DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SERIES - Transformation and culture change go hand-in-hand

Introduction

The purpose of the Digital Transformation Series is to truly tackle the challenge of digital transformation. We've been discussing it in pharma for years, but actually doing it is a different story. I believe we always learn from experience. My purpose is to unleash human potential to create a healthier world and inspire pharma leaders to stop simply delivering messages. Instead, I want them to become trusted advisors - helping patients and healthcare professionals in meaningful ways. One way to do that is by inviting inspiring leaders to share their expertise and knowledge.

I recently interviewed Alyssa Fenoglio, Vice President and Global Head of Digital Commercial at Teva Pharmaceuticals. Alyssa is a bold, globally-minded marketing executive with a track record of building brands, scaling digital innovation, and leading transformations across five industries and two continents. She operates at the intersection of business, digital, and emerging tech - including AI - connecting strategy to human insight to drive meaningful results. Her work really aligns with my own purpose of unlocking human potential.

Alyssa’s experience spans iconic companies and high-growth ventures, from Procter & Gamble and Medtronic to digital health startups and now Teva Pharmaceuticals. She also serves as an advisor to the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Klick’s AI Councils, and is a member of Chief, the executive women’s network. Alyssa is known for challenging the status quo with purpose and clarity and shaping the future of healthcare marketing and leadership.

I often like to reflect on how we met our guests. Alyssa and I met at the NEXT Pharma Summit in Dubrovnik last spring and then again at Reuters Customer Engagement in London.

Another fun fact, when we were prepping for this session, we realised we both went on treks to Everest Base Camp and Machu Picchu - though at different times.

Everything Alyssa shares here is her personal opinion. She’s not representing the opinion of her employer - just her brilliant self.

Alyssa, what drew you into the pharma industry?

Great question. I started in pharma quite early in my career, in my early 20s. I’ve always been into wellness and fitness - since I was two years old in ballet, and later as an athlete. My family was really into health and activity, and that stuck with me.

At first, I wanted to be a sports medicine doctor, because I had worked with a few as an athlete. But I realised, through various experiences and advice from mentors, that I was more aligned with the business side than the science side. Pharma was a perfect intersection of both.

I began in pharmaceutical sales at Alcon and became a sales trainer in California. I loved learning the science, engaging with physicians and having a real impact on patients. That purpose-driven element - serving others - has been with me since childhood, through volunteering and community work. Healthcare lets me carry that forward in a meaningful way.

I love how you talk about future-proofing organisations. But in pharma, I feel like there’s a split. On one side, you have pioneers exploring advanced tech and AI. On the other, you have people who still believe face-to-face is the only way - often because of high NPS scores tied to in-person interactions.What’s your observation? Are we moving fast enough - or are there still senior leaders holding on to old ways?

You're absolutely right. Pharma has been historically slow to adopt digital, but the pace has picked up in the last few years. Still, we’re behind other industries.

And here's the thing: HCPs and patients don’t live in a vacuum. They're also consumers - ordering on Amazon, streaming on Netflix. They expect seamless, personalised experiences across the board. When they interact with pharma, they don’t suddenly lower their expectations.

So, we can’t use a 1990s playbook in 2025. Most HCPs today are digital natives. Over 50% are already using GenAI tools to assist in diagnoses. This is happening - with or without us.

We need to understand their real journeys, not the ones we imagine. That means evolving faster, being more agile, and building from actual customer behaviours.

It’s not about copying Netflix, but about learning from other industries. One key thing we can adopt? Removing friction. Think about how annoying it is when you have to re-log in, dig through five platforms or go through outdated portals.

In contrast, you go to ChatGPT and get the answer instantly. Pharma needs to create those kinds of seamless experiences.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities for digital innovation without compromising compliance?

First, I believe compliance and legal should be partners in innovation - not roadblocks. Bring them into the process early. Co-create with them. That way, you’re building compliant solutions from the start.

In terms of opportunity - start with automating the mundane. Free up time and mental space so teams can focus on creativity, problem-solving, and strategy.

I’m also excited about three specific areas:

1. AI Agents & the Future of Work – Rethinking team structures. What if a team of two humans + GenAI outperforms five people? Recent studies from Wharton and P&G are exploring this.

2. Search Behaviour – People are using LLMs to search. How does that shift our digital strategy? We need to make sure our content and brand info is surfaced in these new environments.

3. The Human Side of AI – Purpose, empathy, connection. A recent Harvard study showed the top AI use cases globally are: therapy, organising life and finding purpose. That’s profound. It’s not just about efficiency - it’s about enhancing human potential.

How do you inspire teams - especially in large, siloed organisations - to embrace this new way of working?

Transformation and culture change go hand-in-hand.

Start by aligning your initiative with core business strategy. If what you're doing with digital or AI isn't tied to solving a key business or customer problem, it won’t stick.

Then assess your people. Where are they in terms of mindset and skills? What support do they need?

Top-down leadership is critical. When senior leaders actively role-model change - sharing what they’re learning and how they're experimenting - it signals psychological safety. It says, “It’s okay not to be perfect.”

But bottom-up is just as important. You need to identify and empower your early adopters. Create a network of champions across markets and functions. They’ll test, learn and help scale success across the organisation.

If you have both top-down and bottom-up momentum, you’ll move fast. If you only have one, change will still happen - but slower.

You’re right - the majority sit in the middle of the bell curve. They’re not against change, but they’re unsure or fearful. How do you bring them along?

This is where early wins and storytelling matter. Highlight success stories from people they relate to - not just leadership. Show them what’s in it for them.

Also, make experimentation easy. Don’t leave them wondering, “Where do I start?” Give them three clear, high-impact use cases to try on the job. Remove the overwhelm and give them permission to learn.

Can you could share a pivotal moment or initiative in your career that really demonstrated the impact of digital on patient or customer outcomes?

Sure. I’ll go back to my time at a digital health start-up - because that experience was a real turning point for me.

It was a class II medical device - a wearable for chronic pain that was controlled by an iPhone app. It was FDA-approved and we collected data in the cloud. We could see real-time impact: improved sleep, decreased pain, increased mobility. All self-reported, of course, but it was powerful to see how this technology directly improved lives.

I was responsible for building the commercial function from the ground up: R&D, sales, marketing, value proposition, agencies - everything. It was a steep learning curve and a massive challenge. But the data proved that what we were doing was truly helping people. That’s the magic of combining device, digital and data. And it shaped my view of the future of pharma - it’s not just about medicines anymore. It's the intersection of pharma, medtech, digital health and consumer behaviour.

You also serve as an advisor to the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Klick’s AI Councils. What emerging trends are you seeing that excite you the most?

Yes, there are so many! But here are the big ones:

1. Adoption is accelerating – 75% of cross-industry companies are now implementing GenAI in at least one business area. And ChatGPT just hit 500 million users. This is no longer the future - it’s now.

2. Scaling foundational use cases – Things like automating manual tasks, enhancing content creation and improving ideation. We’re still only scratching the surface in many pharma organisations.

3. Future of Work & AI Agents – We’re beginning to rethink team design. What’s the right ratio of agents to humans? How will workflows evolve?

4. Shifting Search Behaviour – As people use LLMs for search, how do brands stay visible and credible in those environments?

5. Human Side of AI – The most common AI use cases now are deeply personal: therapy, logistics, purpose. That’s a shift from efficiency to meaning.

And, of course, there's a lot of discussion around responsible AI use in external communications - how to remain compliant and transparent without losing trust.

How do you balance the pace of tech innovation with the regulatory and ethical considerations unique to pharma?

It starts with partnership. Legal, compliance, and IT need to be part of the process - not brought in at the end.

We need frameworks and golden rules to ensure safety, but we also need to allow experimentation. Some companies are locking everything down - only allowing internal tools, blocking ChatGPT, Claude, etc. Others are more open, with clear policies.

There’s no single “right” approach yet - but what we must do is create a space where people can learn and grow safely. If not, people will go around the system on personal devices and that creates more risk. It’s about finding the balance between control and empowerment.

What is the most underused but high-impact use case for AI in pharma marketing today?

I’d say:

1. Content Creation – Still under-leveraged. AI allows for faster, more personalised, lower-cost content - especially helpful in local markets where budgets are tight.

2. Persona Modelling – You can create, refine, and test against personas using AI. That helps deepen customer understanding - something marketers often overlook.

3. Productivity Tools – Summarising documents, analysing transcripts, crafting narratives, pressure testing ideas - there’s so much day-to-day value in just making work easier and smarter.

Where do you see AI in 10 years?

That’s a fascinating question. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can offer a view.

In ten years, I think we’ll have figured out a healthy balance between human input and AI. We'll likely have symbiotic relationships in both our personal and professional lives - humans and AI coexisting in real time.

I believe the structure of organisations will evolve. Our roles will change. AI will take over repetitive and mundane tasks, and we’ll be freed up to do more creative, strategic and high-value work.

So, while I can’t give a precise answer, I think the essence is: things will look very different. The best thing we can do right now is focus on evergreen skills - agility, curiosity and a growth mindset. Role-model experimentation. Learn together, even if it’s messy.

You recently read or listened to my book The Omni Advantage. What did you think? Did anything stand out?

Yes - I really appreciated your bold and honest perspective. You weren’t afraid to challenge the status quo, and you put the human at the centre of everything.

I loved your emphasis on becoming a trusted advisor, not just a message deliverer. That’s how we build real trust in this industry. And I was also inspired by your own journey- how you identified a gap, innovated and built a company to address it.

You were ahead of the curve in many ways, especially with remote engagement models. And your purpose-driven leadership really came through. It was empowering.

Conclusion:

Let’s remember digital transformation isn’t about channels or buzzwords. It’s about creating meaningful, human connections. It’s not just about reach or frequency - it’s about relevance, value and empathy.

And when we get that right - when we put HCPs and patients at the centre - everyone wins.

So, keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep unlocking the potential in yourself and others.

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Omni Advantage, it is available as a paperback or audiobook.