What I Learned from Friends, Colleagues & Family in 2019

I have a passion for philosophy. As a kid from a suburb in western Pennsylvania, my world of possibilities exploded when I was exposed to western philosophy in college, reading Plato, Locke, Rousseau, and Descartes to name a few of the greats. I even took a course on John Rawls’ “A Theory of Justice” while in business school. 

One of my favorite philosophical principles is from Socrates. While on trial for supposedly “corrupting the youth” by encouraging them to think for themselves and pursue wisdom above all else, he said something both simple and profound: “The unexamined life isn’t worth living.” Socrates got this one right.

I’m a big believer in self-reflection as an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve – both personally and professionally. In that spirit, as 2019 ends, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the year and share some of the lessons I learned from a few of the people I had the chance to meet and spend time with over the course of the year.

Monica Hill: Live a meaningful life

Monica was a passionate, driven young woman who reminded me why we must work together and persevere in this quest to change the trajectory of cancer. I met Monica and her family at the 2018 Susan G. Komen Greater New York City Race for the Cure, where I had the honor of presenting her with the Eliza Adams Thriver of the Year Award for her incredible work to support and advocate for people living with metastatic breast cancer (mBC).

We had a lot in common – we lived in neighboring New Jersey towns and both had young precocious daughters named Olivia. We formed a personal connection in the months following as she battled her cancer and worked with the New Jersey chapter of METAvivor Research and Support, an organization dedicated to funding research for mBC. Sadly, Monica lost her life to cancer in April at the all-too-young age of 35. Her passing is a true tragedy and a constant reminder to me that life is short, so we should always strive to make the most meaningful impact we can. As a mother, patient advocate and friend, the impact of Monica’s life was meaningful to so many. We should all try to follow her example.

Marielle Woods: Get out of your comfort zone

Spending time with my Pfizer colleague, Marielle, reinforced just how lucky I am to be surrounded not only by talented people, but also by kind, selfless people. Marielle is a member of Pfizer’s sales team in Pennsylvania. Back in October, she let me tag along with her for the day and we talked about her work to educate physicians and oncologists in her area, as well as her career at Pfizer.

Marielle told me about the time she spent serving as a Global Health Fellow for Pfizer in Malawi, Africa. In 2010, she worked as a sanitation marketing specialist at WaterAid Malawi, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to providing people in underserved areas with clean water, decent sanitation, and good hygiene. Marielle led a program to educate urban, tribal and community leaders about the importance of sanitation in their communities to reduce water-borne disease. While she was there, she volunteered at a local orphanage and returned home with two adopted daughters. Imagine that!

Her story taught me that sometimes it’s important to get outside your comfort zone and be willing to embrace new opportunities – at work and in life. So many of us get caught up in our day-to-day, fall into routine, and are hesitant to seize the moment to make a difference for others. But Marielle was willing to uproot her life and travel halfway around the world to devote her time to charitable work...and create a new family to boot.

Jacob Schmeltz: Challenge the status quo

As you may have guessed, Jacob is my son. He’s about to turn eighteen, is passionate about politics (he can’t wait to vote) and wants to study political science next year when he goes to college. Jacob reminded me that, despite all the exciting science happening today, we can’t be satisfied or start patting ourselves on the back for the progress we’ve made. Recently, Jacob came home from hanging out with his friends and said to me: “Dad, I have to talk to you. I don’t understand the price of medicines. Why can’t some people get the medicines they need?”

We had a long conversation about the challenges of the current healthcare system in both the U.S. and abroad. That was an important moment for me, because my son has a good point. The reality is the current healthcare system is broken and not everyone wants to be part of the solution. There are too many people who either can’t afford their medicines, face barriers to access or deal with differences and inequities due to their age, ethnicity, where they live, or a combination of factors. As I think about my goals for Pfizer Oncology in 2020, advancing new pricing and outcomes-based solutions, as well as ensuring our medicines can reach the people who need them, top the list.

Life is one long learning opportunity. A constant pursuit to “know thyself.” As we come to the end of another year, I encourage everyone to heed Socrates’ lesson and find time for self-reflection. I’ve found that it can be a powerful tool that helps us evaluate our experiences, learn from our mistakes, and, more importantly, appreciate the people in our lives who enrich our journey. I hope you’ll give it a try.

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and a wonderful start to 2020!