Real Time with WLP

Real Time with WLP podcast focuses on why the 55+ generation continues to be underrepresented, overlooked, and often misunderstood – especially in the worlds of health and wellness. Jennifer Meehan, Global COO of the Longevity Lab and EVP of Edelman's Canadian Brand Practice, is on a mission to help brands and companies understand the value and vitalityof the 55+ generation. In conversation with Jessica Lovett, Jennifer unpacks the myths, highlights the opportunities, and talks about how healthcare and pharma companies can stop overlooking – and start engaging – this powerful and growing audience. As we reflect on how we communicate and collaborate as either part of or alongside the 55+ generation, take a fewminutes and listen to this informative conversation.

Episode 43 of Real Time with WLP explores two topics that are more frequently raised up together within the pharma industry: “innovation” and “risk”. Shannon Keenan, Co Founding Partner and CFO of Artemis Factor, discusses the importance of Inspiring Purposeful Innovation and Embracing Risk to solve real problems and make a meaningful difference.Shannon shares her perspectives on women's unique strengths to drive change, inspire teams, and overcome barriers. She also highlights the importance of creating a culture that encourages calculated risk-taking and provides tips to prepare for and navigate failure while innovating.To help foster innovation and risk navigation within your role, take a few minutes to listen to this insightful conversation.

Episode 42 of Real Time with WLP is a topic that is seeing a shift in approach from leaders.  Lida Citroën returns to discuss The New Rules of Influence: How to Authentically Make an Impact. A personal branding and reputation management expert, Lida Citroën, joins our podcast for a conversation on this new paradigm of executive presence and influence and shares her perspective on this paradigm shift in leadership where demonstrating authenticity is key.The new leader that is emerging is empowering others through transparency and unwavering passion.  Lida takes this opportunity to discuss how to tap into passion, connect honestly with others, and create space for inclusivity and community.Through her inspiring stories and practical examples, take a few minutes and listen to this thought-provoking conversation.

This month's Real Time with WLP podcast focuses on UniquePaths to Leadership. Kristina Fusella, a leader who has held multiple leadership roles at Novo Nordisk U.S. (and most recently National Director, Cardiometabolic Education Program - Commercial Execution and Sales) shares her perspective on the benefits of non-linear paths to leadership and tips to communicate your unique value in pursuing opportunities.In conversation with WLP Volunteer and DEI Chair atLundbeck, Virginia Fairbank, Kristina speaks to inspirational vs. authoritative leadership, the learning from and how to leverage ERG experience as a sandbox for futureleadership; and to drive innovation and employee engagement.As you look at how to communicate your own value whenpursuing your own professional milestones, take a few minutes and listen to this informative conversation.

Welcome to a new year of Real Time with WLP.  We are excited for our January podcast release as we invite you to listen to two powerful conversations on Paying it Forward as Leaders:  Allyship and Gender Equity in Action.  Michael Casia, President and Managing Director of Organon Canada, shares his perspective on allyship and gender equity in health.  His perspective on the role of a leader and his personal approach to paying it forward is one that cannot be missed.  Michael Casia serves as the President and Managing Director of Organon Canada, a global healthcare company dedicated to advancing gender equity through its focus on women's health and strengthening the Canadian healthcare system with cost-saving solutions provided by its biosimilar portfolio. Under Michael's leadership, Organon Canada has rapidly evolved into a key player in the Canadian healthcare environment, with active involvement in critical areas such as contraception, fertility, menopause, osteoporosis, and women's cancers. Additionally, the company has emerged as a market leader in biosimilars, with Michael serving as a vocal advocate for their adoption through his role as Vice-Chair of Biosimilars Canada Industry Association.

Bienvenue à une nouvelle année de Tête-à-tête avec FLP. Nous avons très hâte au lancement de notre balado en français et nous vous invitons à écouter la conversation inspirant sur le thème: Payez au suivant en tant que leaders : la solidarité et l'équité de genre en action. Litsa Spiridonakos, directrice des ressources humaines chez Organon Canada, nous présente sa vision sur le fait de se sentir valorisée au sein de son organisation et sur la défense de l'égalité en santé. À titre de directrice des ressources humaines d'Organon Canada, Litsa est responsable de fournir des orientations stratégiques et d'assurer un leadership pour tous les aspects de la fonction des ressources humaines, et d'établir une vision et une orientation pour l'ensemble des programmes, des politiques et des services de ressources humaines qui appuient la mission et les valeurs d'Organon. Litsa possède plus de 15 ans d'expérience dans la promotion de stratégies organisationnelles en matière de gestion des talents, de perfectionnement, de culture et de transformation, qu'elle a acquise en travaillant dans diverses industries, notamment les télécommunications, les services professionnels et, plus récemment, l'industrie pharmaceutique.

Episode 38 features some of our thought provoking past guests: Lida Citroёn, Melissa Leichter, Domenico Benevento, Dyisha Reliford, Kim Ferris, and Julia Brown. In this final podcast of the year, they share their tips on how women and allies can raise up the importance of equity to help close the gender pay gap.

This month's Real Time with WLP podcast is with Julia Brown, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Oncology, for Janssen Canada.  In conversation with WLP Board Member Thea Discepola, Julia speaks about her experience with global roles and navigating through cultural diversity and norms. In our 37th Episode ‘Global Leadership: Mastering Career Pivots and Cross-Cultural Success', she explores how to prepare for these opportunities and challenges and then apply them to future leadership growth. Julia has been with J&J Innovative Medicines for 21 years and is now the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Oncology, for Janssen Canada.  Previous roles include General Manager of Janssen Commercial Puerto Rico, Business Unit Director for Rheumatology and Dermatology and Vice President of Government Affairs and Market Access.  Julia has a passion for diversity and inclusion and has acted as an Executive Sponsor for DE&I across the J&J Family of Companies in Canada.  Julia served as the President of the Canadian Association for Healthcare Reimbursement (CAHR) for four years and sat on the CAHR Board of Directors for 15 years

As World Menopause month comes to a close, we are pleased to share our 36th episode of Real Time with WLP. Menopause Matters: From Struggles to Strength – Owning Your Menopause Journey – the third of our three-part series – wraps up our conversation with Janet Ko, President and Co-Founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada, a national non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to breaking the silence and stigma of menopause. In this final episode, Janet shares her personal journey with Joanna Wilson and offers inspiring advice about preparing for menopause and the importance of support for women both in and outside of the workforce. Janet's insights remind us all of the importance of education, empowering ourselves, and advocating for change.

For World Menopause Day on October 18th,  our 35th episode of Real Time with WLP is the second of our three-part series.   Menopause Matters: It's Time to Change “The Change”  continues our conversation with Janet Ko, President and Co-Founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada, a national non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to breaking the silence and the stigma of menopause.  In this episode, we explore the Menopause at Work Report and the push for greater inclusivity and access to menopause care in Canada. The conversation with Joanna Wilson explores why employers must embrace menopause inclusivity, the importance of preparing for menopause, and how both individuals and organizations can help drive change.

In advance of World Menopause Month in October, our 34th episode of Real Time with WLP features Janet Ko, President and Co-Founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada, a national non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to breaking the silence and the stigma of menopause. In conversation with Joanna Wilson, EVP, Edelman, Janet reveals just how menopause may impact women and their professional journey. Our first in a three-part series, we kick off with Menopause Matters: Navigating Myths, Symptoms & Stigma. In this episode, we tackle menopause as a health equity issue, highlighting The Foundation's 2022 report The Silence and the Stigma. Join us for this much-needed conversation where we cover how to talk to your healthcare provider, debunk common myths, and explore key symptoms – and hear more about Janet's goal to close the menopause knowledge gap and empower women in their prime to approach this life stage with confidence. Janet Ko is President and Co-Founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada, a national non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to breaking the silence and the stigma of menopause. Janet has held numerous leadership roles including Senior Vice President, Communications in the global life sciences and senior care sectors. She is dedicated to helping women thrive through their menopausal years and is a passionate speaker and menopause advocate. Janet is honoured to be one of the top 25 Women of Influence Award recipients for 2023. 

This month's Real Time with WLP podcast episode is with Melissa Leichter, US Vice President & Commercial Lead, Rare Diseases at Novo Nordisk Inc. In conversation with TJ Geddis, Director Patient Programs & Advocacy at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Melissa explores the importance of relatable female role models.  Gaining Inspiration and Connection from Relatable Women Leaders is the topic of Episode 33 and highlights the value of meaningful connections for professional growth.  

Real Time with WLP's 32nd episode features Lida Citroën who is an award-winning executive coach and personal branding expert who helps global leaders manage their reputations. She has guided thousands across 30 countries and her work is featured in top media outlets like Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Author of six award-winning books and a recognized keynote speaker, Lida also volunteers to help veterans transition to civilian careers. Her clients include industry giants such as Google, HP, and LinkedIn.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Episode 21 of Real Time with WLP, TJ Geddis, Senior Commercial Director at EmpowerPharm speaks with Millie Davis, Negotiation Consultant with Scotwork North America.  Millie addresses how optimizing your negotiations skills will help achieve both your professional and personal goals. As an expert in ‘deal coaching' with top Fortune 500 Executives, she offers practical advice on how to recognize negotiation opportunities when seeking out a new role, responding to requests for non-promotable work, or when simply saying ‘no' is difficult. ABOUT MILLIE Millie Davis is in her fifth year as a negotiation consultant with Scotwork North America, where she has helped five of the seven largest pharma companies optimize their dealmaking. Before joining Scotwork, Millie was a key dealmaker herself, serving as the Vice President of Business Development for the MarketStar, an Omnicom agency, as well as in several roles for Microsoft's retail and channel sales. For more information or guidance on sharpening your negotiation skills you can reach Millie at Millie.Davis@scotwork.com or utilize the resources below. Scotwork's Complete 2022 Articles (Digital Book) - This links to the complete set of front-line negotiation insights and illustrations from Scotwork in 2022. Search the book based on frequent negotiation questions. https://www2.scotworkusa.com/Scotwork2022DigitalBookWLP "Lessons From Lasso" by Millie Davis - This article by Millie Davis describes how to stay flexible during a negotiation and draws inspiration from Ted Lasso. https://www.scotworkusa.com/negotiation-blog/2021/lessons-from-lasso/ "Know When to Negotiate" by Brian Buck - This article by Scotwork North America CEO Brian Buck describes the three conditions that must be present for a negotiation to be possible. https://www.scotworkusa.com/negotiation-blog/2023/know-when-to-negotiate/

In this episode Chris Cummins, General Counsel Canada at GSK in conversation with Jessica Lovett, VP Business Development and Digital Innovation at Innomar Strategies shares his perspective on allyship and being an ally for women leaders. Chris opens up about his journey and growth as an ally and how to move past good intentions into action. ABOUT CHRIS Chris joined GSK in 2014 and has served in several commercial and legal roles. Chris is currently General Counsel for all of GSK's commercial operations in Canada. He has an amazing wife, two spectacular boys and a passion for learning and mental health.

Our first podcast of the year is ready! Real Time with WLPinvites you to listen to  “DEI&B as a Catalyst for Impactful Change” with Christine Sakdalan, VP and US Head of Commercial, Mental Health at Boehringer Ingelheim as well as CEO of the non-profit organization Momentum & Value for People of Color (MVPOC).  Virginia Fairbank, with Lundbeck and our Diversity and Communications team member at WLP, hosts this thoughtful conversation.  In this new episode, Christine Sakdalan shares how she embraces and sponsors authentic diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and her strategies to promote belonging and change in the short and long-term within the workplace. About CHRISTINE SAKDALAN Christine Sakdalan is VP and US Head of Commercial, Mental Health at Boehringer Ingelheim. Previously, she led the development of market access and payer strategy, customer experience, end-to-end patient solutions, and strategic business operations as Head of Franchise Strategy and Customer Solutions for the Janssen Pharmaceuticals Neuroscience business. Christine's prior roles include VP of Marketing / Interim GM at Amgen for the Bone / CV business unit, where she built a world-class commercial organization. Prior to Amgen, she spent more than 7 years at Novo Nordisk leading the company's evolution to patient-centricity. She started her career at Novartis where she advanced to Executive Director in market research and then to Executive Director of Marketing Innovation Pipeline. As a strong advocate for DE&I, Christine is also the co-Founder, CEO, and Board Chair for MVP (Momentum & Value for People of Color). She created the vision, structure, and resources for this organization dedicated to providing young people of color with mentorship, strategic networks, leadership development, and internship opportunities. Since its launch In January 2021, MVP has engaged more than 100 leaders as mentors and several companies as internship providers. Christine completed executive education and leadership programs at Stanford University and The Wharton School. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Rutgers University. A former Board member of the Google Healthcare Advisory Board, she currently serves as a Council member with the Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG).

In our final podcast of 2022, we have compiled some of the Best Advice we have heard this year and sharing it with our listeners. Episode 18 is a special year end podcast featuring some of our past guests (Cloe Caron, Tina Graves, Amy Gomez, Sarah Robertson, Helen Kontozopoulos, and Catherine Harrison) and the advice that they feel inspired and helped shape their own career paths in our industry.

Akwa combines strategic expertise and project management skills with superior global and local marketing knowledge obtained from close to 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Overseeing the execution of campaigns and development of strategies within pre-commercial, inline pipeline, and launch spaces for brands in numerous therapeutic areas, Akwa's portfolio of clients has included AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BMS, ViiV HC, GSK, and UPMC. As a senior business leader Akwa earns accolades from clients and coworkers for her own dedication, as well as her ability to draw the best from those around her. She currently carries out two roles as WPP Global Client Lead for GSK and Managing Director – EMEA at TANK Worldwide based in London, UK. Akwa continues to deliver for existing clients while developing new agency opportunities in the EMEA region. In conversation with Joanna Wilson, Global Client Lead at Edelman, Akwa shares the importance and impact of the role of diversity and inclusion that leaders can foster within their organizations. And, in turn, empowering our leaders of tomorrow. Take a few minutes for yourself & listen to this empowering conversation.

Striving for excellence while accepting human fallibility is at the heart of Human Centered Leadership, the 16th episode of Real Time with WLP. Catherine Harrison, President of Purple Voodoo in conversation with Jessica Lovett, VP Business Development and Digital Innovation at Innomar Strategies introduces leaders to the concept of real skills to foster belonging, interconnectedness, and community to solve the problems of tomorrow. Catherine Harrison has decades of experience as both a corporate professional and a multi-disciplinary artist. This gives her a unique perspective on realizing strategic, creative, and progressive outcomes, and enables Purple Voodoo to provide authentic and straightforward cultivation of ideas and solutions for individuals, small businesses, or large corporations. Catherine is a certified professional coach, expert facilitator, behaviour change specialist, seasoned team leader and strategic connector of dots. All of her work has an underlying focus on mindfulness, adaptability and accountability. To connect with Catherine visit CatherineHarrison.com or PurpleVoodoo.ca

“Intrapreneurship” – Recognizing and Supporting its Value Within Your Organization, presents a great conversation between Helen Kontozopoulos, Co-founder & Chief Technical Evangelist, ODAIA Intelligence and Jennifer Meldrum, President of Women Leaders in Pharma and Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Peak Pharma Solutions Inc. In this episode, Helen shares the difference between entrepreneurship & intrapreneurship and how leaders and intrapreneurs can succeed in their organization from a strategic and tactical perspective. Helen co-founded ODAIA in 2018, an AI-powered commercial insights SaaS platform for Pharma companies. As Chief Technical Evangelist, Helen brings her understanding of artificial intelligence, customer analytics and digital transformation to drive ODAIA's thought leadership efforts, ultimately helping pharma teams adopt AI in their work and leverage data science and AI to achieve a competitive advantage. She has been teaching product development, design, and entrepreneurship for 9 years at the University of Toronto in the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences. Helen co-founded UofT's Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab (DCSIL), an incubator that supports students and faculty to commercialize their innovations in emerging technologies. Her passion is making digital art.

In this episode, Sarah Robertson, Communications and Transformation Strategist, shares with us how to navigate through ambiguity and perform under pressure with a balanced approach to leadership. Sarah has a passion for communicating with purpose and creating possibilities. She builds strategies that enable transformation, close trust gaps, accelerates transitions, and drive engagement. She has a strong track record of delivering results and building communications capacity. Sarah has navigated major U.S. and Canadian public health crises, class action & litigation, U.S. bankruptcy proceedings, mergers & acquisitions, and has overseen social responsibility mandates for large organizations. Sarah knows that words matter and guides organizations and leaders to choose them carefully. She was recognized in 2021 by Ragan and PR Daily as one of the Top Women in Communications (Crisis Navigator). While she leverages her more than two decades of experience to work on organizations' toughest challenges, she's a lifelong learner: in addition to her Bachelor's Degree in English Language & Literature from The University of Western Ontario and her Post-Degree Certificate in Public Relations from Humber College, she has completed numerous executive courses and certifications: Yale School of Management, the International Association of Business Communicators, Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education, and the Niagara Institute. She recently completed the Indigenous Canada program through the University of Alberta and is pursuing a certificate in Positive Workplace Culture with Dalhousie University. She currently volunteers as: Vice President of Women Leaders in Pharma; a member of the Corporate Leadership Council for College to Congress in Washington DC; strategic advisor to the Chair of the Board for Over the Bridge; Communications Chair on the Canadian Public Relations Society Nova Scotia Board; and judge for IABC/Toronto's Ovation Awards program. Her views on Communicating in Canada were recently published in the fifth edition of Robert L. Dilenschneider's “The Public Relations Handbook” for US readers.

In this episode, Dr. Cheng shares a profound perspective on how we can become further aware of biases in our daily practices. She discusses the importance of the Med Ed Pledge (www.theMedEdPledge.com), and how to activate change. Dr. Cheng is an Endocrinologist at Trillium Health Partners and Unity Health Toronto and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. She has been involved with the development of the Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines since 2003 and served as Chair for the 2013 version. Currently, she is an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Diabetes and immediate Past-Chair of the Professional Section of Diabetes Canada. In recognition of her contribution, she has received the national Charles H. Best Award and the Gerald S. Wong Service Award from Diabetes Canada.

In this episode, Amy Gómez, SVP Diversity Strategy at Klick Health shares her experience implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices inside and outside of the organization. The “Empowering Inclusion in Healthcare” will cover different angles of diversity and inclusion that sometimes can be missed. Amy is a cross-cultural marketing thought leader and a champion for health equity with over 20 years of experience helping Fortune 500 companies and leading not-for-profits communicate effectively with diverse consumers. Amy spearheads the creation of relevant and impactful communications for the segments driving growth in the U.S. today: Hispanic, Black, Asian and LGBTQ+, and develops global cross-cultural strategies that drive relevance across markets. She leads the Cross-Cultural Marketing capability for Klick Health, the world's largest independent commercialization partner for life sciences, and spearheads the company's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. She has worked with a wide variety of health and non-health clients, including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, The American Heart Association, Janssen, Merck, Nestle, Citbank, HBO, Marriott and Progressive Insurance. In 2021, Amy was honored by the PM360 ELITE Awards The 100 Most Influential People in the Healthcare Industry in the “Transformational Leader” category. In May 2022, Amy was honored by Clio as a 2022 Health Innovator, which honors the behind-the-scenes leaders pushing healthcare marketing forward.

In this episode Tina Graves, Senior Global Marketing Director Vaccines at GSK shares her perspective on making vertical and geographical career moves in the industry. Whether you have recently made a career move or considering one, Tina's experience in “Making Moves” will help you navigate and thoughtfully plan for all these big career transitions.

In this episode, Cloe shares the concept of the unique strategic contribution (USC) and its power. With over 20 years of experience and 2,500 hours of coaching, Cloe will empower you to shed the emphasis on a "to do list" and really focus on delivering maximum impact by "defining your unique strategic contribution". Be sure to stayed tuned till the end, where Cloe shares exciting content from her upcoming book.

In this first 2022 episode, Jen* shares her passion and perspective on the concept of being well to lead well, and why embracing & building leader's capacities to lead with increased self-awareness, awareness of the dynamic systems around us, curiosity, and listening is key for thriving in the future of work. The mantra she holds for herself and her clients over the years, as we collectively navigate ever increasing complexity and ambiguity, is: “Be You & Live Fully.” Jen is a heart-centered leadership & team coach whose experience serving globally across corporate, academic, health care, non-profit and professional services environments has been developed over the past 20+ years. She is an ICF- Certified Coach (PCC), Coactive Certified Coach (CPCC), a Certified Agile Coach (IC-Agile) and is also a Certified Team Coach. She is a licensed practitioner of Leadership Circle, Be Well Lead Well and Integrative Enneagram. Jen is a wife and parent of two beautiful children who keep her curious about human development. She loves to explore our world, dance, hike, and will always have a course or two on the go! *Jen Nash works as Global Leadership and Team Coach at Roche. The responsibility of the contents and opinions expressed in this document are to be attributed to the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the employer's opinion.

In this episode, Natalie* shares meaning and a different perspective on diversity, and why inclusion of diversity could be more challenging by nature to include in personal or professional life. Natalie's international upbringing and experience provides a truly unique view on how to embrace diversity and inclusion, and how it is being done across borders. Natalie also reinforces the importance of this topic even while we all navigate the pandemic, and the steps we all need to take to be successful (such as tackling a non-inclusive attitude). *Natalie Danti works as Commercial Lead Internal Medicine in Pfizer Srl (Italy). The responsibility of the contents and opinions expressed in this document are to be attributed to the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the employer's opinion.

In this episode, Patricia shares her experience on navigating public scrutiny, making bold moves, and how see developed personal resilience in the process. At only 16 years old, Patricia, made her first bold move that gave her the courage to continue forging her own path and she shares all these experiences with us in the episode. Be sure to stay tuned till the end, where Patricia shares her no-nonsense advice on taking risks, and defining your own path.

In this episode, Cloe shares her expertise and experience on how women can achieve success in the workplace through adaptation of different behaviors and attitudes, and the importance of state of mind. She conveys rich content that we can all translate into our professional and personal life!

In this episode Fotini Iconomopoulos, Negotiation and Communication Expert, shares key insights that have garnered her the nickname “The Negotiatior”. Be ready to flex your brain and better negotiate at your next important meeting.

In this episode Angelina Brathwaite, Senior Client Partner and Equity/Inclusion Leader for Brunel in North America, provides her perspective and experience on how to manage the importance of removing barriers within a team and draws on her own experience on decision-making process within the workplace and why, as leaders, we should embrace the “why”.

In this episode, Nicola Lloyd, Director of Business Development at Meducom Health, and a member of the WLP Leadership Executive Committee and Events Committee Chair, provides her perspective on how to define and tell your story and put your best self forward. Applying quotes from inspirational women leaders, Nicola draws on her own experience and shares tips on how to leverage your strengths, embrace your flaws, and use continual learning to be the best version of yourself.

“Life on the International Scene” features interviews with Louie-Anne Gauthier and Sara Leclerc, Canadian female pharmaceutical executives who decided to live and work abroad. Louie-Anne and Sara share their experiences about taking their lives and careers abroad from two very different paths. They also give perspective on working in other cultures as well as on a global level. Whether or not you are considering an international move, the lessons and insights apply to us all. Louie-Anne now lives and works in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Sara is based in Atlanta, Georgia (USA).

'The Empowerment Story Behind a Woman Leader', features an interview with Gamze Yüceland, Senior Vice President, GI Business Unit, Takeda USA, where she discusses the importance of women finding balance in their personal and professional lives, drawing on her own life experiences.

A brief recording of Milva D'Aronco, Founding Member and President of the Board at Women Leadership in Pharma, who shares information about the inaugural Real TIme with WLP Podcasts; and what listeners can expect from the upcoming and inspirational episodes.