*Specialty area: an umbrella term referring to therapeutic areas other than oncology
Growing up with a mother in the pharmaceutical industry, I became involved in volunteer work related to rare diseases when I was 14. I launched my own volunteer organization and created Japanese subtitles for a documentary on rare disease created by Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics, and then organized screenings of it, mainly for Japanese pharmaceutical companies. As part of that initiative, I visited Daiichi Sankyo and had the opportunity to speak with some of the employees. I was deeply struck by their dedication toward patients and the passion they had for their work.
I thought, “I’d love to work with people like this someday.” While I originally planned to pursue an academic path after university, I decided to honor that feeling and applied to Daiichi Sankyo instead. Had things not worked out, I was prepared to stay in the U.S., but I was fortunate enough to join the company, and now, here I am.
Strengthening regional connections to drive global growth
In the Global Specialty Planning Department, we work on marketing, brand strategy plans, and monitoring on global products outside of the oncology field.
Developing these strategies involves close collaboration with diverse teams across regions. Colleagues from Japan, Germany, China, and beyond connect daily to exchange ideas. While each region tailors its approach to local needs, I see strong potential to deepen cross-regional collaboration. Challenges faced in one market are often resolved in another, and our global team plays a key role, acting as a bridge in sharing those solutions.
Marketing, in my view, is about connecting dots to form a coherent picture. The logical thinking involved reminds me of the philosophy I studied in university, and it really suits me. I enjoy monitoring regional developments, spotting patterns, and working through challenges. I find it genuinely fun.
Sharing insights and discussing strategies across the globe
One of our current priorities is organizing global learning sessions. These bring together different regions to share initiatives and challenges, all with the aim of advancing global growth. While we've held these sessions before, we've decided to increase their frequency moving forward.
During the sessions, representatives from each region share their successes and the lessons learned from past setbacks. The learning sessions welcomed participants from across the globe, and it was energizing to see so many teams come together. We have already hosted several of these sessions, attracting many participants and providing a platform for discussions across markets.
We also provide summaries for those who are unable to attend and keep sessions to less than 45 minutes; short enough to feel approachable, like watching an episode of a TV show. We want the content to be something with which colleagues can comfortably engage, but that can still offer valuable insights.
Putting patients first through marketing
When people think of pharmaceutical marketing, they often assume it's far removed from patients and focused instead on healthcare professionals. In reality, it’s about putting patients at the heart of what we do. That’s exactly how I want to approach my work: I try to always ask myself how we can better serve patients.
Currently, my main goal is to maximize the value of the medicine for which I’m responsible. However, in the future, I’d also like to be involved in the process from the ground up, considering what kind of patients we can contribute to and what kind of value we can deliver. At Daiichi Sankyo, our commitment to patients spans beyond oncology and into a wide range of specialty therapeutic areas. It can take many years to develop a drug, and I want to help ensure it reaches the patients who truly need it. I see it as passing on a precious baton in a relay of care.