Born and raised in London, UK, Davina Brown's career development is a testament to her dynamic personality and passion for connecting with people. With the privilege of traveling extensively across Europe and Asia from a young age, Davina has cultivated a deep appreciation for cultural experiences, and different foods, which she continues to seek out as an adult. Her love for cooking with unique ingredients and spices has not only become a fun and challenging hobby but also a way to bond with her husband and children, who enjoy her "taste test kitchen" and have developed diverse palates at the ages of 9 and 4.
Now, a member of our Multiple Sclerosis (MS) team, Davina serves as a Key Customer Manager (KCM) for the Northeast & NYC regions and brings 20 years of professional experience to her role. Her approach to leadership is built on accountability, empathy, trust, and skills honed from her life experiences. Davina's journey is characterized by her ability to solve problems and connect with people, making her a valuable asset in her field.
As MS remains a core area of scientific expertise for Biogen we continue to focus our efforts on the unmet medical need. This includes investment in our early development pipeline. Read on to learn more about Davina’s career development, experience on the team, and her advice for those looking to develop their career.
Tell me about your career journey. What led you to Biogen?
I have always been passionate about healthcare. I earned my undergraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management, and my early professional experiences allowed me to gain expertise across pharmaceutical and medical device sales. After having experience across multiple disease states and working at different sized organizations, I discovered my preference for mid-sized companies. I was hesitant to work for an organization that’s too large, where I am just a number, or at a startup, where resources are often lacking. This led me to my interest in Biogen. I knew I could thrive and develop here, surrounded by brilliant talent, all with a shared mission to help people impacted by devastating and debilitating diseases.
I started my career at Biogen five years ago as a Senior Territory Business Manager (TBM). A TBM is responsible for developing business plans for their assigned sales territory and implementing strategies to provide the greatest benefit to the respective patient communities. What I loved about my role was getting to see and hear Biogen’s impact on the MS community directly from patients, caregivers and doctors.
How have you been able to develop your career at Biogen?
Biogen prioritizes career development for their talent and invests in growing their people. I’ve experienced this first-hand through Biogen’s internal development initiative called the Orbit Program. This program gives employees the opportunity to gain exposure to another position at the company through targeted learning assignments and additional responsibilities, while simultaneously working in your existing role. As with working at any organization, one must advocate for themself to move forward, and thankfully I have had incredible leaders here that have supported me on my career journey.
During my Orbit, I learned at lightning speed. I produced many field-supporting promotional assets and gained valuable experience as a brand marketer. My marketing leaders appreciated my work and saw my potential, which led to a promotion as a full-time contributor to the team. In this new role, I continued as part of the MS Healthcare Professional Marketing team, working on brand campaigns, interactive visual aid updates, and managing the internal resource database, among many other projects.
I continued to advocate for myself and seek additional growth opportunities, leading to my most recent promotion as a KCM.
What does your new role as a KCM entail?
KCMs are strategic partners that can help improve a customer’s experience with Biogen and increase awareness of Biogen’s portfolio with patients and healthcare providers. In my case, this is for the MS community. I support this community by providing sponsorship toward educational needs, partnering on marketing initiatives, and managing educational speaker programming.
What skills have helped you succeed in your career?
With 17 years of sales experience, I have mastered the Goldilocks Principle, which I believe has allowed me to be successful in my career. The principle is based on adapting to the person and circumstance, applying just the right amount of pressure, competition, and drive to gain results. I’m continuously reflecting and reevaluating my engagement to tailor solutions, build strong relationships and implement strategic impact without overcommitting or underdelivering. In addition, my roles in marketing and as a KCM, have taught me to be extremely organized with my time and prioritize my daily activity through efficient project management. I am also continuing to enhance my coaching, collaboration and communication efforts.
What motivates you to do the work that you do each day?
Knowing that my work can help improve the lives of people living with MS motivates me the most, whether it’s through advocacy, patient support or fundraising. Beyond this impact, I’m proud to work for a company that strives to do the right thing for its employees and patients. I’ve found that there are many boomerangs at Biogen, those that leave for other opportunities but make their way back. I believe this is because of the caliber of the people here. There is always someone to learn from.
What do you enjoy about the company culture at Biogen?
My experience at Biogen is that there is a continuous drive to improve, whether it be through innovative ideas, advancing solutions for the communities we support, or owning your destiny through professional development.
What’s exciting about working in the MS Franchise right now?
Biogen has been a leader in MS for over 25 years, bringing groundbreaking therapies to people living with MS and shaping the standard of care. Right now, Biogen offers a range of therapies which provide options tailored to the patient depending on where they are in their MS journey.
What skills and characteristics would a new employee need to succeed on your team?
They will need a mix of scientific expertise, strategic relationship-building, and adaptability in a competitive and evolving market. Understanding healthcare policy changes, reimbursement trends, and payer dynamics affecting MS treatments will be key. Cross functional collaboration with Medical, Market Access, and Patient Services teams will drive a seamless customer experience.
What career advice do you have for others?
It starts with you. Get involved, stay engaged, find a mentor, and advocate for yourself!
