Diversity enriches perspectives

From Farm to Pharma – my life experiences have been nothing if not diverse, and my life has been all the richer and more colorful as a result.

I grew up in a remote farming area in Cameroon, West Africa – a million miles away from the world of medicines, or so I thought.

My parents wanted me to see that there was a large world beyond the boundaries of our farm. They used their savings to pay for me to study Pharmacy in France, and thus began my love of medicines and a passion to deliver the very best healthcare to people around the world.

I have held more than six different roles, from General Manager of South Africa to Global Life Cycle Leader to General Manager of the Netherlands – each special and unique in its own way. Throughout it all, I have always remained true to the values of hard work, resilience, and contributing to the broader community – values my parents instilled in me on our farm in Cameroon.

My life is a tapestry that is made up of everything I have experienced in each of the countries I have lived and worked in and all the amazing people I have met along the way. 

Finding meaningful ways of ensuring patients achieve the outcomes that matter most to them underpins everything that I do.

I love working with stakeholders from all parts of the healthcare ecosystem to identify the pathways that will allow us to deliver the very best care to patients and their caregivers, whilst ensuring our healthcare systems are able to meet the demands of the 21st century.

I believe now is the time for progressive mindsets. We need to break down old silos, make new connections, and think creatively in order to optimally integrate scientific innovation and new technologies into our healthcare systems. The possibilities are endless, but our resources are not. This is why we need everyone around the table, working together to set clear objectives and smart strategies that will allow us to protect and nurture people’s health today and tomorrow, and to build future-proof healthcare systems.

This is an exciting time to be in healthcare – there are tremendous opportunities emerging and I am delighted to be playing a key role in turning these opportunities into tangible results for patients.