Sales & Customer Engagement Head - Diabetes

About the Team

The Diabetes Business Unit manages Sanofi's comprehensive insulin portfolio in India, serving one of the world's largest diabetes populations. We combine decades of expertise in insulin therapy with innovative customer engagement strategies to ensure our portfolio reaches the millions of patients who depend on insulin for their diabetes management. Our team plays a critical role in advancing insulin therapy across India's diverse healthcare landscape, from tier-1 cities to rural communities, while driving sustainable business growth and market leadership.

Position Overview

The BU Head / Sales & Customer Engagement Head for Diabetes is a pivotal strategic leadership role responsible for driving profitable growth and market leadership in India's rapidly expanding diabetes care segment. Lead the strategic direction and operational excellence of Sanofi's Insulin portfolio across India by driving comprehensive business strategy, customer engagement innovation, and commercial performance. This role is instrumental in maintaining and expanding Sanofi's leadership position in the insulin public sector market through strategic engagement. This position demands a dynamic leader who can seamlessly blend commercial excellence with patient-centric innovation, delivering sustainable business results while expanding access to life-changing therapies. The role requires orchestrating multi-stakeholder engagement across private healthcare institutions, government bodies, and the broader diabetes ecosystem, while building high-performing teams that embody Sanofi's values of scientific rigor and patient focus. Beyond traditional P&L accountability, this leader must be a transformational change agent who drives digital innovation, forges strategic public-private partnerships, and champions business sustainability—ensuring that growth today creates enduring value for patients, healthcare providers, and society tomorrow. Success in this role means not just winning in the marketplace but fundamentally improving diabetes care outcomes across India's diverse healthcare landscape, from metropolitan centers to underserved communities.

Key Responsibilities

The Sales & Customer Engagement Head – Diabetes at Sanofi is responsible for executing comprehensive commercial strategies to maximize growth and market share of Sanofi's insulin portfolio. This role requires strategic leadership in customer engagement and business performance optimization while ensuring sustainable patient access to insulin therapies across India's diverse healthcare landscape.

Business Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Develop and execute comprehensive business strategy for the entire insulin portfolio aligned with India for India growth objectives

• Lead portfolio optimization strategies to maximize revenue growth and market share expansion in the insulin category

• Identify and capitalize on emerging market opportunities in insulin therapy, including next-generation insulin analogs and digital health integration

• Navigate competitive landscape dynamics and develop differentiated positioning strategies for sustained insulin market leadership

• Create and implement long-term strategic plans (2-3 years) with clear milestones and performance indicators for insulin business

• Drive evidence-based decision making through market intelligence and competitive analysis specific to insulin market

• Lead cross-functional initiatives to accelerate insulin portfolio growth and operational efficiency

Customer Engagement & Commercial Excellence

• Lead omnichannel customer engagement strategies tailored to insulin prescribers

• Drive scientific leadership initiatives through strategic KOL engagement and medical education programs on insulin management

• Develop and implement customer-centric solutions addressing unmet needs in insulin initiation, titration, and adherence

• Execute comprehensive customer journey mapping and experience optimization across all touchpoints for insulin therapy

• Lead digital transformation initiatives to enhance customer engagement effectiveness and efficiency in insulin promotion

Financial Performance & Resource Management

• Achieve budgeted sales and operating profitability targets for insulin portfolio through strategic resource deployment and performance optimization

• Lead P&L management with full accountability for insulin business financial performance and sustainability

• Develop and manage annual budgets, forecasts, and investment plans aligned with insulin portfolio strategic objectives

• Drive operational efficiency initiatives to optimize cost structure while maintaining insulin business growth momentum

• Create viable business cases for insulin portfolio expansion, new launches, and strategic investments

• Monitor and analyze financial performance metrics for insulin business, implementing corrective actions as needed

• Lead digital transformation initiatives to enhance customer engagement effectiveness and efficiency in insulin promotion

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Build and lead high-performing, diverse teams across insulin sales and marketing functions

• Drive capability development initiatives to equip teams with specialized skills in insulin therapy management and customer engagement

• Foster culture of innovation, collaboration, and customer-centricity aligned with Sanofi values

• Implement talent management strategies including succession planning and retention programs for insulin business team

• Ensure alignment with Sanofi Ethics & Business Integrity standards across all insulin business activities

• Drive performance management and coaching to achieve individual and team excellence in insulin portfolio delivery

Cross-functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Partner with Medical Affairs on scientific strategy and evidence generation for insulin portfolio

• Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs to ensure timely approvals and compliance management for insulin products

• Work with Supply Chain to optimize insulin product availability, cold chain management, and distribution efficiency

• Coordinate with Global Diabetes teams on best practice sharing and strategic alignment for insulin business

• Represent Sanofi at key industry forums, conferences, and policy discussions related to insulin therapy

Required Qualifications

Education

• Graduate degree in Science/ Pharmacy

• Lead digital transformation initiatives to enhance customer engagement effectiveness and efficiency in insulin promotion

Experience

• 12-14 years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical industry with significant exposure to diabetes/insulin therapeutic area

• Minimum 8-10 years in leadership roles with P&L responsibility and team management experience

• Proven track record of driving business growth and market share expansion in insulin or injectable therapies

• Experience managing large field forces (100+ people) and complex commercial operations in chronic disease areas

• Demonstrated success in customer engagement transformation and commercial excellence initiatives

• Track record of successful product launches and portfolio management in diabetes, insulin, or specialty injectable products

• Understanding of insulin therapy landscape including clinical guidelines, treatment algorithms, and patient management protocols

Core Competencies

• Deep therapeutic expertise in diabetes and metabolic disorders

• Proven track record of delivering growth in competitive markets

• Strong P&L and commercial acumen including experience in OmniChannel leverage – Public Market, Digital & a.i

• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments (private/public)

• Change leadership and transformation experience

• Strategic thinking with execution excellence

• Stakeholder management across internal and external ecosystem

Technical Skills

• Strategic business planning and execution for insulin/injectable pharmaceutical portfolios

• Deep understanding of insulin therapy landscape, treatment paradigms, and clinical guidelines

• Knowledge of insulin product characteristics (basal, bolus, premix, analogs vs. human insulin)

• Health economics and value demonstration for insulin therapies

• Digital marketing and omnichannel customer engagement strategies for specialty products

• Financial management and P&L accountability in pharmaceutical business

Functional Competencies

• Leadership and team management in complex, matrixed organizations

• Strategic stakeholder engagement and relationship management with insulin prescribers

• Commercial excellence and sales force effectiveness optimization for specialty/injectable products

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Visionary leadership with ability to inspire and motivate large teams

• Strong communication and presentation skills for diverse audiences including medical professionals

• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work across diverse regional contexts in India

• Negotiation and influencing skills for complex stakeholder environments

• Change management and transformation leadership capabilities

Personal Attributes

• Results-oriented with strong execution focus and accountability mindset

• Strategic thinking combined with operational excellence

• High ethical standards and integrity in all business dealings

• Patient-centric mindset with passion for improving insulin access and diabetes care outcomes

Key Stakeholders

Internal Stakeholders

• GM Pharma India and Senior Leadership Team

• Insulin Sales, Marketing, and Market Access Teams

• Medical Affairs and Regulatory Affairs

• Supply Chain and Commercial Operations

External Stakeholders

• Healthcare Professionals

• Key Opinion Leaders in Diabetes

• Healthcare Institutions and Hospital Systems

• Government Health Departments and Policymakers 

Special Requirements

• Extensive travel across India (40-50% travel time) to key insulin markets

• Ability to work in fast-paced, dynamic environment with changing priorities in competitive insulin market

• Proven track record of driving business growth and market share expansion in insulin or injectable therapies