Meet Heather Rae Martin, Associate Principal at EVERSANA® CONSULTING
EVERSANA CONSULTING offers unmatched expertise to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries worldwide. The consulting arm of EVERSANA is built to address challenges across the product life cycle, led by experienced consultants across six practice areas – launch, brand strategy and marketing, corporate strategy and business development, medical affairs, strategic data analytics, pricing and market access.
How long have you been in your current role? In the industry?
I’ve worked in a consulting capacity for about a decade from the internal chief strategy office at a pharmaceutical company to external advising. I also have experience in several industries such as consumer products and crop science. Prior to graduate school, I had almost five years of technical experience in lab environments, including biotech roles.
How would you describe your job to someone who isn’t in the field?
I see visions of PowerPoint slides and long hours spring to people’s minds when I say I work in management consulting. While those can sometimes be outputs, it’s certainly not everything.
My job is to help clients find the best way forward to ensure maximum results. This involves distilling a large amount of information quickly, which may require research, speaking to potential customers, or partnering with colleagues across EVERSANA. We deliver actionable insights that help clients come to a resolution and implement our recommendations. We are the personal, highly dedicated and experienced wayfinders in the sea of pharma commercialization possibilities.
And don’t underestimate the power of working with a ‘charged up’ EVERSANA! We have data and international resources at our disposal that are invaluable for speedy and accurate insights. Plus, having a full suite of commercialization solutions under one roof means resources like specialty pharmacies, field teams, patient services, etc. flow together naturally. We can objectively advise clients through implementation of strategies and solutions.
What are your typical responsibilities and challenges — what’s your average day like?
My average day involves meeting with clients, reviewing and preparing for presentations and managing consultants. I work with three to five distinct clients at a time to ensure focus and quality. The team works as collaboratively as possible throughout the project.
I usually work remotely but will travel to our NYC office occasionally. I value those in-person meetings to build rapport with my team.
What do you find most fulfilling or rewarding about your role?
While many consultants find a product launch to be the most exciting, I’ve also had some very rewarding experiences towards the end of the life cycle. Maybe there’s going to be a loss of exclusivity, or a client is moving resources away from promotion. What can we do to maintain viability, especially if there are patients who rely on this product? What unique route can we try next? At the end of the product life cycle, we have the trial data, the examples, the history that we were waiting on during the launch. It’s a far more informed starting point.
I also value the training and mentorship opportunities that are available at EVERSANA and within my team. Whether I’m on the giving or receiving end, those moments are memorable and powerful.
What advice do you have for people interested in getting into a role like yours, or in management consulting in general?
Consulting is a fast-paced and rewarding career, and the life sciences industry continues to present opportunities for growth. You can learn a lot in a short period of time and aren’t committed to a single company. I hope that people from various backgrounds consider the field because having a diversity of perspectives means that we can provide more nuanced strategies. If you enjoy new challenges and are not afraid of ambiguity or uncertainty, consider life sciences management consulting!
Why did you choose to pursue a career with EVERSANA?
I knew I wanted to work in a patient-centered healthcare capacity long ago. But it’s one thing to like the work you do and the products you work with – you can do that at a lot of places – and another to work at a place where you and the company have aligned values.
The people at EVERSANA heavily influenced my desire to work here. How we treat and speak to each other is unique. I’ve been embraced here, on multiple levels.
Interested in joining the EVERSANA team?