How does a kid from Arkansas who hated science and wanted to be a professor end up leading a Fortune 100 biopharmaceutical company?
By pursuing meaningful work and valuing the people around him, says Chris Boerner, who was recently named board chair and CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS).
Boerner swore off science after completing a college biology course and instead majored in economics and history. With an eye toward academia, he enrolled in Haas’ PhD program, where he researched how biotech companies are influenced by organizational factors when developing new products.
After graduation, Boerner joined McKinsey & Co. to consult for biotech clients—a role that changed his life. “I loved working for companies focused on improving patients’ lives,” he says. “I decided then not to go back to academia.”
Boerner went on to Genentech’s oncology department but realized that he needed to learn “the language of science” to achieve success. He spent hours questioning the company’s scientists about their work “to be just smart enough to get through the next day,” he says. His aspiration to enhance patients’ lives was cemented when a cousin died of cancer.
In 2014, he joined BMS to head U.S. operations. Now, as a CEO navigating a changing healthcare industry, he reflects on how his strong sense of community shapes the way he leads.
“I want to be surrounded by brilliant people who are great at what they do and who are also decent humans.”
linkedin.com/in/christopherboerner
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