DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SERIES - Agents for positive change
My purpose for business is about unleashing human potential to create a healthier world, and my vision is to inspire pharma commercial and marketing leaders to shift from being the bearers of marketing messages to becoming trusted advisors for healthcare professionals. My goal is to unlock the power of genuine connection.
I'm passionate about helping pharma professionals feel confident about using technology to improve their engagement with healthcare professionals. When it comes to digital transformation, pharma companies invested in processes and platforms, but often they forget to pay enough attention to enabling people to use technology. Because I'm so curious about the human element, and to explore this topic, I've been interviewing pharma leaders to learn from them and give them a platform to share their perspectives.
Emma Vitalini is an experienced biotech professional who has worked at both regional and global levels. With over 20 years of experience in Medical Affairs on both the medcom agency and biotech sides. Currently, Emma holds the position of Head of Global Medical Digital Strategy at Amgen.
Beyond work, she is a mum of three, an active charity fundraiser, and takes on many physical challenges. She recently completed the London Marathon, her 14th marathon. She described it as very special. I have also run the London Marathon, and we both agree the support of the crowd is incredible, especially during the hard moments.
Another of Emma’s incredible talents lies in continually enhancing her education. Emma is currently completing a Master's in Psychology at Harvard Extension School. I love that she's embracing technology but also thinking about the people and culture needed to make it work.
We met in Barcelona, where Paul Simms introduced us, and I am so grateful for that. I found her contributions to the Pharmageddon 2024 sessions incredible.
Emma joined me online from a drizzly Switzerland for a chat, as part of my Digital Transformation Series, and I learned so much from her.
What attracted you to join the pharmaceutical industry?
It was by chance. At school, I was interested in medicine and helping people. I always knew it was something I wanted to do. I also enjoy the arts: literature, writing, anything from poetry to music, and so on. I always had a variety of interests. While studying, I suffered debilitating migraines and didn't manage to achieve as well as I'd hoped. I was given a conditional offer to study medicine but didn't get the grades I needed. I went through the clearing process in the UK and studied biomedical sciences, which I thoroughly enjoyed and found it to be a great foundation. By the end, though, I knew I didn't want to work in a laboratory. I worked for a technology company afterwards and spent some time working abroad on the beach before coming home to focus on my career. Passionate about writing and communication, I worked for a medical communications agency in Cheshire for about eight years, building up knowledge and experience. This gave me broad exposure to both marketing and medical fields, allowing me to contribute to a wide range of materials and tailor content for various audiences. Sixteen years ago, I was approached by Amgen and have since happily progressed with them in various roles across Medical Affairs, from publications to capability building, strategic planning, operations, and digital transformation.
Tell me about your current role at Amgen.
I spend a lot of time listening to people talking about the shiny things and am very interested to see how they align with long-term ambition and strategy. During COVID, we had a good learning experience that helped us understand what to do and what not to do. We had to react quickly, without much time to bring people along on the journey. Now, we have the luxury of being more thoughtful and bringing people along. We are building a platform where people can submit their ideas and be part of the contribution process. I’ve done work with MIT in design thinking and recently with one of their generative AI courses, where they mentioned that 50% of digital and AI projects will fail if they are purely top-down. For me, bringing in contributions is important. The people with the closest relationships to healthcare professionals are essential. I pride myself on staying connected to the countries, but I am not there every day, having conversations with healthcare professionals or patient groups. It is critical to bring in their perspectives to create the greatest value for everyone. One challenge we face is that everything is changing rapidly, not just at work but in our personal lives as well. We need a strong change management process and to ensure people are engaged and changes are not made too quickly. My role is about ensuring people are aware and taking the time to communicate the benefits and value for them in their roles and functions. These are things you can’t do alone; you need collaboration across the organisation.
How do you facilitate communication between both global and regional teams?
I try to find forums where we can always be present. Sometimes it's about over-communication; I try to do things differently to capture people’s attention. I try to ensure that people are as connected as possible. Previously, we created a competition for people to submit their most innovative ideas. We picked the top 8 out of 150 and brainstormed with them, then matched them with an agile coach to develop their ideas. We used them as examples to inspire others across the organisation. You can achieve more through others, through influence, and by giving them the stage. It's about getting people energised. I’m always looking for ways to help people feel ownership. We have a clear North Star in our leadership. We give people the framework but also the creative freedom to come up with ideas.
You’re really passionate about education. Why do you think expanding your knowledge base is so important to you? What drives you? What fuels the fire in your belly?
I have to credit a former manager who, in 2021, just after COVID, encouraged me to pursue different training from MIT. She suggested I do a design system matrices course, which I wouldn’t have thought of doing. The frameworks really interested me. I started talking to the professor there, and it wasn’t something I initially thought I would want to do. It helped me realise I was quite smart and that I had become complacent and happy with where I was after having my children. I wasn’t pushing or challenging myself anymore. This gave me a hunger for what’s next. The more I learn, the more value I can add to whatever I’m working on. For me, that drives a lot of my passion. I combine this with my running; I listen to a podcast, a book, or a lecture. I don’t feel guilty for running because I’m doing something useful at the same time. There’s so much more I can do if I understand more.
On your LinkedIn profile, you say you're really comfortable in a changing environment. You embrace it! What are the recent changes Pharma is struggling to adapt to right now?
We need to get to grips with how we come together and collaborate further. We’ve improved by looking at disease areas versus products, but we often build solutions that pull people to us or require them to download an app. When they are no longer partnering with us, they have to start this journey with someone else, which becomes overwhelming.
At a recent summit, I heard a mother say she had to use seven apps to manage her child’s disease. We need to find a third party to help with this. This is where the industry struggles.
I am very excited about the European initiative that by 2030 everyone will own their electronic health records in Europe. This is new, and it will connect data that doesn’t currently exist. How do we, as a community, come together to use these data for hypothesis generation?
At NEXT Pharma, you mentioned that unless we start looking at the customer experience from the customer’s perspective rather than our own objectives, we are never going to give them the best experience. Can you elaborate on that?
We had a great patient experience workshop where a team member led a session with a nurse who was also a breast cancer survivor. She described being diagnosed, receiving her treatments, and being given different bags for different side effects, leaving the hospital feeling overwhelmed.
We need to look closely at people with these lived experiences to drive the solution and the opportunity. As we do anything in digital, we need to truly understand people. What will support them? What information/advice/support will help them? What are the barriers?
What have you done to encourage your teams to embrace change?
Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. I don’t let certain things bother me. As I work with teams, it’s about building resilience. I was part of a leadership programme during COVID and met global leaders who I found inspiring and still keep in touch with on LinkedIn.
Think about what you’re grateful for and what’s positive today. I am driven by the loss of two very important people in my life. Part of me is giving them the vision of the things they didn’t get to see and do. I try to carry them with me and draw upon their strength. Every challenge is a learning opportunity. Take something positive from it and have it mean something.
What are the main blockers to positive change in Pharma?
Fear, lack of awareness, or people feeling threatened can block positive change. There’s so much to learn and do, but people need to be prepared and brought along the journey.
What legacy do you want to leave in Pharma?
I want to be someone who has created positive change and left the world a little bit better. I want people to feel valued for their contributions and know that the work they do matters.
What are your thoughts on my book 'The Omni Advantage'?
I loved it. The book has a good structure. It’s not easy to capture everything, but the summaries at the end of each chapter are very helpful. The take-home messages were easy to understand. I found it very relevant. It’s very positive and energising.
Conclusion
Emma is an incredible force for good in pharma. She’s dedicated to helping people and embracing change. I am grateful for her feedback on my book and the wonderful contributions she makes to the industry.
If you would like to purchase a copy of The Omni Advantage, it is available as a paperback or audiobook.
