Drew Adams

Drew Adams, Full-Time MBA Class of 2018
Director, Customer Experience Measurement Solutions | Bristol Myers Squibb

 

How did your career evolve after graduating from the MBA Program at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School?

I joined BMS through an R&D rotational program and had the opportunity to move through four different business areas over the course of two years. I flexed my final rotation into a full-time role on a fledging Medical Analytics team, it was an opportunity to build a new capability with a superstar cast. Senior Medical leadership pushed me to think creatively and always kept me moving forward. I supported almost all our launches globally in one way or another, which gave mean amazing insight into our portfolio and how the Pharma industry operated. After nearly 10 years in R&D, I decided to jump to our US Commercial organization, leading our Omnichannel Engine team in a Product Manager type role. Once again, I focused on learning as much as I could about our portfolio, our strategies, and how to implement best practices across the organization. Most recently I’ve been promoted to Director of Customer Experience Measurement Solutions, moving away from operations / management of our AI Omnichannel engines to the evaluation of their effectiveness..

 

How did UNC, Kenan-Flagler Business School, the MBA program, or MBA Career Services help you reach where you are today?

I truly appreciate how much exposure I had to different mindsets and fields. I focused on getting as broad of an education as possible during my MBA so that I always could approach a problem with an open mind. Foreign Currency, Real Estate, Oil Processing, they are all interesting in different ways. They also reminded me that I do NOT know everything, there will always be someone with more experience, so don’t over index on your first thought. I am always open to others’ ideas. My wife would say that I still am terrible at Spanish though.

 

What’s one lesson or insight you hope every MBA student takes with them after graduation?

Use your status as a student or an intern to your advantage, reach out to those people that have the next job you want or the one you want in 20 years. The first connect is the easy one, be sure to follow up and keep those connections alive before you need a favor.

 

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?

I ran into Ed Sheeran in the hallway of a hotel in India on my first international work trip. I had been traveling for about 24h at that point and wasn’t sure if it was really him until I looked online.