The Situation

Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, was in the midst of cultural transformation and organizational integration. I joined as Senior Manager of Strategic Planning & Projects on a two-year contract, reporting to the VP of Skincare R&D and working directly with six executives as a proxy business owner. My role was to bring clarity and structure to high-stakes programs that spanned internal culture, external thought leadership, and global engagement.

The Challenge

What I Did

• Led 10+ global initiatives, including the Science of Aging Symposium and the Aesthetics Diversity Summit, bringing together executives, faculty, and global teams.

• Served as proxy business owner for executives, translating strategic vision into enterprise town halls, global all-hands, and therapeutic area integration programs.

• Built scalable playbooks and operational tools that improved planning efficiency by 30% and boosted engagement scores by 20%.

• Delivered ROI and post-program assessments using AI-enhanced tools, identifying cost savings of up to 20%.

• Fostered collaboration across R&D, Commercial, Compliance, Communications, and vendor partners to accelerate decision-making.

What I Did

• Led 10+ global initiatives, including the Science of Aging Symposium and the Aesthetics Diversity Summit, bringing together executives, faculty, and global teams.

• Served as proxy business owner for executives, translating strategic vision into enterprise town halls, global all-hands, and therapeutic area integration programs.

• Built scalable playbooks and operational tools that improved planning efficiency by 30% and boosted engagement scores by 20%.

• Delivered ROI and post-program assessments using AI-enhanced tools, identifying cost savings of up to 20%.

• Fostered collaboration across R&D, Commercial, Compliance, Communications, and vendor partners to accelerate decision-making.

The Impact

• Achieved 90%+ stakeholder satisfaction across high-visibility initiatives.

• Advanced AbbVie’s cultural and business priorities by turning abstract ideas into executable programs.

• Delivered playbooks and tools that continued improving efficiency long after individual events.

• Earned recognition from senior leadership for clarity, structure, and energy in complex environments.

My Takeaway

Scaling is equal parts persistence and precision. The systems matter, but relationships matter just as much. This experience is teaching me how to balance both — building trust with providers while creating the structures that set us up for long-term success.