Reshema Kemps-Polanco on clinical trial recruitment
GOLD Nugget: bonus episode

For our fourth and final GOLD Nugget of Season 3, Helena looks back to our Catalyst interview with Reshema Kemps-Polanco, Executive Vice President and US Head, Novartis Oncology.
Helena considers some of the gold nuggets Reshema shared, including ideas for tackling clinical trial recruitment gaps, her personal take on Nelson Mandela’s approach to dealing with failure and why she believes equal representation matters in the pharma industry and beyond.
Look out for the launch of Season 4 next week, and don’t forget to catch up on our much-anticipated 2023 pharma forecast!
A little more on GOLD’s guest…
Reshema Kemps-Polanco is Executive Vice President and US Head, Novartis Oncology, where she is responsible for all commercial and medical operations in the US. Starting out her career at Novartis, she spent 15 years in various positions, ultimately leading multiple marketing teams within oncology and general medicines. She also served as Assistant to the CEO and Head of North America at Novartis and held other commercial roles of increasing responsibility across multiple therapeutic areas. Spending six years at J&J, latterly as President, Cardiovascular and Metabolism, and President, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Puerto Rico, she rejoined Novartis in her current role in 2021.
Reshema has been recognised by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association as a Rising Star, by The Network Journal as a top 40 Under 40 achiever and most recently by Savoy Magazine as one of the Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. She also proudly served her country as a member of the US Army.
Additional resources
If you’re interested in learning more about the topic areas discussed in this episode, check out the following content:
Reshema’s full episode: Meet GOLD's next catalyst – Reshema Kemps-Polanco
Catalyst interview: Reshema Kemps-Polanco on drive, diversity and finding time for family
And do check out GOLD’s next issue, published on 14 February 2023, for more pharma insights. Subscribe for free to receive it directly into your inbox!