The advantage is that you get a diverse experience
and you see a lot of different business models
and you learn to comprehend the similarities
as well as the differences.
- Prior to joining Biogen, you worked in a couple
of industries: in a professional services firm,
in satellite service provider, and contract research.
How did that diverse experience influence your leadership
style here at Biogen?
- Thanks. It's a, it's a good question, and there are advantages
and disadvantages to seeing a lot of different industries.
Obviously the advantage is that you get a diverse experience
and you see a lot of different business models
and you learn to comprehend the similarities
as well as the differences.
The bad news is it takes time to learn each one.
At the end of the day, you know, what you try
to boil it down to is
that management has three basic responsibilities.
Grow the top line, expand your margins,
and allocate capital the right way.
What you find is, no matter
how different the business models are,
those three fundamentals are consistent.
And what I try to bring to any, any new role,
particularly when I came to Biogen, is, you know,
how are we doing on those three priorities?
And there have been some challenges, obviously
with the top line, which I'm sure we'll talk more about,
just given the fact that we have some mature products
that have reached the end of their exclusivity life.
And so we've worked very hard to bring the company back
to growth, working hard on our margins.
And then of course, capital allocation, which is paramount.