As if to underscore this advice, Zook then took suggestions for points to address in his lecture from his audience of approximately 120 UD students, faculty administrators and guests from the community. Suggestions ran the gamut from how to handle media relations and how to manage drug research and development costs to how to differentiate AstraZeneca from other large pharmaceutical companies.
“It's my belief that every interaction counts” Zook said, “so I always am interested in hearing from people what some of their negative and some of their positive impressions are about the pharmaceutical industry. Cynics may say [to pharmaceutical companies] that 'You put profits before patients,' but I don't believe that at all. I believe that if you do the right thing, you will have a thriving business.
“To my mind,” Zook said, “if you do the right thing in the marketplace and do the right thing with innovation and do the right thing with organizational development strategies, you will be rewarded as a company.”
Zook, who has held a number of different positions since beginning his career in the pharmaceutical industry in 1983, went on to talk about his personal career decisions and philosophy, and stressed the age-old wisdom to “know yourself, your goals and your need for balance outside of work.
“I fell in love with the [pharmaceutical] industry, and I was lucky enough to get hired 25 years ago, when it was difficult to get into the industry,” he said. “My place in pharmaceuticals has influenced my view on organizational development.
“Too many people want to chart their career direction by going up, but I think that's a fool's errand. I think when you come into a company you need to pick your next step very carefully, and I think that involves going left and right before going up,” he said. “My lesson on career is that you need to find a company that is going to teach you something, and also that you need to learn a lot, because you'll need it to grow. It's also critical that you be true to yourself, true to your family, and know what you are willing to trade.”
Emphasizing again the need to “listen with intent,” Zook mentioned the importance of creating forums and small-scale think tanks within large companies so that all employees feel valued and connected to the larger cause of the company's overall progress and mission. “That is to only way to create a solid company,” he said.
“I am very, very proud of this industry,” Zook said in conclusion. “We are saving lives, and we are extending lives.”
Zook touched on AstraZeneca's partnership with the American Cancer Society and said that the company's social investment and commitment to patient care is critical to its industry profile, mission and success.
Zook capped his lecture, which was the final lecture of UD's 2006-07 Chaplin Tyler Executive Lecture Series, by taking questions from the audience.
After Zook concluded his remarks, Conrado (Bobby) Gempesaw, dean of UD's Lerner College of Business and Economics, and master's-level business students Jillian Kreston and Jennifer Grey, presented Zook with a framed print of University scenes. A reception in the Chaplin Tyler Atrium in Lerner Hall was held afterward.
Zook began his career in pharmaceuticals at Berlex Laboratories in 1983, where he held several positions, including district sales manager, marketing director, vice president of national accounts and then vice president of sales. He joined Astra USA in 1997 as vice president of marketing and sales and became vice president of sales in 1998. Before assuming his present position, Zook was senior vice president of commercial operations for AstraZeneca U.S. and was responsible for leading the company's marketing and sales organizations.
Zook serves as chairperson of the executive council for the National Pharmaceutical Council and is a member of the board of the Pennsylvania Division of the American Cancer Society.
He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Frostburg University and an associate degree in chemical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
AstraZeneca has more than 65,000 employees worldwide and more than 12,000 in the U.S. It operates 11 research and development sites, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries and sales activities in more than 100 countries. The company has discovered and developed several of today's leading prescription medicines, and, in addition, provides health education information, support services and health guidance to millions of Americans through numerous public awareness campaigns.
The Chaplin Tyler Executive Leadership Lecture Series, presented by UD's Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, brings leaders from business, nonprofit organizations and the government to campus to share their experiences and insights with students, faculty and the business community in an open exchange of ideas and perspectives.
Article by Becca Hutchinson
Photos by Duane Perry