Nicholas Rodger
Group Product Manager Anaesthesia & Critical Care, Baxter Healthcare Ltd
Q: What does your role at Baxter involve?
A: My role as Group Product Manager, Anaesthesia and Critical Care (ACC) means I have overall responsibility for the Marketing of our Inhaled Anaesthetics and our Critical Care products. I work with the Anaesthetics Product Manager, who looks after the daily running of the Anaesthetics portfolio.
Q: What is your professional background?
A: An interesting question, I am actually a qualified teacher, having completed a BSc Geography and then a PGCE. After 12 months of teaching I left and joined the Pharmaceutical Industry as a Medical Sales Representative and completed my Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma at night school.
Q: What attracted you to Baxter?
A: The way I often describe Baxter is a ‘village feel, but with the support of a big city’. Although I have responsibility for the UK marketing of the ACC products, I always have colleagues I can call on from across the world. They might be based at our Head Office in Compton, or across the Atlantic in New Jersey, our US and Global HQ, but people are always willing to help and offer advice / direction. We are a fairly non-hierarchical organization, Baxter staff are here to do a job, and I genuinely feel that everyone is committed to Baxter, we all have a sense of pride that the work we do really makes a difference to peoples lives.
Q: What do you think your experience can do to advance the interests of Baxter?
A: I don’t always believe what I am told, and want to find out things for myself. So I often look at how we do business in ACC and ask, “Is this the best way to do that…?”. I see no harm in challenging the status quo because if we can make any improvements it is for the good of our customers.
Q: Do you have any new (anaesthesia related) ideas on the drawing board?
A: Following on with the continued success of the Suprane Simulation Centres at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, we are looking at widening the idea of Theatre / ICU / Recovery Education, and are looking into a more Baxter involved training programme. This is in development at the moment and we are hoping to roll out the programme in the middle of 2008.
Q: What changes do you see occurring in the anaesthetics and healthcare industry over the next few years?
A: Generally, cost effectiveness is continuing to be very important for the NHS and the healthcare industry. I believe that companies need to have compelling data to support their products, including realistic cost models, but equally, the NHS need to understand the cheapest and basic cost, may not always be the best solution for a more complex situation.
Q: Do you have a history of working closely with anaesthetists or with other medical device companies?
A: I try to spend a good proportion of my time in theatre with our Sales Specialists discussing all aspects of anaesthetics with our customers. I also enjoy attending the congresses and discussing practical issues on the stand. Having worked across a large number of therapy areas in the last 11 years, I really enjoying working with Anaesthetists, and I find that after every meeting I learn something new. As they say, “Every day is a school day!”
Q: What is your focus and what do you offer the anesthetics industry?
A: Baxter’s and my focus are the same, when looking at Anaesthetics. We are aiming to be the premier company in anaesthetics. We aim to give our customers what they want, in a format that they can use, when they need it. I also need to have regular feedback from the Anaesthetists and other Theatre staff, so that we can make sure we are achieving our goals.
Q: And finally, what does the future hold for Baxter?
A: Baxter UK, and in a global context, Baxter International, have been at the forefront of medical research, innovation and breakthrough since they were established. The treatment and care they offer patients of some of the most devastating diseases is something that should be recognised. Within an ever-shifting healthcare arena, Baxter will continue to work hard to find solutions that meet the needs of the NHS and put patients at the heart of its business.
For more information log on to www.baxterhealthcare.co.uk
