AstraZeneca

Geoff is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of AstraZeneca Asia and is passionate about simplicity and foundational development. He strives to create perfect internal ecosystems and enable deep analytics. Geoff strongly advocates for simplifying the tech industry, which has become overly complicated in recent years. He began his career as a programmer at PepsiCo, transitioned into IT business partnering at Aon Hewitt, and eventually found his place in the pharmaceutical industry at Sanofi before joining AstraZeneca.

Could you please share your journey so far and your roles and responsibilities at AstraZeneca Asia?

During my formative years, my exposure to technology followed a traditional IT path. By the age of five, I already had access to a computer and could write programs. Initially, I learned by following examples from books and various sources, leading me to become both a programmer and a project manager.

As I progressed, I began noticing a disparity between technology and how businesses operate. While working at Aon Hewitt, I consciously decided to change my mindset. I started seeing myself as more than just a technology professional and embraced the idea of being a businessperson. This shift led me to explore HR services such as compensation, benchmarking, and long-term recruitment. I actively sought to understand the intricacies of these areas, enabling me to create solutions tailored to business requirements.

Today, I avoid categorizing myself solely as a technology person. Instead, I position myself as a bridge between technology and the business world. My goal is to have a comprehensive understanding of both domains and leverage that knowledge effectively. Many of the initiatives and projects I've undertaken have achieved great success due to my willingness to go the extra mile.

My in-depth understanding of how representatives communicate with doctors, engage with patients, and promote different brands and disease indications has allowed me to excel as a technology professional in a unique and effective manner.

How crucial is the process when implementing core technology, and why should senior leaders learn about the process before diving into technology?

At present, in AstraZeneca Asia, we are embarking on the straightforward task of re-launching our primary website portal for doctors. However, it's astonishing to realize that in 2023, we are still creating websites. Each time, we hire an external vendor, incurring a minimum cost of $150,000, and it takes six months to complete. Yet, there are individuals who can create a website of similar quality for only $2,000 within a couple of weeks. Therefore, the technology department must reevaluate its approach and identify the root causes of these issues.

“By establishing a strong foundation and having appropriate policies in place, we can implement groundbreaking ideas at an early stage and ensure their successful execution.”

With this new website, our goal is not to create another one in the future. Instead, we plan to launch this website and continuously enhance it every few weeks. It's essential to note that our digital maturity in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly within AstraZeneca, is quite advanced.

As our reliance on digital technology grows, we must focus on healthcare professionals we cannot physically meet with and new areas of disease treatment. This leads to a more complex workflow and an increased need for content. Currently, conducting a digital campaign requires numerous email exchanges, and we constantly face challenges in finding enough content. To address this issue, we are enhancing our HTP portal by introducing additional tools.

I believe that instead of building new websites, it's more effective to continuously improve existing ones. Successful websites on the internet have never undergone complete rebuilding but have continuously enhanced their features over time. This perspective reflects my concern about the excessive expansion of technology and the necessity to regulate it. Regarding this particular aspect, I consider myself relatively more accomplished.

Similarly, despite the widespread discussion on blockchain over the past five years, it is evident that many fail to grasp the fact that it serves no real purpose if one trusts the entity in control of the data. If you trust the bank or the entity holding your data, such as a pharmaceutical company, then blockchain becomes completely redundant. This is something I personally value, and I believe many pharmaceutical companies also prioritize - returning to the fundamentals and simplifying technology functions. Ensure that your data is properly organized according to given instructions, and your essential digital platforms are set up correctly. If these foundational aspects are not executed accurately, they will hinder your ability to carry out more advanced tasks effectively.

With all these potential transformations and disruptions prevailing in this space, how do you envision the future of the industry?

The potential for advancement in healthcare is enormous, particularly concerning patients. With the rapid progress we've made thus far, we could achieve groundbreaking milestones in patient care, potentially developing a range of mobile applications with advanced technological features. These applications would enable us to monitor our health round the clock and receive personalized tools and content tailored for maintaining optimum well-being.

Current technological advancements allow for the installation of small devices in the body to deliver insulin injections, similar to a tiny opening on the skin. Additionally, we already possess tools to monitor asthma symptoms and predict when an individual may require their inhaler. With these existing capabilities, there is immense potential. However, without establishing a strong foundation and addressing essential needs, harnessing this potential will prove futile.

For instance, at AstraZeneca, our patient support programs are managed by external companies. We only have access to anonymized data regarding patient enrollment in these essential programs. However, we lack the capability to consolidate this information into a comprehensive patient database. Thus, it is crucial to ensure that foundational elements are correctly established before focusing on achieving compliance or implementing initiatives that may enhance compliance practices.

Personally, I am indifferent to pharmaceutical companies accessing my health data if it guarantees optimal treatment when I fall ill. However, this is not currently permissible, so it is essential to prioritize the fundamental aspects in healthcare. Implement strategies in corporate affairs to persuade governments and the public that our intentions prioritize safety. Once this objective is achieved, we can then proceed with advanced initiatives. By establishing a strong foundation and having appropriate policies in place, we can implement groundbreaking ideas at an early stage.

Do you have any advice for your peers and aspiring professionals in the industry?

When approaching a project, it's important to stop chasing buzzwords. Instead, start by envisioning what perfection would look like. Remove all limitations such as cost, time, compliance, and legal restrictions to define the ultimate goal. How would patient support be structured if our pharmaceutical company were the best in the world? How would our data be organized? What would our clinical studies and research and development department look like? These questions will guide you to determine the most essential elements needed for success. Begin by envisioning the ultimate form of perfection and gradually break it down into smaller components, recognizing the necessity of incorporating technology wherever necessary as you progress backward.