An experienced global healthcare and corporate professional with 20 years building corporate, brand, and non-profit organization awareness and representation, Julissa Viana joined Summit, NJ-headquartered Celgene Corporation three years ago.

 

"Serving as a spokesperson for the American Red Cross in greater NY and on national disasters provided a foundation for my later positions at leading pharmaceutical and non-profit organizations," says Viana, now senior director, corporate communications, global social media at Celgene, a company of 7,000 employees worldwide.

 

With extensive professional experience in the field, working on behalf of patients and their families initially led Viana to the pharmaceutical/biomedical industry. "The fact that several family and friends experienced illnesses motivated me to help create and support programs and initiatives that directly benefited those in need as well as those that reached out to ethnic and racial groups to provide educational programs," she says.

 

On a more personal level, Viana enjoys being part of an industry that brings medical innovation to thousands of people around the world. "Celgene's strong passion for the patient, and bold advances in the scientific field, is what drew me to the company," she states.

 

In her current—and newly created—position, Viana is responsible for the development and strategic management of global social media. "Managing a growing social media presence enhances best practices, strategic counsel, and the implementation of creative ideas that align with Celgene's overall goals and objectives," says Viana, who helped develop a wide variety of content for the company's social media channels.

 

The mix of healthcare, public relations, and social media, contends Viana, is entering a new and exciting era. "The ability to share the enormous potential of healthcare with patients, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders will elevate the importance of creative healthcare communications through social platforms allowing for greater customization of messages and personal engagement on the part of patients and their families," says Viana. This ability, she believes, will encourage more Hispanic professionals currently in the field to reach out to other Hispanic professionals considering careers in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. "I would urge Hispanic students and others interested in healthcare to seek out internships and positions that expose them to the many facets of this industry," she says.

 

As for the skills Viana identifies as critical, first and foremost is real passion to make a difference in the interest of patients we serve. Also, the ability and versatility to take complex ideas and concepts and communicate them in all forms, strategic thinking and having a global mindset, and a strong knowledge of technology.

 

She also stresses the importance of being flexible and continually looking for ways to grow one's skills. Reflecting on her own background, she says, "When I made the transition from public relations to social media, I immersed myself in this arena by personally using a variety of different platforms and following companies with a presence in this sector."

 

A graduate of Long Island University, with a bachelor's degree in fine arts and a concentration in public relations, Viana credits her education with promoting her interest in creating and innovating. Today, she enjoys the fact that every workday is a little different. "Whether I'm creating new content, interacting with patients online, or coming up with new ideas regarding how to share company resources with stakeholders, my work is always challenging and rewarding," says Viana.

 

The company is always looking for new talent across its organization; more information about Cel- gene can be found at www.celegene.com and on Twitter at @Celgene.