Biotechnology Industry Immersion: Executives Mentor MBAs

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By Espy Foft

Top executives and leaders from the medical, operations, diagnostics, pharmaceutical and venture capital worlds came together this spring at Gallagher Hall for the first time in person as the Graduate School of Management’s (GSM) newly established Biotechnology Advisory Council.

The members shared advice and feedback on our Biotechnology Industry Immersion curriculum and the student experience and then met with MBA students for mentorship opportunities.

Among the council members was Sunita Dhar, an executive medical group director at South San Francisco-based Genentech, the world’s first biotechnology company now part of Roche. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, Dhar is deeply passionate about mentoring future leaders. Her commitment was recently demonstrated through her facilitation of field trips for UC Davis students interested in the biotechnology industry.

The GSM’s Biotechnology Industry Immersion brings together MBA and biotech graduate school students to collaborate on solutions real-world issues presented by industry experts and visit top companies to learn about cutting-edge biotechnology insights and further develop their advanced leadership and management skills.

Dhar aims to introduce students from all backgrounds, both STEM and non-STEM, to the diverse roles available in the medical field. She shares with us why this mission is so important to her.

What inspired your support for the Biotechnology Advisory Council, and what do you hope it achieves in the long term?

As a guest speaker, I have been involved with the Biotechnology Industry Immersion program at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management for the past three years. Seeing how engaged the students are and the amazing talent that forms the current graduate student body is inspiring.

I am passionate about mentoring, coaching and supporting the next generation to be the leaders of tomorrow.

The Biotechnology Advisory Council offers a great opportunity to share my knowledge, expertise and insights of working in the biopharmaceutical industry with the graduate students. 

How do you see the GSM and its Biotech Industry Immersion program contributing to leadership development in students?

Through one-on-one mentoring, we can guide and coach individual students and collectively, we can help develop a meaningful curriculum that prepares the students for successful careers within the biotechnology industry and not just jobs.

We could also help identify student internships through our network and connections within the industry. 

During the meeting of the Biotechnology Advisory Council, you said you would like to introduce students to all the multiple roles available in the medical field. Which roles would you like to highlight for students? 

The biopharmaceutical and device world is a complex and challenging ecosystem.

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The success of this multifunctional industry lies in understanding the interdependencies of disparate cogs that must come together and work in a complex but streamlined manner within the guard rails of a heavily regulated environment, to foster innovation and convert ideas into real meaningful medicinal therapies and products for patients.

For those in medicine, nursing, or pharmacy, an MBA with a focus on biotechnology, will prepare them for multiple roles within clinical science, medical affairs, clinical safety and pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, patient access and reimbursement programs, and clinical operations.

Students with non-STEM backgrounds can have successful and thriving careers within the commercial part of the organizations and manage the processes and systems that underpin the entire biopharmaceutical and device industry. 

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of mentoring students in the medical field, and how do these experiences shape your own professional journey?

I attribute my success within the industry to colleagues and mentors who have been extremely generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise with me over the years.

I have been fortunate to have received great feedback and guidance from my peers, managers, and even my family to build on my strengths and work on the areas of opportunity to become a more impactful leader.

I enjoy working with young minds as it allows me to envision the future, and I can see that it is filled with immense possibilities.