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Pharmaceuticals is an industry bursting with passion, innovation, and some of the brightest minds around, all committed to making patients’ lives better. But if you’ve spent any time here, you now it can sometimes feel like slogging through the mud – buried in bureaucracy, battling for customers attention, and constantly being asked to do more with less, despite all the investment and positive change happening around us.
So, here a question for you: What if it’s not just about more training or shiny new processes. What if the real obstacles are the quiet, unspoken rules and assumptions buried deep in our culture?
Introducing ‘What the Pharma?’ – a podcast from the curious minds at Rubica designed to dive deep into those hidden barriers through fresh perspectives and bold conversations. Together with industry insiders and thought-provoking guests, we’ll uncover what might be really holding us back and maybe even find some unexpected solutions along the way…because its time to ask: What the pharma is going on here?
Digital transformation is revolutionising the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, pushing the boundaries of how companies connect with patients, providers and stakeholders.
As customer centricity becomes a critical focus, the role of the digital innovation in enhancing patients care, streamlining operations, and driving better outcomes has never been more vital.
Davidek Herron, Global Head of Digital at Roche Pharmaceuticals, brings a wealth of expertise to this evolving landscape. With deep understanding of digital integration in healthcare, Davidek is driving initiatives at Roche that leverage cutting-edge technologies to advance life sciences, improve diagnostics, and meet the needs of an increasingly connected world.
He joins us on the debut episode of What the Pharma? to share his insights and shed light on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry as it embraces digital transformation.
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Digital transformation is revolutionising the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, pushing the boundaries of how companies connect with patients, providers and stakeholders.
As customer centricity becomes a critical focus, the role of the digital innovation in enhancing patients care, streamlining operations, and driving better outcomes has never been more vital.
Clement Gavrila, Head of Digital Transformation at Virgin Media O2, brings an abundance of experience and insights from his fascinating career at one of Britain’s leading mass media and telecom giants.
Known for keeping people and businesses connected, Virgin Media O2 is at the forefront of digital evolution. Clement joins us on part 2 of our debut episode of What the Pharma? to share insights into how digital transformation is reshaping commercial organisations and driving innovation, customer-focused change across the sector.
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Caroline and Harry dive into Sara’s challenge—a top-performing account manager who joins a new pharma company, only to be met with a rigid culture of scripted, “tell-sell” conversations. Despite mounting pressure to fit in, this approach feels increasingly out of step with today’s healthcare realities. The data backs this up: analysis of 2.5 million sales calls by Harvard Business Review and findings from a Cochrane Review reveal a 5–6% increase in prescribing when conversations are tailored to actual needs. The message is clear: curiosity drives results.
So why is Pharma often still clinging to outdated approaches? Caroline and Harry explore the organisational “cage” that keeps teams stuck — historical inertia, compliance fears, activity-based KPIs, the illusion of control and a reluctance to ask open questions. They share practical solutions: redesigning incentives, using the “90-second open question” technique and getting leaders to model the behaviour they want to see.
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In this podcast episode Caroline and Harry explore the challenge faced by Isaac, a first-line manager in the Netherlands, who’s overwhelmed by being the go-to problem solver for his growing team. What once worked—fixing issues fast—now falters amid rising complexity and changing customer access.
The episode highlights why Pharma must shift from “manager-as-expert” to “manager-as-coach,” backed by evidence that frequent, high-quality coaching drives 16.7% higher revenue growth. They share practical steps to start small—diagnosing skill gaps, recording sessions, and coaching the coach—so managers build capability, not just answers, and create problem-solving teams for the long term.
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Caroline Gosling -