DIvIDEnD - Stephen M. Ross School of Business - University of ...

photo by max s. gerber
a:
She’s not running her own business or managing
a fledgling startup, but Atisa Sioshansi,
BSE ’97/MSE ’97/MBA ’04, feels every bit
the entrepreneur. She is a strategy expert
inside the global, diversified healthcare giant
Baxter International Inc. The job requires the mindset
of a maverick and demands intellectual tenacity,
agility, and resilience.
“there are a number of ways to define entrepreneur,” sioshansi
says. “the connotation usually is somebody who starts their own
business. to me, it’s people who are creative and innovative in
different ways, and who learn to take advantage of opportunities.”
as group manager of strategic initiatives for Baxter’s medication
delivery division, sioshansi is one of those innovative opportunists.
Being a problem solver and generator of new ideas inside
a massive corporation has taught her that all big business is not
created equal.
“Baxter really stood out from an intrapreneurial standpoint,”
she says. “it has the right innovation culture for me. there is no
day-to-day routine for me in my current role. i might be working
on divisional initiatives, or projects that are more like business
development, or reviewing our R&D portfolio. it’s very much based
on how we look at opportunities to grow our business.”
PUTTinG THE “i” in EnTREPREnEUR sioshansi came to Baxter
with a resume that featured experience ranging from global megafirms
to startups. she worked at Procter & gamble and 3m after earning
her master’s degree in chemical engineering. then she worked for
a venture-backed startup and an early-stage company. while at Ross,
she investigated venture capital as a member of the student-run
wolverine venture fund, which invests in early-stage companies.
sioshansi says Baxter offered the kind of unique career development
opportunities that synthesized the scope of her interests.
one of the most appealing was a rotational marketing program that
spanned the company’s different divisions and products, including
medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. the program
gave her broad exposure to strategic and tactical marketing.
“it is a large company, but it felt very similar to Ross,” she says.
“you can follow a standard path, but there’s also a lot of room
for people who see opportunities within the company to start new
initiatives.”
During the marketing rotation program, sioshansi worked with
teams launching new products in latin america and asia and led
a product launch in argentina. the position required the skills
any entrepreneur would need: understanding the target market’s
needs and constraints, listening to local customers and executives,
and knowing which resources would be needed and how to access
them. she also had to keep abreast of local healthcare policies and
practices in the respective markets.
“you have to look at how they are spending their money and
what the needs and opportunities are,” sioshansi says. “it varies
country by country. i think there are a lot of people who aren’t
successful in these markets because they go in with ideas on how to
enter without truly understanding the market needs. what helped
me succeed was listening, understanding the dynamics, and then
being able to relate to their needs.”
THAT’S A PlAn like any good intrapreneur, sioshansi currently
is nurturing a plan that is technically outside the scope of her job.
and while she can’t reveal specifics, she describes the developing
project as a “venture-type initiative.”
she has invested much time and energy in finding enough people
— and the right people — to support the idea, despite a harsh economic
climate. “you certainly learn how to persevere during tough
times, and right now i think it’s a tough time,” sioshansi says. “you
learn how to deal with somebody saying no. Do you reprioritize or
find other investors and supporters?”
time is split between her regular duties and this intrapreneurial
venture, and sioshansi acknowledges that she may not be able
to actualize her vision as quickly as she could inside a small firm.
“you have to accept that you’re not going to move at the speed of
light and that there are certain processes and approvals you need
to get,” she says. “there are also competing plans. to the leadership,
this proposal makes sense on a certain level, but whether we
should put it into action at this time is another matter. i have to
make it fit in a changing landscape. sometimes i need to be patient
and learn to let it baste.”
finding the right corporate culture at this point in her career
delivers the best of both worlds for sioshansi. “an entrepreneurial
mindset is ingrained regardless of what kind of organization
you’re in,” she says. “these experiences are more important to me
than the need to go after the title of ceo or vice president in the
next five years. i have a long-range goal of doing venture capital
in the healthcare industry, and i’m gaining valuable experience
right now.” —Terry Kosdrosky
spring 2010 DIvIDEnD 35