Having spent 35 productive years in pharma-related sectors, Joseph (Joe) Knott is a fixture on the healthcare marketing scene. Indeed, the “resident president” as he is known to friends and colleagues, has garnered a reputation, not only for identifying marketing trends, but also for his savvy networking skills.
Knott is the first to admit that in three-and-a-half decades in the industry, “I’ve seen most of it happen, and I do work a room well.” That connectivity to upper management is one of his company’s biggest assets, says the CEO and founder of the Pangaea Group of Companies, a marketing training and customized consulting firm.

No stranger to the presidential role, Knott honed his skills at the helm of two major pharmaceutical companies. But like most who hold the reins of power in the pharma industry, Knott paid his dues the traditional way, beginning his career fresh out of university as a territory rep for Pennwalt Inc.’s pharmaceutical division in Kitchener, Ont. He advanced through a series of positions including divisional sales manager, national sales manager, and director of marketing before earning a promotion to president/general manager, a remarkable achievement since, “I was CEO by the time I was 35.”

His next career move to President/General Manager for the pharmaceutical division of Fisons Corporation Ltd. in Toronto proved to be the last time he would work for someone else. After five years of overseeing the launch of numerous ethical and OTC products, negotiating strategic business alliances and spearheading Fisons into an era of strong growth, Knott parted ways with Fisons just prior to the company’s merger with Rhone Poulenc. But as one door closed, another fortuitously opened for Knott, who discovered “an entrepreneurial side of me I didn’t realize was there.” His departure from Fisons became the catalyst for a private consulting practice, J.D. Knott and Associates, and one year later the establishment of Pangaea Consultants, a marketing training and customized consulting company. Today, the now 11-year-old company consists of three divisions that have evolved to meet changing industry needs. They include: Pangaea Customized Consultants, devoted to “best in class benchmarking,” Pangaea Trade & Logistics, specializing in trade relations, and Pangaea Development & Training, the company’s marketing and sales force training and talent management arm.

But Knott maintains that one of his proudest moments had less to do with business success than a resolve to give something back to industry. Observing the lack of mentoring for new pharma recruits, he created an educational program designed to provide tactical skills and insight into current challenges in the healthcare marketplace. When the program, Marketing Pharmaceuticals in Canada, was launched in conjunction with Toronto’s Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning two years ago, it was “a dream come true.” With eight CEOs to share best practices and lessons learned during the four-day intensive program, the program has been embraced by 42 companies and 128 participants, with Knott as lead facilitator.

Working in the healthcare industry has been a wonderful experience says Knott, who observes, “I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be doing than what I’m doing right now.” Playing more golf and travelling—two of his favorite activities—remain on the backburner for now, as he and his spouse, Margie, devote quality time to their blended family of seven children and two grandchildren. The rest of his time is spent selling—exactly what I wanted to do all my life.”

En francais

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