Mike Abbadessa

Sr. Director US Medical Affairs – Takeda Pharmaceuticals

The MSL Society interviewed Mike Abbadessa, Sr. Director US Medical Affairs at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, to get his views on the significance of delivering a successful presentation in the MSL field. Take a look at his interview below!

In your opinion, what defines a successful presentation for an MSL candidate?

The presentation should be on scientific or clinical material to include some technical information and display skills such as:

▪ Concise delivery; ability to condense information into an understandable communication across a spectrum of audience types;

▪ Clear, direct, and confident – poised (not looking at the screen)

▪ Delivery should be factual and fair-balanced; provoke interest

▪ Ability to answer questions in a confident, informative manner; honesty is key.

▪ Enable trust through establishing credibility 

How much does the presentation weigh in on the hiring decision?

The presentation can be a deal breaker. If the presenter is bad, it will probably determine their fate with all things considered and assuming moderate competitiveness.

 Who would the MSL candidate most likely present to? If anyone outside of management, why?

The MSL candidate will most likely present to key management team members, including Senior managers, Medical directors, Managed Market Access partners – if HCEI is part of the role, and other staff to test candidate comfort with a moderate crowd (10 or so).

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