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RBM of the Year 2011
PharmaTimes article by Katrina Megget - September 2011

As was evident at the recent PharmaTimes RBM of the Year Awards, good leaders are still making their mark in the ever-changing NHS

Leading Through Change

It's been a tough few years in UK pharma, what with the recession and extensive NHS reform. But if anyone can manage change it's the pharmaceutical industry through the role of the regional business manager.

Although undoubtedly it has been somewhat of a shaky ride over the past few years as companies reshape to better meet the needs of the customer, the RBM is still critical as the interface between the NHS and pharma — albeit the role is evolving alongside the transforming health system to become more analytical, more strategic, and with a greater focus on health outcomes.

Nick Spruce, business development director at Binley's, sponsor of the New RBM of the Year Award, sums this up: "It's a time when the NHS and pharma are experiencing unprecedented change and there is more to come. History tells us that for a company to survive or thrive during change it needs great leadership and that's what this PharmaTimes competition is all about."

Indeed, the event showcased an array of managerial talent from 17 companies, which put individuals and teams to the test. Claire Roberts, business manager at Zenopa, sponsor of the Aspiring RBM of the Year Award, described the finalists as "courageous" for putting themselves forward to compete against their peers. And as Kavita Oberoi, founder and chief executive of Oberoi Consulting, sponsor of the RBM Team of the Year Award, said: "It brought the best out of people and managing people".

The role of the RBM can sometimes be overshadowed by that of the sales representative but it is important to remember that these people are "committed to what they do and what they deliver", said Leslie Galloway, chairman of the Ethical Medicines Industry Group, sponsor of the Sales Company of the Year Award. It's not just about the "fantastic products", he said, but the "fantastic people" behind those products that make them what they are. This was a sentiment echoed by Sales Company of the Year winners Sanofi: "It's all about people and investing time in those people."

For Simon Brander, managing director of CSL, sponsors of Senior RBM of the Year Award, being associated with the PharmaTimes competition is important when the sales force is the interface between the industry and the NHS, particularly in times of such change. "Getting the interface right is crucial as it colours the perception of the industry as a whole. The manager level, the RBMs, is the level that will set the tone, the direction and the speed of travel to new ways of partnering."

Indeed, as the sector moves into a new era of healthcare, the value that pharma can offer — and having people who can demonstrate that value — becomes increasingly important, says Paul Hurst, from Bristol-Myers Squibb and winner of the Account Manager of the Year Award. As such the role is changing, noted Sandra Whitehead, director, training and EU compliance at Quintiles, sponsors of the Account Manager of the Year Award, adding: "This award shows how pharma can partner with the NHS".

Value is everything, said Bey Huggins, from GlaxoSmithKline and winner of the Senior RBM of the Year Award. "I'm really pleased to have been able to represent the high quality managers who work in the pharmaceutical field, particularly given that the focus of this year's competition was Leadership Through Change, because, put simply, "we are all patients and we want the best products" — and for this industry needs the best people.

Regional Business Manager of the Year

Pharma Award Winners 2011

Aspiring RBM (Sponsored by Zenopa) - David Birtles, Sanofi

New RBM (Sponsored by Binley's) - Jennine Clark, Otsuka

Account Manager (Sponsored by Quintiles) - Paul Hurst, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Senior RBM (Sponsored by CSL) - Bey Huggins, GlaxoSmithKline

RBM Team (Sponsored by Oberoi Consulting) Andy Moulson, Dan Morris, Jane McKenna-Green, Adele Day, Sanofi

Sales Company (Sponsored by EMIG) - Sanofi

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