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Jenkins MBA Students Meet Up with Biosciences Execs at Networking Event

On Monday, November 19, students in the NC State Poole College’s Jenkins MBA program took advantage of an opportunity to meet and talk with biosciences industry executives at a concentration-specific networking event. The meet-up was part the Jenkins MBA program’s Career and Managerial Effectiveness class taught by Belinda Dowdy, assistant director in the program’s Career Development Office.

For the students, it was an opportunity to get some inside information about a field they are studying or considering. Key takeaways mentioned by the students include:

  • The biosciences industry, especially the medical device and diagnostic industry, is rapidly changing
  • Diversification in experience is essential for long-term career growth
  • It is often easier to specialize in a certain field of work with larger companies, whereas smaller companies and startups entail wearing various hats and working in numerous roles.

Students Value Career Transition Insight

“The student feedback reflects the goals of this series,” Dowdy said. “Our goal is to give students a chance to network with practitioners and gain an understanding of the roles MBAs play in the various industries and sectors. This semester we had networking events for supply chain, marketing, and finance practitioners, as well as this biosciences event,” she said.

“Everyone was so personable and willing to share their industry experiences. I received great advice on transitioning from lab research into business development,” said Manda Edwards, who is in NC State’s joint master of microbial biology and the Poole College Jenkins MBA program.

“The most interesting thing I heard from a representative is how similar their situation was to mine,” said Ryan Webb, a first year student in the Jenkins MBA program. He said that he learned that he was “not the only person who has worked in a lab and needed to get out and pursue an MBA to accomplish my goals. It was nice that someone so established really peeled back the layers and revealed their start was no different than mine.”

Participating executives were:

  • Duncan Fatkin, vice president of global marketing and reimbursement at Bioventus
  • Megann Vaughn, director of corporate development and licensing at LabCorp
  • Prabha Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of Cempra Pharmaceuticals
  • Mary Kuhn, president, North America manufacturing operations at Grifols, Inc.
  • Alex O’Toole, vice president of integrated processes and technologies, clinical strategic alliances at Quintiles
  • Marcelo Anderson, associate director of manufacturing sciences at Biogen Idec, alumnus of Jenkins MBA and MGIM programs

“Our network of business partners and alumni in the biosciences industry, and their willingness to help Jenkins MBA students, is truly amazing,” Dowdy said. “The guests at our biosciences networking event are engaging speakers and leaders in their fields. They took on all questions from the students, and gave helpful and insightful answers.”