Video Interviews With Industry Leaders

Senior Partner | McKinsey & Company

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard speaks with Nicholas Mills, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, about the evolving role of AI in pharmaceutical commercial operations and what separates hype from genuine transformation. Mills shares McKinsey’s research revealing that while AI adoption is accelerating across pharma, many organizations struggle to move beyond pilots to scaled implementation that delivers measurable business impact. The conversation explores the critical importance of change management and organizational readiness, with Mills emphasizing that successful AI deployment requires more than just technology—it demands reimagining workflows, upskilling teams, and ensuring leadership commitment to transformation. Mills discusses practical applications where AI is already delivering value, from accelerating content generation to enhancing HCP targeting precision, while cautioning against pursuing AI for its own sake rather than solving specific business problems. He offers a pragmatic perspective on measuring ROI, noting that the most successful pharma AI initiatives start with clear use cases tied to business outcomes, build cross-functional buy-in early, and treat implementation as an iterative learning process rather than a one-time deployment.

Senior Director of HCP & Consumer Marketing | Sanofi

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard of the DHC Group speaks with Randy Keim, Senior Director of HCP & Consumer Marketing at Sanofi, about implementing AI-powered personalization in pharmaceutical marketing. Keim shares how successful AI adoption requires organizational transformation and change management, not just new technology, emphasizing that AI should enhance rather than replace human judgment in healthcare marketing. The conversation explores how marketers can move beyond basic segmentation toward individualized experiences at scale while maintaining authenticity and compliance. Keim discusses measuring meaningful ROI through KPIs that connect AI-driven personalization to tangible outcomes, and offers candid insights on separating genuine AI transformation from hype, noting that real value comes from strategically applying AI to solve specific challenges that help healthcare professionals and patients receive relevant, timely information.

Co-Founder and CEO | Blueprint Audiences

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of The DHC Group speaks with Jeremy Mittler, a data privacy expert who recently launched Blueprint Audiences. Mittler explains how 22 state privacy laws now create greater challenges than HIPAA, particularly around inferences and model-based targeting. He outlines three privacy-safe approaches: opted-in consented data, contextual advertising, and aggregate insights. The discussion emphasizes that all stakeholders share compliance responsibility and must move beyond checklists to adopt a “privacy-first” mindset. Using Apple as an example, Mittler advocates for building privacy into the consumer experience as a competitive advantage, concluding that transparency and empathy are essential for navigating today’s complex regulatory landscape.

AI & Digital Innovation Leader

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of The DHC Group and Shwen Gwee explore AI’s transformative impact on pharmaceutical sales and marketing. Gwee identifies key applications including back-office automation, patient support programs connecting physicians, pharmacies, and payers, and ambient listening tools that reduce administrative burden—achieving adoption rates far faster than EMRs. He emphasizes treating AI initiatives like clinical trials, moving from pilot to scale through phased testing while maintaining human oversight to address bias and hallucinations. The conversation highlights a “real inflection point” as AI-powered answer engines like Google’s Gemini, Open Evidence, and Doximity’s tools become the “true front door” to medical information, finally giving physicians one place to find everything. However, this shift threatens brand websites and publishers with declining traffic as these platforms deliver answers without requiring click-throughs. Gwee concludes that pharma must reimagine content strategy to surface effectively in these new engines and reach physicians at the point of decision.

Founder & CEO | eHealthcare Solutions

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of the DHC Group and RJ Lewis of eHealthcare Solutions discuss AI’s disruptive impact on the medical publishing industry. Lewis notes that as search becomes an “answer engine,” it serves physicians better but poses an “existential risk” to publishers. This trend is already causing web traffic for commercial publishers to plummet by 40-50%, threatening the ad-revenue models that fund the creation of medical content and research.

Drawing parallels to the decline of the news industry, Lewis expresses concern that medical publishing could be similarly gutted. To survive, publishers must explore new models, such as charging users or LLMs for subscriptions to access unique, high-value content. The discussion highlights the possibility of new aggregators emerging, like an “Open Evidence” becoming the Spotify of medical research. They conclude that the future is uncertain and changing rapidly, but the current publishing model is facing a significant threat.

Chief Medical Officer | DrFirst

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of the DHC Group sits down with Dr. Colin Banas of DrFirst to discuss the intersection of technology and healthcare, with a focus on specialty care and access. Dr. Banas shares how his early experiences as a hospitalist during the rollout of major EHR systems shaped his passion for improving the provider and patient experience through technology. The conversation highlights the challenges of implementing digital tools in clinical settings, the importance of reducing friction for physicians, and the opportunities to leverage innovation to improve specialty care delivery. Together, they emphasize the need for practical, user-centered solutions that balance efficiency, usability, and better outcomes for both patients and providers.

Director, Enterprise Omnichannel Analytics Capabilities | GSK

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of the DHC Group speaks with Nivi Mogali, Director of Enterprise Omnichannel Analytics Capabilities at GSK, about the intersection of data, AI, and patient care. Mongali discusses how pharma companies can responsibly scale AI initiatives by balancing compliance requirements with the pursuit of meaningful patient outcomes. The conversation highlights the need to move beyond ROI and script lift as sole measures of success, emphasizing instead the importance of demonstrating how AI can directly serve patients. Together, they explore how bridging technology, analytics, and care delivery can shape a more impactful and sustainable future for the industry.

Co-Founder | Populus

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of the DHC Group speaks with Ray Rotolo, Co-Founder of Populus, about the vision and evolution behind the company’s founding. Rotolo shares how early conversations around telehealth and virtual care in 2019 inspired a proactive approach to digital transformation in healthcare. Framed by the idea of “skating to where the puck is going,” the discussion explores how Populus set out to bridge gaps between pharma, physicians, and patients by anticipating the needs of a digitally enabled healthcare system. The conversation highlights the role of timing, adaptability, and forward-thinking partnerships in driving sustainable innovation.

Chief Product Officer | Impiricus

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of the DHC Group speaks with Dr. Osama Hashmi, Chief Product Officer at Impiricus, about the origins and mission behind the company. Dr. Hashmi shares how his early experience as a resident at Grady Memorial Hospital inspired a vision to solve real-world care coordination challenges, especially those faced by underserved patients. The conversation explores the pain points in healthcare delivery, the role of technology in streamlining access to care, and the need to rethink how the industry supports physicians and patients. Together, they highlight the importance of empathetic design, systemic innovation, and practical solutions in transforming the healthcare landscape.

Commercial Innovation | Pfizer

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of the DHC Group sits down Michael Rowbotham to explore the evolution of marketing from the dot com era to the current landscape shaped by AI and omnichannel strategies. They discuss lessons learned from past experiences, the importance of understanding customer behavior, and the need for effective metrics in marketing. The conversation emphasizes the significance of adapting to new technologies while maintaining core marketing principles.

Chief Data and Analytics Officer | Improzo

In this DHCG Disruptive Dose episode, Mark Bard of the DHC Group sits down with Jane Urban, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Improzo, to discuss the critical role of data in commercial operations, the evolution of clinicians in the digital age, and the transformative potential of AI in the pharmaceutical industry. They explore the importance of understanding data, the need for operational improvements, and the strategies for adopting AI technologies. The discussion emphasizes the necessity of continuous learning and adaptation in a rapidly changing work environment, particularly in healthcare and technology sectors.