Pharmaceutical Market Europe • September 2021 • 54
PEOPLE
Q&A
AYCAN
HASSAN-WALKER
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Knowing that my responsibilities are broad and relate to our med comms business, staff and Europe offices – the variety in tasks and interactions with colleagues and clients is very stimulating and challenges me to think and look at things from different perspectives.
What’s the best thing about working in healthcare comms?
Whether we are delivering internal communications or training to our clients, HCPs or patients, ultimately what we work on aims to make a real difference to the lives of patients and their loved ones. It’s particularly exciting to support a molecule/therapy from the early phase that then becomes the standard of care.
What’s the worst thing about working in healthcare comms?
When you work so hard and believe in the molecule/therapy you are working on so much, but the data read-out is negative or not as good as expected.
What’s your favourite bar or eatery?
Veeraswamy on London’s Regent Street. It is the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, established in 1926. The food and ambience are amazing.
Which buzzwords/office jargon get on your nerves?
‘Touch base’ and ‘low-hanging fruit’.
Which book/film would you recommend above all others and why?
The Pioneering Life of Mary Wortley Montagu: Scientist and Feminist is a book I’m reading at the moment, and pertinent to our current times. It details the forgotten scientific contribution Lady Mary made 300 years ago to the development of vaccines, through the introduction of inoculation to Western Europe and ultimately towards the eradication of smallpox. She was a fearless and independent woman in the 1700s, mixing with politicians and writers, and she even convinced the Princess of Wales to see the value of inoculation and join her campaign.
Which person, living or dead, do you admire the most and why?
Nelson Mandela. His devotion to a cause – to end apartheid – bringing so many people from around the world along with him on his journey, emerging from prison not with revenge or resentment on his mind, but reconciliation and peace, is so inspiring.
Who is your healthcare comms hero/heroine?
Louisa Bullows was the reason I joined Nucleus Global. Her energy and passion for med comms inspired me at my interview, and beyond. She inspired everyone around her whether in her professional or personal life. Sadly, Louisa passed away in 2012 from a brain tumour. We have an award in her name that was influenced by Louisa’s approach to life and recognises individuals/teams in cultivating and fostering meaningful relationships, internally and externally.
What has been your career highlight to date?
Providing support for and launching three drugs in succession that continue to make a huge difference to the lives of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.
What’s your golden rule/piece of advice for someone starting a career in healthcare comms?It’s a fast-paced industry that requires one to be agile and flexible. A career in med comms gives you the privilege of working on molecules that positively impact patients, but also the opportunity to be creative and innovative in what you deliver.
Aycan Hassan-Walker is Regional Director, Europe of Nucleus Global