Needed: A Few Big Brothers

I read in today's Philadelphia Inquirer that the regional Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter are looking for more men to be mentors to young boys (see "Big Brothers seeking more than a few good men"). It seems that only 3 in every 10 mentors in this organization are men.

[This photo, which accompanied the article, is of Blair Shaw of West Philadelphia, who became a Big Brother six months ago.]

This caught my attention for two reasons: (1) the goal of this blog is similar to that of Big Brother: find mentors that young people can look to for guidance and help, and (2) maybe there's a way for us to help Big Brother find men and for Big Brother to help us find kids.

Speaking to #2, here's my idea: perhaps the Philly Big Brother/Big Sister organization and Life Science Profiles of Color (LSPOC) can work together. The latter has connections with children in schools and LSPOC has connections to people of color within the pharmaceutical industry. Perhaps we can bring the two together?

One way to do this is to have kids "interview" pharma people of color about how they came to work for the drug industry. This may elicit more interesting and inspiring stories than do the questions we ask in our questionnaire, which you can find here.

I've spoken to Craig DeLarge and Fard Johnmar, my partners here on LSPOC blog, about reaching out to students this way, and maybe we can get connected to Big Brother/Big Sister to help us and help them at the same time.

Before going off on that tangent, however, it would be helpful if any readers of this blog submitted comments on this idea. Thanks for your input!

Karen Colquitt-Hall: Diabetes & Vaccines Marketer

Joined GSK in 1999 through a Management Development Program. As part of this program I worked on key projects in marketing and as well spent a year in the field as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative. After completing this program I worked with the Avandia Product Team with responsibilities in consumer and professional marketing and strategy (market shaping.) Currently I am a Director in Vaccines leading one of the pediatric brands (Pediarix™).

What was your first job in the industry? Manufacturing supervisor in a pharma plant.

Which companies have you worked for? McNeil Consumer Products (Johnson & Johnson) and GlaxoSmithKline.

What is the best advice you have received that has helped your career?  Don't be afraid to ask questions and  always come with possible solutions. 

Why did you decide to work in this industry? I wanted to be a doctor but didn’t see how I could afford it. This industry keeps me close to healthcare/medicine and helping people.

What has been your most challenging opportunity? Being seen as a leader. I was always considered a “good” worker. I had to make sure that my efforts and accomplishments were also understood as being those of a “leader” as well.

What advice would you give a young person considering this industry? Understand this is a very competitive environment where you will need to be persistent and seek mentors to help navigate the process of setting up informational meetings that lead to opportunities.

How is your career different than what you envisioned when you started? It has been more rewarding than I ever thought possible, extremely complex, very high paced, full of experiences.

Where did you go to school and what is your educational background?  Drexel University, BS in Engineering.  LaSalle University, MBA Marketing.

What has been the biggest thrill of your career?  Being on a launch team and real crisis management.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of the industry's focus on diversity initiatives? The benefits related to multicultural initiatives are huge as the disparities in healthcare are widely known. Unfortunately, this area is seldom funded to make a difference and typically first to be eliminated when funding is tight.