Participant Perspective | Kellogg Executive Education

Darrell Fick
National Sales Leader, Pharmaceuticals

Darrell Fick is the former Director of Strategic Accounts for the Oncology Franchise at Sandoz Biopharmaceuticals, a division of Novartis. He is currently pursuing an Executive Scholar Certificate at Kellogg Executive Education. He had his team attend the Constructive Collaboration program and attended Leading High-Impact Teams, The Customer-Focused Organization, and Maximizing Sales Force Performance. Previously, he served as the National Sales Director and National Director, Key Accounts at Sandoz as well as the Executive Business Director at Novartis Oncology and Regional Director at Novartis General Medicines. A former National Director of Managed Care for Abbott Diabetes Care, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Texas at Austin and his Masters of Science in Education from the University of Southern California.

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How does Executive Education help you reach your individual and team goals?

I'm personally engaged with my own development plan because I don't think you ever stop learning. I try to talk to my boss every year about what I want to do to keep myself engaged in learning. For me, connecting with people across different industries is very enriching.

I also saw great results for my team after they attended Kellogg Executive Education together. Having the shared similar experiences bonded us as a team and gave us common ideas we can continue to work on throughout the year. I think one of the challenges in business is the pace at which we move today. What they need to understand is if they don't continue to develop themselves and their core, they're really missing out. They learn how to manage multiple priorities much better when they take time to breathe and reflect. It's a challenge everywhere.

What was your experience with the faculty?

The faculty included guest speakers, practitioners and Kellogg professors, which provided many different perspectives. It was excellent to learn about case studies that span different industries and areas of the workforce. They bring their best of the best forward and provide a wealth of information and tools to take back and capitalize on. The faculty were very accessible, too. I don’t think there was a single session in which they didn’t join us for lunch, talk to us during breaks or stay late to chat with us. I always felt like they were truly interested in why I chose to come to Kellogg.

Do you have an example of something you learned that provided you or your team a better outcome?

My team went to the Constructive Collaboration program together and they all continue to practice what they learned and can apply in the post-program phase. That was worth every day they were away from the office. The fact that they came back and were practicing what they learned really impressed me, and they’ve since been promoted to directors. They elevated their ability to work within the matrix organization and that was a personal success for me. It's a great opportunity to retain and develop your people, and it's really rewarding when they come back and actually follow through on their own from the learnings they bring back from Kellogg.

What do you think other learning and development officers need to know about executive education?

Learning and development officers have all kinds of challenges to overcome. My goal is that people become a little bit more flexible and realize that sometimes you have to go outside of your organization to get what you need for a high-performing person or to challenge someone who’s struggling. I think it’s important to encourage people to put aside funding for people who want to do something like this since there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to personal growth.

Enabling growth in organizations and individuals

Whether the goal is to create a standalone solution or fashion part of a complex talent development initiative, Kellogg Executive Education focuses on how individuals and organizations can transform themselves. We offer specific plans and pathways for professional growth and functional development for individuals and teams as well as broader strategies for enterprise-wide executive development efforts.