Sanjay is the recently appointed Global Head of Growth and Performance at Roche: a large Swiss Pharmaceutical company known for delivering life-changing innovative solutions to healthcare worldwide. “It is a privilege to have been promoted to such a senior position and I am especially proud as a PoC,” he shared: “driving diversity and inclusion is a huge passion of mine and arriving at this point has been an interesting journey despite the steep learning curves along the way.” Sanjay has been at Roche since November 2015, in his previous role as the Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead for Product Development overseeing the global diversity and inclusion strategy in late-stage drug development. The sincere role model’s most current job involves making the operation of Roche as a huge pioneer of biotech that much more efficacious: “We aim to work as quickly as possible to bring new medicines to the global healthcare community. The role is to make sure that the organisation is always ready to handle any new changes that may come through and create internal stability long-term. My team helps build the competencies of our scientific and business colleagues in drug development through a combination of learning & development and business effectiveness coaching. We also help identify any gaps in skills and training needs and build that knowledge across departments. We focus on a broad range of core business topics, including competencies like digital and AI-savviness, to ensure our teams feel ready and equipped for the future”.
***
Sanjay has prior held a few management and directive roles at Roche as well as at PricewaterhouseCoopers where he worked in consulting “leading projects across industries including healthcare redesign, company turnarounds, due diligence and corporate strategy development and implementation.” Having grown up in the UK, before moving to Basel in Switzerland, which is the long-standing HQ of Roche, he was always invested in medical solutions, experiencing health problems personally in his life. “I am passionate about delivering healthcare – in fact, being able to work with local governments to deliver primary healthcare across the UK has been a career highlight. It is important for me that people who need the help are supplied it, and I am happy to be able to contribute in this way.” Advanced medical solutions that have been created by Roche include Actemra/RoActemra which is approved in 116 countries for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)and Alecensa for the treatment of cancer and solid tumours. Interestingly, Sanjay was brought up by a father who worked in the corporate sector while his mother was an osteopath so it is as if the leader was destined to work in commercial healthcare which facilitates the reach that can improve many people’s lives at once. Accessibility then is as much a core concern for Sanjay as development and delivery of the pharmaceutical options. His interest in robust wellbeing extends to lifestyle where emotional equilibrium and social community are valuable prerequisites too: “Living abroad, exploring internationally and being able to integrate into another culture is just one of the best experiences one can have. It really helps that the team at Roche are like a family too. Professionally, Basel is a global bio-tech hub – its own Silicon Valley. There is much opportunity to network and explore new developments. However, it is the unique work-life balance that is afforded here that is truly rewarding. Lunch breaks for an hour are mandated by law and private healthcare is compulsory – everyone is entitled to it. It is very clean, safe and active. People really enjoy the outdoors here. This environment of personal fulfilment really enhanced my professional life in a way that perhaps staying in the UK wouldn’t have.” To conclude, Sanjay epitomises the fact that more than simply a principle or even a socially conscious initiative, essential transformative healthcare is “a fundamental human right.”
W:https://www.roche.com/about
What is the secret to creating strong growth and performance, if you had to share some insight?
Intimately understanding the company’s structure and culture – this will differ between a huge corporate and family-owned company or one that is both like Roche. As a corollary, it is important to form strong relationships internally and genuinely foster people’s trust.
What have been some challenges for you in this new role?
Having to adjust to such a rapid pace coming in and understand what programs to introduce. This involved having to co-ordinate on an international scale, scheduling meetings across different time zones and moving along initiatives. You’ve also got to be able build strong relationships over a laptops screen.
What has helped you along in your personal journey?
Having very supportive parents –I have learned a lot from them. It has also been a huge drive for me to be able to introduce meaningful reform in the sector of healthcare. Finally, it is an honour to be of South-Asian descent and do my bit in terms of representing the community – it’s not usual to see many people from my background so high up in this part of the world!
"We focus on a broad range of core business topics, including competencies like digital and AI-savviness, to ensure our teams feel ready and equipped for the future”
