HBA Central New Jersey Event: Leveraging AI to Accelerate Your Career in Pharma

Article written by Jennifer Postelnek and Elizabeth Dolgos 

Artificial intelligence (AI) took center stage as a tool for career growth at this recent session hosted by Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Central New Jersey on 18 June 2025 in Princeton, NJ, in collaboration with Indegene, a digital-first, life sciences commercialization company. On that Summer evening, attendees came together to connect with peers, engage with industry thought leaders, and dive into meaningful conversations about harnessing AI to supercharge their professional journeys. 

Meet the speakers: 

• Keynote speaker Radife Kiral, US & Global Marketing Enablement Lead, Chief Marketing Office, Pfizer
• Abigail Z. Canlas, Executive Director and Head, Omnichannel COE, Otsuka
• Anvita Karara, Vice President, Worldwide Commercialization Excellence, Bristol Myers Squibb
• Arvind Balasundaram, Executive Director, Commercial Insights & Analytics, Regeneron
• Catherine Galvin, Vice President, Content Accelerator, Merck
• Shalini Madan (Moderator), Vice President, Key Accounts, Indegene 

The New Era of AI 

Radife Kiral kicked off the program with a compelling keynote address that brought the power and presence of AI into focus, emphasizing how AI is now integral to various aspects of our lives from entertainment and shopping to communication and education. Speaking not as a tech expert but as a curious learner, Radife underscored the transformative power of AI, as not just a futuristic concept but a present-day reality that can significantly enhance our professional lives. 

Those who take advantage of AI will be ahead of the curve. Quoting economist Richard Baldwin, Radife shared, "AI won’t take your job. It’s somebody using AI that will take your job."  

She stressed the importance of harnessing AI to boost productivity, refine communications, accelerate learning, supercharge strategic thinking, and elevate content creation. She advised leveraging company resources and experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, Google Genesis (Gemini), Claude, Perplexity, etc. to understand and apply AI effectively in our daily work. She urged the audience to apply it to tasks that are time-consuming and repetitive. In the era of AI enabled-careers, professionals who thrive will be the ones who stay curious and courageous. 

Panel Discussion: Unique Insights and Shared Themes 

Following the keynote, Shalini Madan seamlessly transitioned the program into a dynamic panel discussion with Abigail Canlas, Anvita Karara, Arvind Balasundaram, and Catherine Galvin. She guided the conversation through a series of exploratory questions, inviting panelists to share their personal journeys with AI, what initially sparked their interest, how AI has supported their career growth, and the practical ways they’ve integrated it into their work. The discussion also explored strategies for scaling AI skills, fostering responsible use, and understanding governance considerations in the workplace. 

Take Ownership and Embrace Curiosity 

Many panelists were drawn to AI out of curiosity and with a drive to solve real-world problems, from improving patient access to enhancing customer experiences. They were unanimous about the importance of taking ownership of one's career and being curious about AI. Anvita encouraged attendees to find business challenges that AI can solve, to target a problem, and solve it within the next six months. She emphasized the need to be an early adopter and leverage AI to identify and address challenges within your domain. 

Abigail echoed this sentiment, recommending the audience perform a search of themselves on AI platforms, like ChatGPT, to understand what content they are putting out about themselves. She advised creating content and participating in events that help craft the story you want to be told about you. 

AI as a Career Accelerator 

The panel discussed being strategic about using AI to boost efficiency, creativity, and communication, but also to be mindful about positioning yourself for future roles. It is also imperative to be proactive and take ownership by seeking learning opportunities, asking questions, and targeting specific problems that can be solved using AI. 

Catherine highlighted the role of AI in understanding and addressing patient needs. She shared how AI has been instrumental in her career growth by helping her find patients who lack access to medical care and aiding in her understanding of their journey. Catherine stressed the importance of having an inclusive mindset, asking questions, and surrounding oneself with a diverse team to solve problems effectively using AI. 

Abigail added that leveraging AI to strategize and understand how to apply it can set individuals apart in their careers. She advised slowing down to absorb AI-related knowledge, understand stakeholders' concerns, and leverage AI to solve problems efficiently. 

"Partner to find patients who don’t have access. Use it to understand the patient journey and how we can use the technology to find patients who need access. How you use AI is what sets you apart."

 - Catherine Galvin

Dream Big and Overcome Fear 

Arvind encouraged attendees to dream big and not fear professional growth. He quoted Arthur C. Clarke, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," urging individuals to embrace the magic of AI and actively engage with it. Arvind's advice was clear: "You have to let go of the shore to see the horizon." He emphasized the importance of overcoming fear and actively participating in the AI revolution. Fear is a part of dreaming. 

"80% of data, especially in healthcare, lives in unstructured domains. For the first time, with AI, we can see all of it, not only 20%."

 - Arvind Balasundaram

Practical Tips for Leveraging AI 

Celebrate Success and Address Challenges 

Abigail emphasized the importance of celebrating successes, no matter how small, and avoiding the trap of becoming overly robotic. She highlighted the need for collaboration when scaling AI solutions and aligning metrics with sponsors to ensure the successful implementation of AI projects. 

Scaling AI Skills 

Arvind provided a roadmap for scaling AI skills, suggesting three levels of experience: 

1. Basic Knowledge: Gain general knowledge about AI through resources like LinkedIn Learning.
2. Intermediate Knowledge: Gain enough understanding to be "dangerous", with AI concepts like machine learning through specialized courses on platforms like Coursera.
3. Advanced Knowledge: Develop functional skills by diving into coding and learning AI in depth. 

Catherine recommended finding a reverse mentor within the company who specializes in AI and trade expertise, learn from each other. Surrounding oneself with diverse, smart people is crucial for leveraging AI effectively. 

"Leverage AI to do what you do better. Use it to strategize. Understanding how to apply it is the sweet spot. Build curiosity around that." 

- Abigail Canlas

Responsible Use and Governance 

Arvind stressed the importance of governance in AI, advising individuals to get involved as representatives of their groups in AI-related initiatives. Abigail pointed out that AI is never perfect at the start and needs continuous improvement through experimentation. Anvita added that AI tools can simplify complex problems, but it is essential to involve the right legal and compliance experts from the beginning to ensure responsible use. 

"Five years from now everyone will be using AI, like using MS Office & smart phones. Today, 22% of people in the US are using AI. In five years it will be 100%. Change your mindset and start using it now and be an early adopter versus having to use it in 5 years when you have no choice."

 - Anvita Karara

Embrace AI to Stay Ahead 

In conclusion, the session highlighted that AI is not just a tool but a transformative force that can significantly boost career growth. 

Key Takeaways:  

• Adopt Early and Own Your Growth 
  Embrace AI now as a tool to solve real business challenges, enhance your personal brand, and shape your career story before it becomes a necessity rather than a choice.
• Stay Curious, Collaborative, and Courageous 
  Cultivating curiosity, asking questions, and engaging with diverse perspectives are essential to leveraging AI effectively whether you're just starting or scaling your skills.
• Use AI Responsibly and Strategically 
  Start small, celebrate wins, and involve the right partners, from legal to leadership, to ensure thoughtful, ethical, and scalable use of AI in your work.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Indegene for sponsoring and hosting this important event and to our incredible speakers. 

Special thanks to our HBA and Indegene volunteers, whose dedication and teamwork made this event possible. 

• HBA Volunteers: Poorna Ashok, Elizabeth Dolgos, Jennifer Postelnek, Gunjan Aggarwal, Mona Kay Rifi, Siby Varughese, and Lavanya Ranganathan.
• Indegene Volunteers: Asia Santana, LaShanta Twitty, Milesh Gogad, Nikita Garg, Pradeep Sharma, Puneet Singh, Shalini Madan, and Yadunandan KV.
• With special appreciation to Gaurav Kapoor, Manish Gupta, and Sanjay Parikh 

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