Rising Stars: A strategic marketing lead at CDMO, Axplora, Arsalan Khan is also a chemical and pharmaceutical engineer, a published author and an avid tennis player.
After earning a BS in chemical engineering and then a master’s in pharmaceutical engineering (both from the New Jersey Institute of Technology), Khan imagined that his career would unfold in a lab. And for about six years, he worked as a scientist at a specialty chemicals company.
He realized then, however, that for him one of the best parts of the job was “one that I didn’t even expect that I would enjoy that much—working directly with clients.” As he was simultaneously pursuing an MBA (from Temple University), he began to consider potential shifts in his professional journey.
In a Q&A for Fierce Pharma Marketing’s “Rising Stars” series, Khan shares more about his career, how his technical background has shaped his approach to marketing and how to be bold in an industry that often plays it safe.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Fierce Pharma Marketing: What led you to healthcare communications and what keeps you motivated in your current role?
Arsalan Khan: I thought I could use my technical background while still getting to exercise my more creative side, and I’ve really enjoyed that process. Looking at the various companies I’ve worked with, I started off working on marketing assets: the classic brochures, trifolds and what you might see on a poster at a trade show.
Then giving technical presentations and accompanying sales teams got me even more interested in the customer side of things and understanding unmet needs.
Now I’ve been moving into different roles where I’ve had opportunities to work on strategy, brand positioning, messaging and working with sales teams to do sales training.
FPMK: What has been one of the most rewarding projects that you’ve worked on?
AK: What I’m working on right now is the one that I’m most proud of and that has been the most rewarding: the Dare to Imagine campaign at Axplora, which is undergoing this transformation where they’re trying to embody being bolder and different. You don’t really tend to see much of that within pharma, or CDMOs in particular. Everyone is the first to copy, or in a race for second place, because they don’t want to take risks or stand out too much.
Axplora has been very interesting and different in that regard. Dare to Imagine involves being a lot bolder with our messaging and our identity. The campaign permeates everything, which can be both rewarding and challenging at the same time, but I would argue that’s probably the best challenge that you can have as a marketing person within a CDMO.
FPMK: If you could give some advice to people who have worked in the industry for decades, what would it be?
AK: Perhaps it’s because I come from a technical background, but it’s important to really understand what it is that you’re trying to market and get deep into the details.
Especially if you’re a veteran in the industry, sometimes you can fall into this trap where you think, “I’ve been here for a long time and I already know what people need to hear,” which is not true. It’s always evolving. Everyone’s saying the same thing, and they are too risk-averse to say, “actually, I have this really cool new thing.”
FPMK: What do you like to do outside of work?
AK: I’m a pretty avid tennis player and I had the chance to play in a few amateur leagues. I don’t have as much time as I would like to have to play tennis, but that’s one big thing for me. I also write in my spare time and have published two books. I use writing not just to brainstorm and think, but also to relax and just put stuff out there.