National Women in Law Awards: Sandra Leung
Bristol-Myers SquibbExecutive Vice President and General Counsel (Since 2006)
December 03, 2018 at 07:00 AM
2 minute read
What was your route to the top? I served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for 8 years before joining BMS as a staff attorney in the Litigation Department in 1992. I was named Corporate Secretary in 1999, Interim General Counsel in September 2006, SVP and General Counsel in February 2007 and EVP and General Counsel in 2012.
What keeps you up at night? (i.e. What are your biggest business-related concerns?) Nothing really keeps me up at night, but the work issues that are top of mind include the increasing intense business competition, the regulatory environment affecting the pricing and reimbursement of our medicines globally, the deterioration of intellectual property rights globally and digital healthcare technologies.
What is the best leadership advice you provided, or received, and why do you think it was effective? “If you can't change the people, change the people.” It was effective because as a new leader of an organization, where there were people who had been senior to me, I was too slow to exit people who did not support my vision on how our team would serve the company thinking, erroneously, I could persuade them. After I took action, I was relieved and the team dynamics improved tremendously.
Looking back, what do you wish you had known when you started out in the legal profession? Soft skills are just as important and technical skills. People don't open up to you if they aren't comfortable with you so you have to learn to “schmooze” is a positive way.
What is the most valuable career advice anyone has ever given you? Speak up. No one thinks about your career more than you do. People are mind readers so don't assume your manager knows what you want. You have to speak up.
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