Professor Brian D. Smith

Supporting strategists in the life sciences

Who I am

I research, teach and write about strategising in pharma and medtech and I help you to strategise and execute better than your competitors.

As a thought leader, I’ve published hundreds of articles and books. In two decades in the industry as a scientist and marketer, then two decades as an academic, author and advisor, I’ve helped hundreds of life science companies to achieve their goals.

If you share my fascination with strategy in the life sciences, let’s chat.

Who I am

I research, teach and write about strategising in pharma and medtech and I help you to strategise and execute better than your competitors.

As a thought leader, I’ve published hundreds of articles and books. In two decades in the industry as a scientist and marketer, then two decades as an academic, author and advisor, I’ve helped hundreds of life science companies to achieve their goals.

If you share my fascination with strategy in the life sciences, let’s chat.

How I can help you

Creating strong strategy

Your job is to create and execute strong strategy.

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Validating your strategy

You need to know that your strategy will work.

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Anticipating the market

You must anticipate your market, not react to it.

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Mentoring strategists

Strong strategists must grow and develop.

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Aligning strategy and culture

Your culture must amplify your strategy.

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Creating market insight

Strong strategists know what their competitors don’t.

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Training cross-functional teams

Strategizing is a team game.

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Enhancing your meetings

Meetings and conferences must add value.

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Creating value beyond the product

Your product is only a fraction of the value you create.

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Transforming your business model

Your business model must fit your market environment and goals.

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My published work

Browse my hundreds of articles, about strategy in the life sciences and ask for any you want.
Or click on any of curated collections below.

Cross-functional implementation

Strategy without execution is just a fantasy. These articles cover the human side of strategy execution through cross-functional teams.

Leadership in
the life sciences

The life sciences industry is not like any other. These articles explain how its leaders adapt to their unique context.

Becoming a
strategy expert

True strategy expertise is rare. These articles cover the three things you must master to achieve it.

Making strong strategies

Strategy is simple but not easy. These articles define what strong strategies look like and how they are made.

Industry evolution

The life sciences industry is a complex, adaptive ecosystem. These articles explain its evolution and how to manage your own.

Strategy’s human side

Strategy is a social process. These articles explain the cultural and behavioural issues that can strangle or supercharge your strategy.

Cross-functional implementation

Strategy without execution is just a fantasy. These articles cover the human side of strategy execution through cross-functional teams.

Becoming a
strategy expert

True strategy expertise is rare. These articles cover the three things you must master to achieve it.

Industry evolution

The life sciences industry is a complex, adaptive ecosystem. These articles explain its evolution and how to manage your own.

Leadership in
the life sciences

The life sciences industry is not like any other. These articles explain how its leaders adapt to their unique context.

Making strong strategies

Strategy is simple but not easy. These articles define what strong strategies look like and how they are made.

Strategy’s human side

Strategy is a social process. These articles explain the cultural and behavioural issues that can strangle or supercharge your strategy.

My book seminars

My online book seminars let your team learn quickly and easily from my industry-specific research. Each seminar:
Summarises one book’s key points | Includes discussion | Take only 2 hours | Includes signed books
If you want your team to understand your industry better, let’s chat.

My latest work


2023.05.23.


Adaptive Innovation

What your thymus can teach you about being innovative.

In many life sciences firms, adaptation to a changing environment is hindered by processes and templates that stymie rather than support innovative ideas. This isn’t a lack of creativity or originality, it’s the realisation process that needs to be improved. In this article, I share how firms can learn from our adaptive immune system.

Request the PDF. Watch the YouTube video. Listen to the podcast.


2023.02.27.


Capabilities Count

Today and tomorrow, it’s what you can and can’t do that counts.

Business model transformation means transforming what you’re capable of doing. In this, the first in a series of four articles, I give you a new way to think about your firm’s capabilities and how to understand the “capabileome” your future business model will need.

Request the PDF. Watch the YouTube video. Listen to the podcast.


2023.03.13.


The Glocalisation Choice

How to prioritise countries and markets

The core of an effective global strategy is to allocate the right amount of the right kind of effort to each country. This, the second in a series of four articles, describes the differences between life sciences firms who do this well, by factoring in where they want to and can win, and those that prioritise countries simplistically on “autopilot.”

Request the PDF. Watch the YouTube video. Listen to the podcast.


2023.04.25.


Too Much Success

Some companies should be careful what they wish for

When firms launch a new product or initiate a new strategy, they aspire to great success. In this article, I describe how some strategies might actually harm a company and its ecosystem and why life science strategists need to think beyond the launch plan.  

Request the PDF. Watch the YouTube video. Listen to the podcast.

Contact me

If you share my fascination with the life sciences industry and how pharma and medtech strategies and business models are evolving, then I'd love to chat.

You don't need to fill in a form, speak to an assistant or give me your life story.

Just click here.

Your mail will come directly to me and I'll reply with times when I'm free.

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