MEET THE PROFESSIONAL
February 2018
Wael Fayad
Mr. Wael Fayad is a business executive in the pharma/biotech industry. Most recently he served as CEO and Chairman of Enumeral Biomedical Inc and Co-founded ACCOY Rx. Prior to that he served as Corporate Vice President of Global Business Development at Forest’s Laboratories Inc. which is now part of the Allergan company. Prior to Forest, he served in various strategy, marketing, and sales leadership positions at Schering Plough Headquartered in NJ and Novartis Canada.
Wael is a very active member of our community and supporter of Network 1017’s professional networking and mentoring program. We are very excited to feature him this month in our “Meet the Professional” series.
Below are a few questions to help facilitate this interactive connection. At the end of the page you will have an opportunity to post your own questions for Wael.
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Describe your current Occupation & Degree/s and Universities.
- BSc. Biology, American University of Beirut (AUB)
- MBA, Concordia University, Canada
Discuss a moment or turning point in your life that led you to your career path:
I graduated high school thinking I wanted to be a medical doctor but I became uncertain about my interests as I pursued my undergraduate degree. After graduating from AUB I left Lebanon to Canada and my interests shifted from medical school to molecular biology research. The turning point came in the first semester of my biology graduate degree program when I realized I made the wrong choice. It was a trying period in my life. I dropped out without having a clear plan forward but I never gave up the desire to pursue higher education. During this period of soul searching, I realized that I was interested in science but not as a researcher or a practitioner. This realization ultimately led me to pursue an MBA degree that allowed me to have a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry where I made use of my interest in science in a business setting. I was fortunate to have played a role in bringing many new therapeutics to the market that made a real difference in many people’s lives.
Discuss a role model or mentor who influenced your career choice:
I was fortunate to have many good role models starting with my parents and family and later other people I met or got to know. I was also influenced by other people that I never met but was inspired by their stories or writings. However, the mentor that had the most impact on my career and professional development was the long serving Chairman and CEO of Forest Laboratories who I worked with for 13 years. He was 74 when I first met him in 2001 and worked with him until he retired at the age of 86. I experienced firsthand his leadership style of leading by respect rather than by fear that helped build one of the most successful specialty pharmaceutical companies in the US. I also learned from him among other things the art of consensus building and gaining cooperation from people by not taking things personally but rather staying focused on principles and listening to people’s concerns.
Do you recall any specific challenges you encountered and overcame?
Like many of my contemporaries who grew up in Lebanon during the civil war and immigrated at a relatively young age, there were many challenges along the way. One noteworthy challenge for me having immigrated to a new country, was having to adapt to a new culture while continuing to be anchored in the culture I grew up in. I had to confront many misconceptions and biases that affected how I feel about people or situations which in turn had implications on my ability to be successful and at peace with myself. I feel fortunate that I was exposed to new ways of thinking which opened my mind and made me develop a set of universal values that are in harmony with core values I inherited.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
Professionally, I would like to continue to add value in my field. On a personal level, I would like to continue my journey to achieve higher levels of inner peace and be a positive influence for the people around me.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
Focus on understanding how things work in the industry and where the value drivers are. Keep an open mind and try to learn as much as you can. Be driven but be patient.
Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of your field:
I like to spend time with family and friends. I enjoy traveling, a good movie or a non-fiction book. I like to play cards with many of my Lebanese friends such as tarneeb or 400. I also enjoy the outdoors.
A Q&A form will be uploaded shortly. In the meantime feel free to send any questions you would like to ask Mr. Wael Fayad to admin@network1017.com
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