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Podcasts

Jul 8, 2026

Rola Amer, Director of Sales and Marketing at Merck on Expanding Your Perspective Through Curiosity, Listening to the Customer and Taking a Break from Pharma to Start a Business

We’ve had a number of entrepreneurs on the show over the years, but few have taken the kind of leap that Rola did when she stepped far outside her comfort zone and started a children’s clothing company. Back in Pharma and in leadership at Merck, Rola reflects on the lessons learned from both radical and lateral moves through her career. She shares her perspective on the power of curiosity, the impact of truly listening to the customer and the role of humility in her success.The PharmaBrands podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and Produced by Chess Originals.

Jun 17, 2026

Calvin Hwang, Director & Producer, SUPRE Films, on Bringing Health Stories to a Wider Audience.

It is striking that an industry with such impactful stories to tell so rarely tells those stories impactfully. In this episode award-winning filmmaker Calvin Hudson Hwang shares how he marries two career paths (seasoned pharma executive and acclaimed filmmaker) to create impactful long-form content focused on health, health access, and health equity. In our conversation we dive into Clavin's business SUPRE Films, the impact his movies are having, and the specific focus his business has on bringing health stories to a wider audience. The PharmaBrands podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and Produced by Chess Originals.

Jun 3, 2026

Jenny Plant, Founder of Account Management Skills, on How Account Leads Can Add Value for Clients and Agencies Alike.

Our guest for this episode, Jenny Plant, has spent a large part of her career demystifying the role of the agency Account Manager, so it should come as no surprise that she articulately covers so many topics in one conversation. From ‘selling’ (not a word Jenny uses, by the way!), to partnering with Procurement, to the value of differentiated Account and Project roles, to the place for Account Leads in the age of AI Jenny shares her insight on the many dimensions of Account and Agency life.

May 20, 2026

Sara Rodrigues, Associate Director of Medical Affairs, Vertex, on Becoming an AI Champion.

With the ‘Age of AI’ being a cornerstone event for PharmaBrands, it makes sense that we’ve had lots of AI-focused conversations on the podcast. This episode picks that topic but with a twist. Our guest Sara Rodrigues shares her personal AI adoption journey, taking us from feeling left behind to becoming an AI Champion within Vertex. Placing that journey in the context of working in a large and dynamic pharma company will resonate as many of us struggle to adapt to the technology changes that surround us every day. Sara’s story is timely, helpful and relevant.The PharmaBrands podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and Produced by Chess Originals.For more information on our next Age of AI event please visit: www.pharmabrands.ca

May 6, 2026

Jamie Harsevoort, CEO of LaunchIt Solutions, on Building Platforms, Choosing Partners and Evaluating Markets for Health Tech Success.

Health tech — from wearables, to platforms to med devices — continue to transform condition management and care delivery. In this episode Jamie Harsevoort, CEO of LaunchIt Solutions, traces the arc of his entrepreneurial journey, highlights the incredible impact of a principled approach to partnership, and shares his criteria for success in market. This conversation comes at a time of great scale for LaunchIt, with a Shoppers Drug Mart partnership and an expansion to Brazil well under way.The PharmaBrands podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and Produced by Chess Originals.For more information on our next Age of AI event please visit: www.pharmabrands.ca

Apr 22, 2026

Viktoria Friedrich, Country President & General Manager, Pharma Canada, Bayer on Teams, Transformation and Busting Bureaucracy.

It feels like we are all tackling some transformation challenge these days – whether it is evolving the way we work personally, adopting new tools and tech on our teams or helping to steer a brand or division onto the right path for the future. Bayer has gone all in and is undergoing transformation on a global scale as they shift to a model called Dynamic Shared Ownership. With candor, humour and incredible insight, Viktoria Friedrich, shares how that new way of working is driving change at Bayer Canada and what it is like to be leading an organization through that transformation.The PharmaBrands podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and Produced by Chess Originals.For more information on our next Age of AI event please visit: www.pharmabrands.ca

Apr 8, 2026

Dave Makerewich, Founder, Maven, Reflecting on the Challenges, Changes and Celebrations Along His 10-Year Entrepreneurial Journey.

We all know that big milestones are an opportunity to reflect and that’s just what Dave does on this episode. In conversation with our host Neil Follett, Dave reflects on the motivation for Maven when it was just an idea and shares the moment he took the leap to start out his own business. He reflects on staffing and scaling up and talks about the clients and changes that have powered Maven’s success over the last decade. Dave's thoughtful answers make for an episode we know you’ll enjoy.The PharmaBrands podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and Produced by Chess Originals.For more information on our next Age of AI event please visit: www.pharmabrands.ca

Mar 25, 2026

Steve Collens, CEO at Matter on Change, Innovation and Impact in Health Tech and Health Care.

Orbiting around the major galaxies of pharma, insurance and health delivery organizations is an entire universe of entrepreneurs and disruptors looking to make a meaningful impact. As the CEO of Matter, a global healthcare startup incubator, community nexus and corporate innovation accelerator, Steven Collens has an incredibly unique perspective on the connections, insights and business that drive change. For more than a decade Steven and his team have been at the forefront of digital health, business transformation and new ideas in healthcare. In this episode Steven shares that perspective and reflects on the changes he’s seen over the last 10 years and the challenges that leaders and entrepreneurs are overcoming today.The PharmaBrands podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and Produced by Chess Originals.For more information on our next Age of AI event please visit: www.pharmabrands.ca

Meet the Host

Neil Follett

Advisor, PharmaBrands, President Broadview Labs

As the Founder of the Brightworks, Founding Partner of Believeco (now ChangeMakers Health), and now Founder of Broadview Labs, Neil has been helping brands reach their audiences and their potential for over 20 years. He also really likes to talk to people, which makes him the perfect fit to host the PharmaBrands podcast. Neil bring his curiosity and conversational style to every episode.

Neil Follett

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Videos

  • Events

    A practical guide to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in Pharma

    A practical guide to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in Pharma

    Aug 14, 2026 · PharmaBrands

  • Events

    Gen AI Trends in Medical Affairs

    Gen AI Trends in Medical Affairs

    Jul 31, 2026 · PharmaBrands

  • Events

    What Google's AI Revolution Means for Healthcare Brands

    What Google's AI Revolution Means for Healthcare Brands

    Jul 17, 2026 · PharmaBrands

Event reports

  • 6-Step Blueprint for Starting with Gen AI
    Events

    6-Step Blueprint for Starting with Gen AI

    AI’s power lies in automating routine tasks and creating entirely new value streams.

    7.8 MB

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    15

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  • 26 expert Insights on Gen AI
    Events

    26 expert Insights on Gen AI

    AI rewards those who act. The time to experiment, adapt, and lead is now.

    7.9 MB

    Size

    —

    Pages

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