The vision of Life Science Leader is to help facilitate connections and foster collaborations in pharma and med device development to get more life-saving and life-improving therapies to market in an efficient manner. Connect, Collaborate, Contribute
Issue link: https://lifescienceleadermag.epubxp.com/i/469666
SELLING A LIFE SCIENCES BUSINESS finance BIOTECH leadership LIFESCIENCELEADER.COM 38 By B. Thompson MARCH 2015 to handle the rigorous demands placed upon them. By sharing your story, you might also inspire your employees to look after their own health better — with obvi- ous benefits to the company's health as a whole. Personal health absolutely influ- ences professional performance. When Warren Buffett publicly announced his cancer diagnosis in April 2012, he did so with characteristic cour- age and class. Even so, he made a pre- emptive strike at controlling the message before news of his illness could manage to leak out and be sensationalized. And when Herb Kelleher, the former CEO of Southwest Airlines, chose to disclose his treatment for prostate cancer, he actually made quips about his illness have naturally strengthened my resolve to seek better solutions for patients. But they have done more than this: they have also given me the chance to think about the various ways an executive's past or present health issues can posi- tively mold a company. I can attest that a firsthand experience with serious illness — either your own or that of a family member — can provide unique insight into the plight of a spe- cific patient population. Experiencing my mother's ordeal up close, and shar- ing with my family the anguish of being unable to find an adequate treatment for her, has allowed me to empathize more effectively with the cancer subjects enrolled in our clinical trials. I know how important it can be to seek a treat- ment that might extend a loved one's life, for any amount of time. Objectively, that difference might not amount to much, but subjectively, every day spent with a loved one with a terminal illness is a triumph. Full disclosure about your illness is vital, and I've been completely open about my own brush with melanoma. Doing so can have multiple benefits. Most obviously, investors and employees alike will respect you for your honesty. Just as important, if you have been lucky enough to make a full recovery, as I did, they will be reassured that you are actively taking care of your health — so that the company is in good hands today and is likely to continue to be securely managed in the upcoming months and years. A physically fit leader is better equipped How An Executive's Health Challenges Can Make A Biotech Stronger B R A D T H O M P S O N , P H . D . s the CEO of a biotech com- pany since 1994, people often ask what has kept me focused throughout my 20-year (and counting) tenure. Aside from my firm belief in the value of the cancer treatments we are studying, there is another motivation: a personal experience with this terrible disease. The year I assumed my current position at Oncolytics Biotech, my mother died of lung cancer. That was one year after I had an early-stage melanoma removed from my leg. As the chief executive of a company devoted to cutting-edge cancer treatment, these personal experiences Brad Thompson, Ph.D., is president and CEO of Oncolytics Biotech Inc., a Calgary-based biotechnology company focused on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. A HOW AN EXECUTIVE'S HEALTH CHALLENGES CAN MAKE A BIOTECH STRONGER I can attest that a firsthand experience with serious illness — either your own or that of a family member — can provide unique insight into the plight of a specific patient population.