Rising Star: Mariyam Rawat

Posted in Corporate Communications

Global healthcare communications specialists, FD Santé, have a mission. That mission is – as anyone who reads the first few lines of corporate website copy (www.fdsante.com) will also discover – to ‘exceed expectation’. When it comes to inspiring client and consumer confidence, the company can definitely talk the talk.

Scan the first few paragraphs of this month’s Rising Star interview though and you’ll also discover that unlike many, this company follows through. It takes its mission statement seriously – from corporate communications right through to the staff it employs. In the hiring of Mariyam Rawat, Senior Vice President, FD Santé is most definitely a company that walks the walk too.

But exceeding expectation isn’t Mariyam’s only defining career feature. She’s also an inspiration to anyone with a transferable skill set. Read on to find out how she swapped the test tube for a keyboard, making the leap from scientist to SVP of a leading communications company.

Name: Mariyam Rawat

Position: Senior Vice President

Company: FD Santé

Can you summarise your career path to date?

I began my career as a scientist for the Boots company following graduation. I moved into a medical advisor role which gave me my first taste of PR via issues management.

My comms career truly kicked off in 2006 when I became Global PR manager at Reckitt Benckiser – an incredibly intense role, but an exciting one. Given the global nature of the position, it included a lot of travel but also issues management, medical communication and external relations. It was my job to develop the global PR strategy, rolling it out to local markets and tailoring the plans to suit varying levels of market sophistication.

In 2008 I became Director of Communications & Investor Relations at Sinclair pharma where I was responsible for developing a group-wide integrated communication strategy encompassing investor relations, corporate communication and brand communication. I worked directly with the CEO and CFO, and also attended management board meetings.

Following these two in-house positions, I was ready for a fresh challenge and joined FD Santé in my latest role. It’s given me an opportunity to learn new skills and develop professionally.

Describe your role:

As Senior Vice President, my role involves providing support and direction for a major, complex, international PR programme. As well as helping to develop and lead Santé’s Media Relations strategy and networking programme, I’m responsible for a major global product launch, providing strategic counsel to clients, stakeholder engagement, team and business-wide training such as the development of junior staff, financial management and, like any responsible, forward thinking organisation, preparing clients for potential crises.

What’s been your career highlight to date?

There have been several highlights throughout my career as each role brings something new. However, a key highlight for me was achieving an MBA with commendation after I negotiated full corporate sponsorship (instead of corporate contributions) for the MBA in 2004, something which had never previously been done. Combining a challenging day job whilst studying for an intense masters’ degree had its moments but the sense of achievement when I graduated was phenomenal!

And greatest challenge?

Making the move from a technical role into a commercially focused role was an uphill battle. Technical people are not always taken seriously by the marketing teams within industry but my sheer perseverance paid off and I won respect from peers and senior management.

And your ambition?

I am a very driven and ambitious individual still wanting to set the world on fire!

My ambition is to continue working in roles that I find exciting and challenging and to always be the best that I can be.

What advice can you offer to other comms professionals who want to get ahead in the current climate?

If you’re good at what you do and passionate about it, the doors will open for you. Take a targeted approach in finding your ideal role by partnering with a good recruitment consultant who will take the time to understand you and your needs. This will cut out the necessity to attend interviews for unsuitable roles as they will only recommend roles that are a good match for yourself and the prospective employer.

How do you feel about what you have achieved so far in your career?

I feel very lucky to have worked for several amazing companies and having the opportunity to learn from some of the most talented people in business. My career path has been an interesting and at times surprising journey and led me to discover that working in PR is where my passion lies – vastly different from wearing a white lab coat and testing medicines. Although my comms career is still in its infancy, I feel I have achieved a great deal in a relatively short time and look forward to building on this.

What recent current affairs issue are you most interested in, and why?

Obama’s healthcare changes in the US. The bill would expand coverage to 97% of Americans, at a cost of $900bn (£540bn). Whilst the premise is ideologically sound, how the reform is actually funded is another matter hence the opposition to his current proposal. The final strategy implemented for funding this proposal will potentially have a global impact, providing learning’s for other countries who are reviewing their healthcare systems which are facing increasing pressure from an ageing population.

What challenges are you facing in your current position?

Having always worked on the client side, the biggest challenge is adapting to a role consultancy side and getting to grips with the back office aspects.

Do you have an unusual, impressive or inspirational career path? Are you able to offer sage career advice to other communications professionals? If so, we’d love to hear from you! To nominate a colleague or be featured as the next ‘rising star’ yourself, contact us at: sarah@the-works.co.uk or tel. 020 7559 6690. Alternatively, click on our website at: www.the-works.co.uk