Stefano De Socio Lardani PharmD (EMBA 2017) joins global biotech company Takeda Pharmaceutical, to launch a major new drug.
Stefano De Socio Lardani PharmD (EMBA 2017) has joined biotech company Takeda Pharmaceutical, formerly Shire, as Global Brand and Marketing Director. Based in Zürich, Switzerland, Stefano will be involved in the planning and execution of the company’s next major launch: an investigational drug for a rare disease.
Stefano is a participant on Cambridge Judge Business School’s Executive MBA programme, which he joined to develop his business and management skillset as his career advances within the science and healthcare sector.
A career in science and healthcare
“I’ll be playing an integral role in the global launch, planning and execution for a drug to combat hereditary angioedema. I was attracted to the role because it would give me the chance to lead a product launch on a global scale and in doing so drive innovation and improve patients’ lives.”
Stefano’s career in the sciences and healthcare industry has taken him across the world, working for pharmaceutical giants such as Sanofi, Chiesi and Roche on major medical breakthroughs. “A contribution I’m proud of was helping to launch the first approved gene therapy, which represented a remarkable step in the history of advanced therapies.”
Broadening a business skillset at Cambridge
Stefano recognised the importance of business education when he joined Cambridge Judge Business School, coming from a scientific background.
“I have already improved my ability to articulate long-term strategies, understand the consequences of organisational change, and last but not least nourished a hidden entrepreneurial spirit I didn’t know I had!
“My responsibilities at work increasingly focus on delivering forecasts and steering cross-functional teams to meet strategic objectives. Subjects on the programme such as Management Science and Corporate Finance are helping me to develop a critical eye for the quantitative aspects of my role.
“Also, the insights I have gained from our Organisational Behaviour course are helping me to navigate the new company culture and human environment. This was especially important for me, joining a new company in a senior leadership position.”
Though Stefano is at the halfway point in his Cambridge journey, he has found himself at a turning point in his professional life, from exposure not just to the programme itself, but its diverse network of fellow participants.
“My hope for the remaining months I’ll have at Cambridge is to solidify the relationships I’ve built and maximise my knowledge from the programme. It’s unimaginable how much knowledge resides just within my EMBA cohort, thanks to its cultural and business diversity.”