Patients have always been my ‘why’ since the very beginning of my journey in this industry. I am now Head of Patient Engagement and Advocacy at Therakos Ltd, having originally graduated from a degree in Business and Interior Design and since going on to become a specialised coach in body and mind modalities and enter the pharmaceutical industry.

 

For me, patient engagement is not just a role, it’s a mission. Being part of ISPEP relates to purpose, community and collaboration and provides an invaluable space for learning and exchange with like-minded people where I feel supported and inspired to better serve this mission.

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I arrived in this space as a natural step of my personal and professional journey; my passion for integrating patients as true partners in healthcare has always been evident throughout my career, from marketing to education and strategic alliances. While at Johnson & Johnson, I was focused on disease awareness initiatives in women’s health, an experience that grounded my belief in the power of patient centered work; at AbbVie, I helped shape holistic strategies integrating advocacy, policy, disease awareness and patient support programs into broader business thinking.

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Corporate leadership plays a crucial role in the evolution of patient engagement, not only in recognising its value from a broader perspective but also in fostering a culture that embraces innovation, adaptability and new ways of measuring success. Companies must create space for experimentation, embrace uncertainty and allow for non-traditional metrics that go beyond immediate business outcomes. Shifting from performance-driven to purpose-driven organisations will fundamentally reshape how we engage and this will impact internal and external exchanges in the patient centricity arena.

 

To truly advance patient engagement, corporate cultures should embrace a fearless mindset, prioritising trust, collaboration and open communication. This creates a ripple effect, not only on teams’ motivation and performance, but also on relationships with patients, allowing meaningful and sustainable engagements and leveraging the impact to the healthcare ecosystem.

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Us patient engagement professionals have been on a rollercoaster, facing many challenges. Pioneering systemic changes takes time, resilience and determination, requiring proper integration across all stakeholders; this is where we have been for the last decade, planting the seeds for transformation and fostering a collective consciousness. At Therakos, I have had the privilege of building the Advocacy capability at an international level, laying the foundation for the current expansion to a robust patient engagement approach and always advocating for the true power of patient centricity on impact and innovation.

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Looking ahead, I hope we move towards a future where demonstrating the impact of patient engagement becomes easier and widely recognised. Patient engagement should be seen not just as a list of initiatives but as a fundamental pillar of healthcare transformation, driving meaningful and lasting change, elevating impact, co- evolving through collaboration and shared leadership, and creating a future from emerging opportunities.