Peg Connelly, Kforce Clinical Research Inc. Paula Garrett, Eli Lilly & Co. Kathy Giusti, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Consortiumm Stanley S. Wulf, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., InfoMedics Inc. Emma Sergeant, RGN, RSCN, Fast4wD Ogilvy Lyndi Hirsch, Genentech USA Patients come first for these industry leaders. Their goals are to make sure that clinical trials are efficient, patients’ rights are protected, and communications are clear. For these healthcare leaders, patients are the No. 1 component in the continuum of care. Working to save lives and creating a nurturing work environment are central elements for Peg Connelly. Ms. Connelly views her mission as twofold: to improve the efficiency of clinical trials so that patients have access to life-saving drugs sooner, and to build a company culture that embodies trust, respect, and recognition for all. The potential to make a difference in people’s lives is compelling. Ms. Connelly recalls a defining moment during her time as the oncology therapeutic area head of operations at Pfizer. They were visited by a melanoma patient who had been treated successfully by one of Pfizer’s new oncology compounds. Prior to the treatment, he had endured many rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, and the diagnosis was not good; he had reached a point where he and his four children and wife were told that he was probably not going to survive. It was at this point that he learned about a new clinical trial for melanoma. Despite not knowing whether the drug would help him or not, he signed up; his only wish at the time was to survive a bit longer in order to spend more time with his young family. Ms. Connelly happened to hear he was visiting Pfizer to say thank you to some of the employees who had worked on this drug. She stopped by the conference area and was so touched by the gentleman’s story that she was brought to tears. His story also brought back memories of all of the melanoma patients she had come to know who didn’t survive when she was an oncology nurse at Yale-New Haven Hospital and the important lesson they taught her, which was how to put life’s challenges into proper perspective. Ms. Connelly felt very proud that day of the work that was being done to improve treatments for melanoma patients and, more importantly, the small part she played that allowed the gentleman to remain a father to his children. It was a great reminder for her and others about how far research had come and how much more needs to be done. It reignited the passion and urgency she feels for her work. Ms. Connelly says her goal is to improve drug development operations across all areas of clinical research services. To achieve this lofty goal, she stays focused on the bigger strategic picture and draws on her passion to help drive her energy and determination. A thoughtful leader, Ms. Connelly nurtures people’s best qualities while respecting differences. She employs a whole-brained approach to management, enlisting her analytical side to evaluate the big-picture business decisions, while evoking her emotional side as a compassionate person so she never loses sight of the human element. She mentors and guides many, helping managers to connect and communicate with their teams. It is from her relationship with her mother that she draws her strength of character. Ms. Connelly’s mother suffered a stroke that left her quadriplegic and aphasic. Determined to find a way to communicate with her six children, she began painting while holding the paint brush with her mouth. Having never painted before, she met the challenge with the utmost determination, even though it took six months to complete one project. When Ms. Connelly looks at her mother’s painting in her living room, it reminds her that anything can be accomplished by breaking down the larger task into tiny processes and by never giving up. This can-do attitude is reflected in her work and career; she is making great strides in breaking down the processes involved in the clinical-trial cycle to make sure each study is done with the utmost efficiency, quality, and care for patients. While it’s a long and painstaking process, Ms. Connelly has the stamina to see it through. As a former triathlete, she says she runs for the distance not the speed. F As group product manager, patient and nurse promotions for Rituxan immunology, at Genentech Lyndi Hirsch is seeking to be a leader in the evolution of direct-to-patient (DTP) marketing efforts for the Genentech immunology and Ophthalmology business units. Her bold approach to DTP has helped build goodwill for the brands and companies she has represented, but more than that, it has been a crucial vehicle for empowering patients. Passionate and spirited, Ms. Hirsch immerses herself fully into all she does, both professionally and personally, while approaching life with vigor and constantly seeking out the fun and the humor in every situation. For example, just a few days before she was due to give a presentation of a company’s innovative new programming at the national sales meeting, she developed a cold and lost her voice. She asked a colleague to help out with the majority of the presentation, but decided to head up on stage herself for part of the time and presented with enormous flash cards. The presentation was a total hit, she says; everyone got a kick out of the cards and laughed with her and her team’s different approaches to presenting. Ms. Hirsch is also generous in giving credit where credit is due. She touts several individuals as being instrumental in her career success and personal development. Lauren Ackley-Fawell, her first manager in the industry, developed the original support services at Biogen for the launch of Avonex. She says Ms. Ackley-Fawell was the person who taught her that there is so much more to professional achievements than just reaching or exceeding one’s own goals. Ms. Ackley-Fawell also taught her that they had the unique opportunity to use their resources to positively impact people living with chronic illnesses. Ms. Hirsch says having the ability to enable empowerment through education and support is a fantastic opportunity. She credits Jessica Mozeico as being the most effective and motivational mentor in her career. She says Ms. Mozeico, who was her second manager at Genentech, truly brought out the absolute best in her. She found Ms. Mozeico’s professionalism and work ethic to be inspirational and her belief in her employees and support of their development to be unmatched — she was committed to putting people first, without compromise. Ms. Hirsch took these valuable lessons to heart and learned that candor could be accomplished with respect and honesty, even with oneself, which is imperative for individual growth and team cohesiveness. She joined Genentech in 2005 as senior product manager from Serono Inc., where she also held the position of senior product manager, having previously been product manager. Ms. Hirsch started her biotechnology career with Biogen Inc. (now Biogen Idec), initially as a customer support specialist, ultimately rising to the position of communications specialist. Ms. Hirsch also derives inspiration from those in her personal life, her mother, for one, who postponed her education to marry her father and soon after raise a family. Mrs. Hirsch went back to school at night while raising two children and working because she was determined to be an educated, self-sufficient woman who contributed to their home. Ms. Hirsch says her parents have been her biggest fans, supporting and encouraging her regardless of whether they agreed with her choices, and they taught her to embrace the opportunities in front of her today, so as not to look back tomorrow regretting what she might have missed. Ms. Hirsch also derives inspiration from Carin Rosa, her college roommate, who has committed her life to helping those who otherwise would not be able to help themselves. Ms. Rosa is a social worker for the state of Colorado specializing in children’s care and services. Each decision Ms. Rosa has made personally or professionally has been selfless, Ms. Hirsch says, adding that she puts others’ well-being first without compromise. Diagnosed with breast cancer at 30 and in remission by 31, Ms. Rosa dedicates much of her personal time to help others through their own diagnosis and treatment. Ms. Hirsch says she draws inspiration as well from people with whom she has worked over the years who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness and who have shared their personal life stories and experiences to help motivate others, for maybe even just one person, to take an active role in their own healthcare. Of particular note is Academy Award Nominee Teri Garr, who Ms. Hirsch worked with for three years as she toured the United States to raise awareness about and support those living with MS. Ms. Garr herself had gone misdiagnosed for many years and, once diagnosed, committed her life to helping others. According to Ms. Hirsch, Ms. Garr’s can-do mindset and approach to life through humor motivated and inspired her every day and certainly kept life in perspective. She says these individuals are the reason she loves what she does. Ms. Hirsch’s passion for improving the lives of others extends beyond her mastery of patient communications. She devotes what free time she has to programs such as Habit for Humanity, where she and a group of friends are building houses in New Orleans’ 9th Ward. She believes that Hurricane Katrina relief is one of the most embarrassing examples of disaster response in U.S. history. With an incredible love of New Orleans, Katrina relief is an issue near and dear to her heart. Before entering the biotech industry, Ms. Hirsch was an adjunct professor in the physical education department at State University of New York at Rockland. She began her professional career as REO lead technician at Westfall and Company Marketing and Management. F LYNDI HIRSCH Power to the Patients Getting Personal with Lyndi Hirsch Family: Father, Richard; mother, Raelyn; brother, Ted; sister-in-law, Sonia; nephews, Jace, 7, and Jet, 3; and niece, Kessler, 1 Hobbies: Scuba diving, skiing, tennis, horseback riding, wine Giving Back: Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis; and Richard Bosco Memorial Scholarship Fund Bucket List: Have a baby; restore an old farmhouse; climb to base camp on Everest; take her mother to Italy; dive a reef with both of her nephews; participate in The Relief Riders, a program that delivers medical supplies via horseback and provides education in hard-to-reach areas of India Top iPod Downloads: Beast of Burden, The Rolling Stones with Bette Midler; Into the Mystic, Van Morrison; Chasing Cars, Snowpatrol; September, Earth Wind and Fire; Leather and Lace, Stevie Nicks and Don Henley; Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills and Nash; Mockingbird, James Taylor and Carly Simon; and December 1963, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Screensaver: An underwater photo while diving off the coast of Kona Most Unusual Place Visited: Underwater volcano off the coast of Kona Life Lessons: Don’t let your ego get in the way A Little-Known Fact: Ms. Hirsch won a lip sync contest her freshman year in college dressed as the lead singer of Poison, Brett Michaels, singing “Talk Dirty to Me" Under the cloak of invisibility: Go upstairs in Graceland
