’s Move" program related to childhood obesity; meet and possibly work with Oprah Winfrey Inspired by: Barack Obama; Oprah Winfrey; every winner of the HBA’s Woman of the Year award since she joined the organization in 2000; her grandfather connected via: Facebook, Twitter twitter address: @KeeKeeM; follows: an eclectic mix of artists, celebrities, news shows Favorite Smartphone App: Words with Friends Most Unusual Place Visited: Morocco Life Lessons: Remember what got you to where you are is not what is needed to get you to where you want to be; anyone can lead in good times, but leadership is tested in challenging times Time Travel: Back to ancient Egypt during the reign of Queen Nefertiti
