Life as an Account Director at Avalere Health

How did you end up in your current role? 

I studied Marketing and Management in college but was always passionate about pursuing a career within the pharmaceutical and life sciences space. My mother had been working in this industry for 15 years and I was always inspired by the work she did. Her experience in the industry taught me that while our parts may feel small, the work we do directly helps improve patients’ lives, and I wanted to contribute to this cause too. 

With this in mind, I transitioned from a financial marketing role to one in the pharmaceutical space. When I initially joined Avalere Health, I worked in our US Marketing capability, partnering closely with our key clients as a member of the Client Services team. But after 18 months on the job, I felt I was ready for a new challenge. Fortunately, life sciences offer many different career pathways—and even more fortunately, Avalere Health encourages internal mobility for its employees across the business. With the organization’s support, I was recently able to pursue a new opportunity in Performance Optimization and Sales Training within our Consulting capability. 

What are the key highlights of your working week? 

In my current role, I focus on generating new and organic business opportunities, enabling me to build new connections and relationships, which is what I love most. I also enjoy coming up with new ways to support both our internal team members and our clients, while working efficiently and effectively. This encourages me to take a creative approach to my work. 

Why work for Avalere Health? 

The opportunity for progression and internal mobility at Avalere Health is vast. If your skills are strong and you have an appetite to grow, you are welcome to transition into any part of the organization. My passion for learning and development, paired with my eagerness to discover more about sales training, meant I was able to transition to our Consulting capability’s Performance Optimization team as an Account Director. My focus is now on learning and development for sales reps, leaders, new hires, and more! My career journey is a great example of all the possibilities available to those seeking to forge their own unique career paths at Avalere Health. 

Which company value do you resonate most with, and why? 

We are authentic. Bringing your true self to work is a wonderful thing, but being able to bring your true self to work and be accepted for it is a million-dollar deal. At Avalere Health we’re able to have transparent conversations, express concerns constructively as they arise, and share updates about our personal lives with each other in the most authentic way. 

Do you have any advice for future Avalere Health applicants? 

Even though we live in an increasingly virtual world, we spend so much time around those we work with, and at Avalere Health collaboration is key to our success. It’s important to be honest and upfront during the recruitment process about your working style, your strengths and weaknesses, and the sort of team you’re looking to join. This will help you to find the role that complements you most and brings out your best work. 

Do you have any advice for maintaining mental wellbeing whilst working from home? 

It’s important to be transparent about your needs, capacity, and boundaries so that you can set realistic expectations for yourself. It’s also essential to remember that there are always people around you who will support you—whether they are your manager, colleagues, senior leaders, or members of another team. Because there is such a strong culture of collaboration at Avalere Health, there is a focus on putting people first. Our teams are mindful that we are all human and we all perform better when we work together, in both the good times and the uncertain times. 

After a busy work week, how do you unwind? 

I view my weekends as my time to have fun and focus on doing the things I love most, whether that’s catching up with friends and family or going out for brunch with my husband and our dogs! 

I also have a deep passion for the art of winemaking and pairing wine with food. I am part Portuguese, and my family has been in the winemaking industry for years, so it’s a passion that’s been passed down to me from previous generations. I’m fascinated by the nuances, the history, the flavors, and the chemistry behind each wine and exploring the synergy between different wines and different dishes.