Season 4: episode 05
This week, the GOLD team are excited to bring you a special International Women’s Day (IWD) podcast. This episode features interviews with not one, but two exciting guests: Pallavi Bansal, Associate Vice President of Oncology, Genitourinary Cancers and Haematology, Merck, and Emma Chaffin, Vice President, Country Head and Site Lead, Galapagos.
In the episode, the two women reflect on this year’s IWD theme of #EmbracingEquity, why female representation in pharma is so important and how senior leaders can foster a sense of belonging within their organisations. You can also expect to hear from Isabel and Jade as they discuss the latest GOLD content on female representation and equality in pharma.
A little more on GOLD’s guests…
Pallavi Bansal is Associate Vice President, US Oncology, Genitourinary Cancers and Haematology, Merck. As a member of the US oncology and marketing leadership teams, her day-to-day responsibilities include leading the commercialisation of a broad portfolio of oncology medicines and overseeing several new products in development. Prior to joining Merck, Pallavi had over 16 years of progressive oncology experience in R&D, sales and marketing. Pallavi lives in Chatham, NJ with her husband Lax and 9-year-old twins Mira and Neel. She grew up in India and moved to the US for graduate school. When she boarded a plane from Delhi to Pittsburgh, it was her first time travelling by air. She was the first member of her family to move abroad.
Emma Chaffin is Vice President, Country Head and Site Lead, Galapagos. With over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, strategic consulting and healthcare services, Emma is a consistent high performer with experience of leading large, geographically diverse and multicultural teams in fast-paced environments. She began her career in the industry as a pharmacist and has since worked for companies such as Leo Pharma, Otsuka, Shield Therapeutics and Jazz before joining Galapagos in 2020. Emma also holds an MBA in Business, is currently an ambassador for Breast Cancer UK and has worked as a COVID-19 vaccinator for the NHS.
