From management in the NHS to consulting for two of the Big Four, Bala has described his résumé as a ‘patchwork quilt’. His heart, however, has always remained in the world of healthcare and MedTech, and his experience working in different sectors has contributed to the incredible impact he’s made at J&J since he helped found and now lead the business’s Strategic Capabilities team.
What first attracted you to J&J?
The history I have with this company goes back to my University days when I was studying Clinical Engineering at the University of Liverpool. Even then, I had an affinity for the medical slant of the degree, and I completed an internship with the company J&J later acquired, then known as DePuy (now DePuy Synthes, the orthopaedics company of Johnson & Johnson).
There weren’t many engineering jobs available in the medical sector when I first started, so I decided then it was up to me to pave my career path. I worked in data entry at the MHRA and moved up the management ladder. I then moved to the NHS as a Medical Records Manager in 2003 and worked my way up to Cancer, Vascular, and Urology Business Manager, and it was an invaluable experience. I learned how to set up proper structures, and teams, and work with/manage people from all different walks of life.
It was when I was studying for my MBA at Cranfield School of Management, that I had my first opportunity to join J&J. There was a campus recruitment scheme, and I joined J&J as an Ethicon Market Development Manager.
Ethics are really important to me, and although I’ve always felt my values are aligned with J&Js, it took leaving the company and coming back to bring that home. When I first joined the company, the Credo seemed a little excessive but when I left and returned, I saw clearly how J&J does put people in the right order – from patients & healthcare professionals to employees & the wider community followed by our stakeholders.
You left J&J to return, what did that career journey look like and why?
Consulting was always on my list of career aspirations, and the only reason I left J&J was to utilise my MBA skillset and put that qualification to good use. I moved to KPMG as a Management Consultant, and then to Deloitte working in Strategy. At Deloitte, we worked with J&J and it made me fall back in love with the company. I returned as a Commercial Manager for Ethicon.
I realised that with the experience I had in the DH, NHS & Consulting sector, I was uniquely positioned in what I do. I found an opportunity to put my experience to genuinely good use, and I used this skillset to support the set up of the Strategic Capabilities team at J&J 8 years ago, and have now been given the privilege to lead it. It’s a function of the business that creates bespoke customer solutions, utilising the breadth of tech and services & solutions offering we have within J&J to drive efficiencies, create capacity and treat more patients. With my NHS roots and time working in management consulting at various NHS Trusts, it’s a pleasure to work in a customer-centric role that genuinely helps increase access to care.
I’m grateful for the career opportunities that have come my way, but as a father now, work-life balance is extremely important to me. I want to be an active parent, and J&J allows me to do that without being penalised for it. As long as you get the work done, you are still recognised and appreciated.
My father, who moved to the UK in the sixties from Sri Lanka, had a relentless work ethic. He was at college through the day and working at night, and as my hero figure growing up, I absorbed a lot of that work ethic. At J&J, I’ve learned that as a senior leader, you are a role model for others. If I work late hours or on my holiday, it means my team will think it’s okay to do the same, and that’s not the standard I want to set, and nor does the company so I have changed my approach. Thankfully, it’s not the standard my peers, managers or reports set at this company.
What makes you proud to work at Johnson & Johnson?
It sounds corny, but at J&J we always do the right thing. In times of trouble, this company has proven it will make sound decisions, that are both ethical and logical from a personal and business perspective.
Because of our Credo, I’m assured that no matter where in the chain of command, the decision will be unanimous whoever it’s coming from because it’s guided by the same principles. I’m completely wedded to the ethics and principles of this organisation, and quite honestly, I won’t be leaving unless they push me out of the door!
What advice do you have for those who want to join J&J?
Don’t feel pressured to chase a linear progression route of Sales, Marketing, Product Manager, etc. That’s one straight line route and there’s a huge funnel going into that. At J&J, there’s a wealth of opportunities and so many different roles, so take advantage of it.
Experiencing different roles at each level and consolidating that will only make you a better, more complete employee, and there’s no better company when it comes to the versatility of roles.
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