What separates a good pharma sales rep from a great one? According to Jennifer Muszik, it’s the ability to understand the question behind the question — the real need behind what a customer is asking.
In this episode, Jonathan Kaskey sits down with Jennifer Muszik, Head of Learning & Development at Alkermes and board member of LTEN, to unpack what it takes to build world-class training programs in the pharmaceutical industry. Jennifer shares her journey from 17 years at Pfizer to leading L&D across some of pharma’s most recognized organizations — and why she almost always hires people who’ve actually done the job they’re training others to do.
They get into the nuances of training new hires vs. seasoned veterans, how to engage your highest performers without making them feel attacked, and why former teachers and coaches often make the best pharma reps. Plus: a candid conversation about where AI can genuinely help — and where human connection is still irreplaceable.
Topics covered:
- Why field experience makes better trainers
- The “pull-through” problem after POA meetings
- Using AI for knowledge transfer (and its limits)
- How LTEN is shaping the future of pharma L&D
Pharma Sessions is hosted by Jonathan Kaskey
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