During a return to Siena College’s campus to take part in the School of Business Lecture Series, I relayed career advice to students through the lens and lyrics of the popular Broadway musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

1. 13 TIPS FOR
HOW TO
SUCCEED IN
BUSINESS
(WITHOUT
REALLY TRYING)
David Verbraska, MBA, JD
(Siena Class of 1989)
Vice President
Worldwide Public Affairs and Policy
Pfizer, Inc.

2. Siena College
School of Business Lecture
Date: 10/26/15
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this presentation are the personal views of the presenter and do not
necessarily represent the corporate views of Pfizer Inc.
Photo source: Flickr

3. 1. CAREERS ARE NOT LINEAR
How to advance from the mailroom;
This book is all I need;
How to advance from the mailroom;
HOW TO

4. Government Service
Lobbying and Law
Firm
Public Relations &
Communications
Corporate Affairs
ONE MAN’S CAREER PATH

5. 2.RECRUIT A PERSONAL BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
He’ll do well, I can tell.
I’ll be so happy to keep his dinner warm;
While he goes onward and upward.
HAPPY TO KEEP HIS DINNER WARM

6. 3.DON’T BE ENTITLED
There’s no coffee! No coffee! Oh!
If I can’t take my coffee break,
Something within me dies.
COFFEE BREAK
Somehow the soul no longer tries.

7. 4. CULTURE MATTERS, A LOT
Now, brash young man,
Don’t get any ideas.
Well, I stuck to that,
THE COMPANY WAY
And I haven't had one is years.
I play it the company way;
Wherever the company puts me, there I stay

8. 5. BE RESPECTFUL, LISTEN
A SECRETARY IS NOT A TOY
Be good to the girl you employ, boy;
Remember no matter what neurotic trouble
you’ve got; a secretary is not a toy
She’s a highly specialized key component of
operational unity

9. 6. GET USED TO UNCERTAINTY
BEEN A LONG DAY
Her: I wonder if we take the same bus?
Him: There could be quite a thing between us.
Her: He really is a dear.
Him: But what of my career?
It’s been a long day

10. DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY
● STAY POSITIVE
○ Reflect, Gratitude List
● KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW, AND WHAT YOU
DON’T
○ Analysis, Pro/Con List
● EMBRACE WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL
○ Failure is an option
○ Worst Case Scenario
● FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS
○ Don’t sweat small stuff
● DON’T DWELL ON PROBLEM
○ Be optimistic and in
solution mode
● TRUST YOUR GUT
○ Intuition is often right

11. 7. KEEP LEARNING
GRAND OLD IVY
Groundhog! Groundhog!
Stand, Old Ivy, stand firm and strong.
Grand Old Ivy, hearing the cheering throng.

12. Government Service
Lobbying and Law
Firm
Public Relations &
Communication
Corporate Affairs
CONTINUOUS LEARNING JOURNEY

13. 8. BE GLOBAL
PARIS ORIGINAL
It’s me, It’me, It’s absolutely me.
This irresistible Paris original.
Suddenly he will see me,
And suddenly he’ll go dreamy.

14. THE 2020 LEADER
TECH SAVVY
Being digitally competent is expected
Social technologies provide real-time, 2-way communication
Cloud 9
FUTURE FACING
Able to identify trends in the marketplace
Creates a culture of innovation
Agile learner
COLLABORATIVE
MINDSET
Works comfortably in a networked environment
Inclusive decision making
TEAM DEVELOPER
Spends time building rapport and trust
Provides straight, on-going feedback
Lead 5 generations in the workplace (Z)
GLOBALLY ATTUNED
Has a diverse mind-set and approach
Socially responsible
Focus on the planet, people, profit
15- Emerging Leaders - A new model for Leader Performance

15. 9. FOLLOW THE MORAL COMPASS
ROSEMARY
Was the melody locked inside of me,
Till at last out it came?
As for the rest of my lifetime program,
Give me more of the same.

16. PRAYER OF ST. FRANCES BOY SCOUT LAW

17. 10. STUDY YOUR PASSIONS
CINDERELLA, DARLING
How often can you fly.
From this land of carbon paper.
Don’t you realize,
You’re a real live fairy tale,
A symbol divine?

18. 11. HAVE HEROES
LOVE FROM A HEART OF GOLD
Wealth far beyond all measure
Maybe here in my hands I’ll hold
Ah, but where will I find,
That one treasure of treasures?

19. 12. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?
I BELIEVE IN YOU
Bid deal, big rocket,
Thinks he has the world in his pocket.
Gotta stop, gotta stop,
Gotta stop that man.

20. Government Service
Lobbying and Law
Firm
Public Relations &
Communication
Corporate Affairs
LIFE STAGES - PIVOT YOUR PRIORITIES

21. 13. BE PROUD OF YOUR PURPOSE
BROTHERHOOD OF MAN
But I have learned there’s one great club,
That all of us are in.
There is a benevolent Brotherhood of Man.
A noble tie that binds,
All human hearts and minds.

22. WHAT PFIZER DOES - WE INVEST MEDICINE
(Prevnar 13)
Aricept
• Founded in 1859
• Largest Bio-pharma
• Medicines, Vaccines and Consumer Products
• 175 Markets
• Revenue: $51.8 Billion
• R&D: $7 Billion/year
• 78,000 Colleagues
Pfizer’s Purpose - Innovate to
bring therapies to patients
that significantly improve their
lives…The Patient is Waiting

23. WHY WE DO IT - IMPROVE AND SAVE LIVES
• Pfizer RxPathways
– >800,000 receive >6 million
free / discount prescriptions
• DiFlucan Partnership
– Millions of AIDS related
treatments in 63 countries
• Trachoma Initiative
– 340M Zithromax doses in 28
countries; near elimination in
Morocco, Ghana and Vietnam
• Global Health Fellows
– 300 colleagues in 40 nations
• World Anti-Doping Agency
– Prevent misuse in sports

24. FINALE
FINALE
Finch advances from the window washer to
Chairman of the Board
He succeeded in Business by REALLY trying
Strategic Journey during which he learned
and adjusted

25. david.verbraska@pfizer.com
/davidverbraska
@verbraska