Meet Sanjay Vyas: Executive Vice President for Clinical Trial Supplies & Logistics and India Country Head (India)

"It’s the amazing people at Parexel that allow you to get across the hurdles whatever level it might be, with a very strong, smiling, and positive attitude. They are all about 'making it happen.'"

Sanjay Vyas, Senior Vice President for Clinical Trial Supplies & Logistics and India Country Head, considers bringing a very high degree of passion and infectious enthusiasm crucial to both his roles. Balancing out your head, heart, and gut instinct while making decisions is as important as consistently listening, learning, and taking lead. He is proud to work for an organization where the mission of 'we care' speaks of what we live and breathe as a part of our daily life.

• Please introduce yourself, and why you chose Parexel?

Hi, I am Sanjay Vyas and am managing a dual role as a Senior Vice President - Global SBU Head for Clinical Trial Supplies & Logistics (CTS&L) and India Country Head.

I joined Parexel in January 2016, as it was a great opportunity for me to manage global Profit & Loss or Global Clinical & Supplies (P&L). Also, I lead and manage the upstream of the Drug Development process and leverage my experience that I had learned in the downstream of the Life sciences supply chain. Another reason was the people I met, their knowledge, passion, and dedication impressed me greatly.

• Tell us a little bit about what you do every day. What are your core responsibilities?

I will have to answer this in 2 parts as I am managing dual roles.

As the CTS&L SBU Head, I am responsible for leading and managing the global P&L for Parexel’s Global Clinical Supplies & Laboratory Logistics infrastructure and business which also includes operating and managing the global distributions centers and global depot infrastructure.

As the India Country Head, I am responsible for providing leadership, management, and vision necessary to support and effectively grow the 5200 plus employee organization. I am responsible for developing the overall strategic direction for the Indian entity’s growth; evaluate alternative strategies; identify competitive issues and capitalize on core business strengths across various functions within the organization. 

• What traits and skills are needed to be successful in your role at Parexel?

It’s interesting because both the roles I am managing are very distinct yet have commonalities. I would say passion and enthusiasm are critical. Having said that being a team player, being able to be highly collaborative, and have positive leadership skills that balance out using your head, heart, and gut instinct while making decisions is also very much needed. It is also important to have a high degree of ethics and compliance demonstrating we as a company are true to our word.

• What would you like people to know about your job or department?

Many don’t realize the beautiful diversity that exists in India. It has 22 different languages, 5200 dialects, and 28 states – it’s almost like 28 different countries in one. An interesting fact is, that India is the largest country in the Parexel world, with 5400+ people, which represents 25% of Parexel’s global population. Parexel India's headcount is larger than the UK, Japan, China, and Germany's headcount combined.

• How would you describe what it’s like to work at Parexel?

Working at Parexel is not for the faint-hearted and I say this in an optimistic manner. This is an organization that consistently challenges your status quo and the amount of knowledge available to grasp is also unbelievable. If you are someone who wants to consistently listen, learn, and lead, then Parexel is the place to be.

• How would you describe what it’s like working with your colleagues?

Just one word … It's 'awesome', and the reason I say that is because we have such amazing intellectuals amongst us who are always eager to help you learn and cross over challenges. It’s all about 'owning the problem and owning the solution' which leads to a very strong collaborative and cohesive working environment while interacting with my colleagues.

• Can you share with us an example of some of the work that you do, where you have gained a real sense of job satisfaction?

Recently with the COVID situation, I have seen our CTS&L team, really go over and beyond the needs of our clients. While the world was under lockdown our CTS&L teams across all our functions were busy working and ensuring that there was no drop in the availability of clinical supplies at the investigator sites and even to the extent at patients' homes. It's amazing to see that spirit to ensure that no patient went without.

• How has Parexel supported your career development?

I had joined Parexel as a CVP four and a half years ago and within three years I was promoted to an SVP role. I was given the additional role and responsibility to be the Indian country head and hence both from a learning and functional responsibility my career growth has been very positive.

• What does Parexel’s mission mean to you?

I have never felt more connected to Parexel’s mission than now with our patient-centric approach and keeping the patient at the heart of every decision we make. It really makes me proud to work for an organization where the mission speaks of what we live and breathe as a part of our daily life. It truly reflects the essence of the work we do, by contributing to making a difference to patients' lives with quality at the top of our minds.

Additionally, there is a positive culture of change that truly represents the culture of respect with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, which is felt in your daily interaction with our peers and leaders. And lastly, the “ownership” culture is truly represented with the empowerment and accountability being reflected across all levels.

• One of Parexel’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) attributes is offering our employees the ability to Embrace Flexibility or balance work with your personal life. How have you experienced this at Parexel?

Even though not always possible, yes, I have experienced a decent work-life balance especially knowing the fact that I can plan my time and work schedule based on my productive output and not just with the amount of time I spent working. With the flexibility of traveling and working from home has allowed me to spend some good quality time with my girls.

• What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?

I love adventure sports and am an outdoor person, plus I am a big movie buff. When I am not at work, I love to spend my time outdoors with my two girls and my better half, engaging myself in watching movies and doing sports like sky diving, jet-skiing, biking, etc. My family are big foodies and we love to explore different cuisines on our weekends.

©Photos by Sanjay Vyas

Do you want to work with Sanjay and his colleagues? Take a look for suitable opportunities at the "Features Jobs" lists for roles within the Clinical Trial Supplies & Logistics team or roles in India. 

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