Top Pharma Firms Gather at María de Molina for Flagship Talent and Careers Healthcare and Pharma Day

Top figures from nine leading global healthcare and pharma firms, including Roche, Amgen, and Eli Lilly, convened at the María de Molina Campus for the flagship Healthcare and Pharma Day, co-organized by IE Talent and Careers and the Healthcare and Pharma Club. 

The event gave students access to first-hand insights from top managers at two hour-long panels, followed by a face-to-face networking cocktail with 15 managers and HR heads, nine of whom were IE alumni. 

Panelists flew in from Europe and the US. 

“Pharma & Healthcare Day showcased that IE is more than academics, it's about building a powerful community where students, alumni, and professionals connect, collaborate, and shape the future of this vital industry together,” said Cristina Carbonell, Associate Director at IE Talent and Careers.

The first panel, moderated by Pharma Club Officer and International MBA student Ana Tasic, explored the topics of brand strategy, technology and innovation, leadership, and sustainability. 

Four managers shared their insights in the Business Panel Discussion: Milan Medina, Senior Manager of Commercial Data and Analytics at Amgen, Shib Mukhopadhyay, Lead of Omnichannel Oncology at Eli Lilly, Patricia Burgos, Senior Brand Manager at GSK, and Javier Sogorb, Consulting Principal at IQVIA. 

Both Medina and Mukhopadhyay are IE alumni and applauded the role the alma mater plays in facilitating the connection between employers and students.

“It is great to see how many people attended today, and how much the club has grown since 2021,” said Milan Medina, Senior Manager of Commercial Data and Analytics at Amgen, a graduate of the Dual Masters in Business Administration and Big Data, and former president of the Healthcare and Pharma Club, “It makes me happy to be able to speak to students and give them advice on the industry and insights on the transferable skills that bring the best to people.”

A hot topic discussed was the use of data and technology for innovation, and panelists highlighted the importance of its internal applications in improving productivity in addition to patient care.  

The panelists further emphasized a shift in the industry from exclusively focusing on treatment to expanding to prevention and detection, with the help of AI and big data.

However, when discussing the use of AI in diagnosis and a more direct relationship to patient care, the consensus was one of discretion and carefulness.

“The technology as a whole is probably ready, but healthcare has the challenge of disconnected data across centers, particularly in Spain,” said Javier Sogorb, Consulting Principal at IQVIA, “There are exceptions in the private sectors, but aligning the taxonomy across public and private sectors is key to having critical mass needed to bring the technology created to successful use cases.”

The HR Panel discussion, moderated by Pharma Club Officer and IMBA student Prashant Pokhriyal, featured insights from top HR managers María Soler, EMEA Global Learning and Development for Roche, René Gessenich, Site Global Head Competency Centre for Sandoz, Ana Soto, International Manager for MCR, Alberto Ampuero, International HR Partner at IQVIA and Pablo González, Talent Acquisition Commercial Spain & EU Clinical Development and Operations Lead for AbbVie.

Key topics discussed were the most attractive profiles for the sector, practical advice for applicants, the use of AI in the workplace, and the importance of culture and multidisciplinary teams. 

“Alignment with the company's core values is paramount,” said María Soler, EMEA Global Learning and Development Responsible for Spain and Portugal at Roche, “We look for candidates who have the right mindset, the right knowledge, and the right soft skills and highly value previous reflection and self-awareness of their values and strengths.”

Panelists underscored the value and scarcity of hybrid profiles that combine scientific and technical knowledge for the industry's clinical, technical, or commercial side.  

Another key insight was the shift toward cross-department, solution-oriented teams and away from traditional product-focused team silos. 

“I deeply value that the event provided HR insights on top of professionals sharing their business insights and career journey,” said Kento Nakajima IMBA student.

IE Talent and Careers continues to provide students with direct access to recruiters and industry insights, fostering a sense of community among students and alumni. 

A complete list of the firms present follows: AbbVie Inc., Amgen Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, IQVIA Holdings Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), MCR International, Roche Holding AG, Sandoz International GmbH and ViiV Healthcare Limited.