Leading the Healthcare Challenges: Sanjeev Kumar Sawhney

In conversation with Sanjeev Kumar Sawhney

THE JOURNEY: Your Experiences in the Healthcare Industry

It feels like just yesterday when I began my journey in the healthcare industry over three decades ago. Since then, each day, I have had an amazing sense of accomplishment and being a part of the healthcare landscape is very important to me. Each day I feel a positive energy based on the work that we do to restore lives in our community. Throughout my career, I have been involved with conceptualizing and executing the road map for “advanced and specialty products and therapies” such as transfusion medicine and blood safety, biologicals, and wound management to name a few. All of these segments were extremely niche and underdeveloped in our market, challenged by affordability issues and awareness. The most important driver for me and my teams has always been the feeling of “significance” in what we do to impact lives, and this has always been so different from the feeling of accomplishment of any commercial success. In the process, I have discovered the most important component of the value chain - passionate and committed employees. Our human assets have been the true differentiator.

Known to be a persuasive leader with passion for and success in building world class teams, I gained multi-disciplinary experience over three decades in delivering P&L results, sales, sales leadership, brand management, marketing, strategy, business development and business transition management at Baxter , Fenwal Inc and KCI Medical India .

For over a decade at Baxter International , I led three businesses and served in leadership capacities to conceptualize and ensure implementation of marketing and customer development strategies. I led major initiatives to tap into export markets, formulating marketing and sales strategies, and defining entry and penetration strategies for emerging and developed markets in Asia. Prior to Baxter, I launched Dabur Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the pharma wing/diversification of Dabur, as the startup key management team member. I am proud and privileged to be involved with building advanced specialty businesses from humble startups/setups to sizeable sustainable growth entities.

What is the big idea of the business that is impacting human lives?

As consumer needs evolve, so must product technology. With the influx of technology and the availability of more choices for customers and patients, the business environment for medical device companies has become increasingly challenging. However, when new technologies are utilized optimally, this can do wonders for restoring patient’s lives.

Progressive Companies constantly seek to innovate their products in order to best meet the needs of clinicians and patients alike. One needs to attend to the feedback from the healthcare provider/partners constantly and strive to create solutions that provide both clinical and operational benefits across the care continuum.

It’s often said that leaders these days must operate in an environment of extreme volatility. Do you agree? How does that affect the way you lead?

Throughout my career, I have often come across challenges around the ever-evolving customer expectations related to improved therapy delivery and patient outcomes, all while working in an industry constantly faced with very stringent regulations, policies and changes. Our mission had been to provide safe and effective products with integrity and compliance.

I believe in having a dynamic forward-looking approach, bringing innovative solutions to clinicians that identify and adapt to unmet clinical needs. It is incredibly important to partner with customers to reimagine the science behind the healing process and create solutions that take market trends into account, but also look beyond the near-term into what the market scope and opportunity should look like in 5, 7 or 10 years.

With that focus, I emphasize on building upon pioneering market leadership in the customer segments we operate to revolutionize the management and delivery, today and in years to come.

I have a growth mindset, coupled with a strong grit of persistence and passion