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"Roche is really good at cross-functional career development," says
Susan Graf. "There’s always been an opportunity for
me here." Anyone looking at Susan’s career at Roche
would tend to agree. She joined the company’s Totowa, New
Jersey production facility in 1995, doing process validation work
on Rocephin, the market-leading injectable antibiotic. Susan was
recruited to Roche directly from college as part of our Leadership
Development Program, and she was assigned a mentor – a senior
Manufacturing manager. Before making each career move, Susan consulted
with her mentor or someone from Roche’s Human Resources team.
After a year and a half in Totowa, Susan became a Medical Center
Sales Representative selling hospital products. "My mentor
recommended that I move into sales, but I was skeptical," adds
Susan. "In hindsight, it was the best move I could have made."
In 1998, Susan joined the New Product Planning group as a Market
Research Analyst. Two years later, she became a Business Development
Manager responsible for product forecasting and pricing valuations
of potential licensing deals. In 2003, with a new M.B.A. degree
in hand, Susan moved into her present position where she plays
a critical role in locating and evaluating potential product alliances
for Roche in the areas of Respiratory Disease, Acute Care and Hospital
Products. Susan says the key to career success is job satisfaction. "Find
an area where you enjoy going to work every day," She says. "Roche
is diverse enough that you can always find something that really
interests you."
Susan Graf’s career development advice includes being proactive
while keeping an open mind: "You have to investigate what
you want to do, on your own," she says. "Then, it’s
easier to bounce some of the things you discovered off of your
mentor or other adviser. And always keep your eyes and ears open
for opportunities," Susan adds.
Susan Graf, Director, Global Business Development
Roche Pharma Partnering
B.S. in Pharmacy – Purdue University
M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance – New York University
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