I have alternated between the two industries which have a lot of similarities but also some significant differences. Both industries face challenges around supply chain and distribution, reading marketplace data for demand signals, and selling indirectly—whether it be through doctors or retailers. The regulatory environment in life sciences is stronger and continuing to evolve, which is having significant implications on the company and IT solutions—for instance, data integrity and serialization. The scale of consumer products companies, such as the number of products and shipments, certainly requires a different level of focus on efficiency and automation in the operation.

First and foremost, you must understand the needs and drivers of your customers. Commercial activities are about engaging with customers and driving the desired behaviors, so these need to be measured in terms of sales, share, and uptake of new programs or products.

In life sciences, using serialization for product tracking is real and being used in marketplace today. The regulations and technologies are still evolving and many companies are behind. A more forward looking one is 3D printing. This could be a disruptor in the Pharma space where drugs could be “printed” at the point of dispensing. Additionally, patient-centric therapies and companion drugs and devices will be the wave of the future.

In CPG, digital marketing is moving to a new stage of sophistication and capability. You see many companies emphasizing it and investing at new levels. With new mobile technologies, interaction with consumers at point of purchase will be big , while managing trade funds in new and different ways will require more advanced analytics and optimization capabilities.

The most important advice I have is to understand how your company operates and makes money in detail so you can identify where technology can be applied to drive the company forward. Engage with senior executives to show what is possible and how the company can operate differently. Most companies have similar challenges but each company has specific needs at a given point in time that the team should focus on to deliver value.

Yes, of course! (Assuming he gives me enough strokes and I play from the closer tees.)