Sometimes It's About Being Bold! - Cenk Undey - iCMC Digital Transformation Lead, Sanofi

It’s not necessarily the technology as much, it’s really the digital mindset and how you think about digital and transforming. It’s really transforming the way you’re working. To be honest with you, how much of this is hype? How much of this is reality is something we need to sort out and be careful how we are using it. Biopharma is known to be a little slow adapting of these technologies, but even compared to other technologies that are slow to penetrate (GenAI) has a very big competitive edge. I see so many applications for AI but one thing that doesn’t change is in order for these things to work, you need to have a strong, very strong data foundation. Sometimes we call it AI-ready data. My personal horizon is to see end to end, research from molecule to patient, but then getting the feedback loop – patients, care takers, manufacturing, suppliers – to get your medicines faster, better, in cost-effective ways to the patient. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. Five, ten years ago this was a pipedream. With how digital capabilities have advanced and skill sets, this gives me hope. Everyone at every level is skilled, interested, and motivated to use these technologies and thinking ways how they can use it better. My colleagues in IT are learning more science. And my colleagues in science are learning more in digital. That’s another reason [for hope].What works for me to differentiate is I always talk about, “What can we do? We are doing something to carry out our core business. How can I do that more automated, simpler, so I can focus on more value-added things?” But how do you bring everyone along? One exercise from my UCLA Anderson gift is I apply what’s called bringing the future to present. You simulate, “What if we are there and actually living the moment. How would we experience it?” Once we see it together, it’s hugely empowering for the team. Sometimes it’s about being bold. Take on risks, proper risks, but then go for it and try!