Alisa Lask
VP and GM, U.S. aesthetic business unit, Galderma, Nestlé Skin Health
What would you do if you didn’t work in healthcare?
Prior to my current role at Galderma, I worked in consumer packaged goods and grocery. I would love to take that experience and work on Nestlé incubator projects to drive innovation in nutrition and wellness.
Horses are my personal passion. If I weren’t working in the corporate world, I would be on the farm riding my horses bred for jumping.
Talk about the last time you experienced a fist-pumping victory moment.
The Nestlé Skin Health national sales meeting in January when we asked DearWorld.com to help us each tell our personal story. The energy and passion was inspiring. Our team connected at a new level and the sales team left the meeting feeling #unstoppable.
When was the last time you endured an “agony of defeat” moment? What did you learn from it?
I moved too quickly on a program that required more thought and detailed plans in advance of activation. I forgot the importance of bringing along my stakeholders and the value their challenges brought to making the initiative better.
How long ago was the last time you recharged your batteries?
Recharging the batteries is critical to ensuring you maintain perspective. Last year I was able to enjoy a trip through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. This summer, a safari in Tanzania is on the books.
What do you find frustrating about working in healthcare marketing?
Healthcare marketers are wired to deliver with speed, quality, and value, all while being very customer responsive. The challenge is we have to learn to drive fast in a narrow lane much more so than a consumer brand marketer who does not have as strict a regulatory environment. In the end, some of our compliance constraints in healthcare make us better marketers.
To ensure pay parity and career advancement for women, I will…
Continue to support women’s leadership groups, mentor future female leaders, and initiate the critical conversations when necessary.
What are your words to live by?
Don’t stumble over something behind you. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. Smile. Admit it when you make a mistake.
What is one thing you would tell young women starting their careers in healthcare marketing?
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Lots of brilliant women began in jobs that weren’t perfect. Professional development is no longer linear. Believe that with hard work and commitment to figuring out what you want to do, you will find success.
What three people, alive or dead, would you like to host at a dinner party?
Warren Buffett, business guru extraordinaire. A lunch with Warren went for $2.68 million at a recent charity event.
Queen Elizabeth. Watching The Crown on Netflix intrigued me. She is 92 years old and still riding her horses.
Sheryl Sandberg. She has faced professional and personal triumph and setbacks all while maintaining a positive attitude and consistently leading by example.
