Genentech VP, commercial operations, Len Kanavy wassurprised, humbled and honored to receive this year’s honorable mentor awardfrom Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.
“I just try to do the right things for people and stayhonest to my beliefs,” he says.
Kanavy lives by the tenets of servant leadership (detailedin the book by Robert K. Greenleaf), and his mentoring philosophy is rooted inthe knowledge that personal and professional lives are inextricably linked.
“If you always put your team success first, everything elsewill follow,” he says.
Kanavy, who joined Genentech in September 2006, after 18years at Novartis, has more women leaders (six of seven) on his team than anyother team in the company.
“He has taught us not just about management, but about true leadership,”says Elizabeth Jeffords, Genentech director, market planning. “It has been atrue blessing to work for him. I have thrived under his tutelage, and he hascelebrated my successes.”
Carol Wells, senior director, commercial training
& development, adds, “Len is very big on personalaccountability. A leader who doesn’t hesitate to take responsibility andaccountability is a rarity. You feel like you’re in it with him every step ofthe way. He backs you verbally and emotionally and sets a great example ofaccountability.”
Kanavy says he strives to create an environment that bringsout the best in people. “[I’m] not giving all the answers or pretending I haveall the answers,” he says. “One of the best questions I learned was, ‘What doyou want to do about that?’ It evolves into [employees saying], ‘Here’s what’sgoing on, and here’s what we want to do.’ Nirvana is getting an email thatsays, ‘Here’s what happened, and here’s what we did.’ It’s getting people tofeel comfortable with their own abilities and decisions.”
Wells adds, “It’s such a positive and empowering environmentin which to work, and it really brings out the best in people. He haseliminated trepidation about being the best [we] can be.”
At 17, Kanavy went to work rounding up carts in the parkinglot at an IGA grocery store in Taylor, PA. He took over as general storemanager in 1986 and stayed until graduating from University of Scranton with aBS in management in 1988. Given the “somewhat limited” career options in thegrocery business, Kanavy joined Sandoz as a sales rep (a position his fatherheld for 25 years). His brother and sister were also Sandoz reps, and Kanavy,who had a background in biology, loved being able to combine his love ofscience and business.
“I enjoyed calling on doctors and getting the sales,” hesays. “I tend to be competitive. It was fun to convince a doctor that a productwas the best choice for patients.”
Kanavy earned his MBA and moved up to VP, business analysisand VP, commercial operations, and Sandoz evolved into Novartis. Kanavy’smother had a hand in helping him see the value of standing by employees intimes of need. “My mom got very sick and [Sandoz] handled it really well,”Kanavy recalls. “That was very important to my family, and I saw the loyaltythat resulted. I take that into the way I handle life situations. It pays hugedividends to handle them with respect for individuals and make short-termadjustments.”
Jeffords cancelled a business trip to New York after heryoung children became ill. “I didn’t feel bad at all,” she says. “Len is verysupportive of both [my personal and professional life].”
It’s no surprise that Kanavy says there’s nothing he’drather do than watch his children (ages 14 and 19) participate in “whateverinterests them.” Of his many business accomplishments, Kanavy is particularlyproud of one realized at his Novartis goodbye party. “There [were] hundreds ofpeople, and I could look at every person and remember the project we worked onand also when someone’s mom was sick or when someone had nanny problems andneeded to leave at 2:00 every day for two months,” he says. “It was veryhumbling to have that many people say goodbye and to be able to know them atthat level.”—Tanya Lewis
HEADLINER STATS
Len Kanavy
HBA’s 2008 honorable mentor
2006-present
VP, commercial operations, Genentech
1988-2006
Sales rep to VP, commercialoperations, Novartis
From the April 01, 2008 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
