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- Laurence's profile
Meet our people
I joined GSK in 2007 as a Sales and Marketing Graduate.
View my diary to read about my typical week:
How long have you been at GSK?
Just over a year and a half; with two six month marketing placements and currently half way through my year in sales.
What made you apply to GSK?
The opportunity to work for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world was an obvious attraction however the main reason was the commercial trainee programme itself. From looking at the detail of the commercial trainee programme on the website and talking to the university recruitment team, I realised what a great programme and company I could be joining.
What made you apply to the Purchasing (Procurement) Development Programme?
I discovered a strong passion for marketing during university and I wanted to go somewhere to learn and progress this skill. The GSK website for graduate recruitment provided a detailed overview of the scheme with the addition of being able to study at the Chartered Institute of Marketing. It highlighted to me that the company had put a huge amount of resource into developing such a well-rounded programme and that you were not going to be just a number in a large organisation. Although I did not have much knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry or a science background before I applied, the description of the commercial trainee programme on the website made it impossible for me not to apply.
I discovered a strong passion for marketing during university and I wanted to go somewhere to learn and progress this skill. 
What was your first role?
My first role was in the commercial pricing side of the business. I was in a brand manager role responsible for setting prices for a number of important off-patent brands. In addition I was involved in exploring working with pharmacists to help them to supply services to patients. Working with the head office team, salesforce and pharmacists, my role was to create useful tools that added value to the service side of pharmacy.
What have been your subsequent roles?
I worked in the HIV team for six months in a marketing role. I was working along side the senior brand manager to provide up to date information to HIV clinicians about our HIV treatments whilst also engaging our sales team to ensure they had the correct materials and information to best carry out their role. It is an extremely fast moving area with new data and treatments arriving all of the time and a role which I enjoyed very much. Currently I am in my year in sales placement working in the vaccines team. My role title is ‘Vaccines Account Manager’ where I am in charge of the travel vaccines side of the business for an area of London. On a daily basis I meet with nurses, GPs, practice managers and private travel clinic managers to discuss how GSK can support them in providing travel vaccines to all of their travellers. It is a hugely interesting placement where no day is the same.
What kind of support do you get?
The amount of support is huge and is a major reason why I have enjoyed my first 18 months at GSK. Firstly you are paired up with commercial trainees that started a year or two before you; it allows more relaxed conversations and opportunities to ask any questions that may be on your mind. You are also allocated a mentor who is a highly regarded and senior figure in the UK organisation who will offer advice on how to progress and develop within each placement. Most importantly your manager for each placement is in charge of making sure that you get the most out of the months you are there. They will regularly check on your progress and also identify key strengths and development areas to work on in your placement and in future roles. Keeping it all together is the programme manager who regularly checks that everything is going well and deals with any requests or concerns.
The amount of support is huge and is a major reason why I have enjoyed my first 18 months at GSK.
What is the company culture like for you?
I have experienced an extremely positive culture within the company where people support and encourage each other to do well. Successes are shared within teams and the company, helping everyone work better and provide higher quality work as a result. Work-life balance is also very important in the company and although there is always a lot to do, everyone is encouraged to keep an even balance between work and home life. This is not something that is just said, there really is a strong culture of achieving a good work-life balance.
