Cultivating Talent in Pharma Supply Chain: Why Now is the Time to Rethink Workforce Strategy
A recent LinkedIn Live session, featuring prominent industry leaders, including Mo Hussain (Global Head of Demand at Olympus UK and Ireland), Ni Sheng Jie (Managing Director of BOSC Consulting Asia), Ravinder Dhar (Director Supply Chain of Teva Pharma Australia), and Wanni Tang (Director - Service Operations & Customer Experience ASEAN, Korea & ANZ from GE Healthcare), explored crucial strategies for cultivating talent in the evolving pharmaceutical supply chain.
Here are five fast takeaways from their discussion:
1. Look Beyond Pharma to Build Your Talent Pipeline
“There’s a myth that you can’t move into pharma from other industries due to regulations. But supply chain is supply chain” - Ravinder Dhar
Regulatory complexity shouldn’t limit your recruitment strategy. Candidates from FMCG, tech, or logistics backgrounds bring fresh thinking and strong foundational skills. What matters most is adaptability, not industry labels. Expand your hiring lens. Prioritize core supply chain expertise and the ability to learn the pharma landscape.
2. Lead With Purpose Because It Matters
“Every decision you make in pharma supply chain can directly improve a patient’s life.” - Mo Hussain
Younger professionals are looking for more than just a paycheck; they want purpose. The impact of pharma logistics on patient outcomes is powerful, and organisations that highlight this can better connect with mission-driven talent.
3. Cultivate Risk-Aware, Strategic Problem Solvers
“Pharma logistics can’t be purely SOP-driven. Regulatory compliance played a key role. The practitioners will need to be a lot of more solution-focused, especially in managing a highly complex global distribution.” - Ni Sheng Jie
Develop talent who understands end-to-end risks and can proactively design resilient, flexible solutions. This means becoming well-versed with how various risk elements are interconnected and honing the ability to combine logic and creativity to bring clever, practical and SOP-compliant solutions to the table.
4. Build Truly Inclusive Organizational Cultures
“We support women through coaching and fair hiring, but we hire for capability not just metrics.” – Wanni Tang
Inclusion goes beyond recruitment quotas. When people from different backgrounds feel truly valued and heard, innovation follows. DEI must be part of how teams collaborate and make decisions, not just how they’re staffed. Embed inclusive practices across hiring, leadership development, and day-to-day decision-making.
5. Preparing for AI: Decision-Oriented, Not Data-Obsessed
“AI takes away the crunching. Our role is to orchestrate smart decisions.” – Mo Hussain
The real need? Talent who can interpret AI insights, challenge assumptions, and make the right calls in real time. Invest in upskilling teams to think critically and collaborate with AI not just operate it.
Final Thought: Are You Building Teams for Resilience or Routine?
The future workforce isn’t just operational. It’s analytical, cross-functional, diverse, and driven by purpose. Cultivating that kind of talent requires investment, intentionality, and most of all vision!