Meet the Team | Marta Chodorek, European Business Development Director

With over 15 years of International Business Development and Management experience, in sectors including consulting and clinical science, Marta is an expert in building lasting relationships and creating long-term value for her late phase and real world clients.

After joining the team earlier this year, Marta’s focus has been to enhance Cisiv’s organisational growth, by expanding the business footprint and monitoring the successful onboarding of her clients.

In this blog, Marta discusses her passion for building long standing and organic relationships with her clients, what drives her day-to-day, and what life outside of Cisiv looks like.

Can you tell us about your current role and what attracted you to work for Cisiv?

What I love about working at Cisiv is that each day is different, and we have a great team that is very supportive. My role is mainly about expanding our client base; and working with customers who would benefit from implementing our technology, Baseline Plus, into their late phase and real world studies.

It’s my job to understand the clients’ specific requirements and demonstrate the potential of what our tailored technology can offer in supporting them to deliver more enhanced, effective and detailed studies. Joining Cisiv was the next big step in my career, and one thing that attracted me to the organisation was the bespoke implementation of our technology, and the great team I was keen to work with.

Whilst conducting complex studies, there are numerous obstacles our clients face, due to the many variables that are required for their data to be of the highest quality. These variables are different for each of our clients and are an essential part of the process. It is my role to find the best-fit solutions for our client’s and at Cisiv we have a fantastic product that has performed in the market for over 15 years. We act as a technology partner for our clients, as we truly their audience, and every step of their journey. It is a very specific skill set that you need in order to be a technology partner in the Phase IV market, and we have it.

It is important to note that not all clinical trial platforms available in the market, can tailor and implement specific requirements of late phase and real-world studies. And that’s what makes Cisiv so special and the reason why I was so keen to work here; we are a company that focuses specifically on the late phase and real world, rather than trying to cater to the entire clinical trial market, and to me, that felt refreshing.

Marta, can you tell us about your early career and background?

Since I can remember, I have always been in sales. I don’t recall ever doing anything else and it is something that comes naturally to me. Being in the life science sector is very rewarding as we generally are here to improve people’s quality of life.

After leaving school, my career began in hospitality and quickly led to me becoming a catering manager, which I thoroughly enjoyed. While in that role, I began to take a keen interest in lead generation and the sales side of the business – this was something I found fulfilling. After a short space of time, I was promoted to Executive Assistant, where I began to lead the catering sales team of Executives with their sales processes and funnels.

Not long after this, I began working in the technology sector and moved into management consulting, which is all about understanding people’s behaviour in different sectors. Whilst in this role, I worked within the Manufacturing sector optimizing the drug development process by understanding people’s behaviour and managing change processes.

My experience has not only taught me about the mechanical processes used within the pharmaceutical industry, but the human aspect of drug development as well. This has provided me with a much more holistic overview of the pharmaceutical and Clinical Research industry, which, when discussing clients’ requirements, enables me to see a few steps ahead, and understand what the implications of onboarding specific clinical trial technology might have for their studies later on in the process.

Do you feel that your personality has a big part to play in your role?

My job is all about conversations not only with clients, but it is all about engaging and working together with the wider team. I think every sale is personal, you must be flexible towards each client and think creatively in terms of how we can make sure Baseline Plus can meet their specific requirements. This element of my job really appeals to me – thinking outside of the box to help clients improve the way they conduct their studies.

“I don’t see my role as simply selling a client a product. My main aim is to take my clients through a journey of discovery, helping them to find a way to enhance their processes, and ultimately improve the studies they are conducting. A big part of my job is finding out what they want to achieve and helping them actualise their goals, and that is really rewarding for me.”

What drew you to late phase and real world research?

In my previous role, I was working within the clinical trials and real world space. What I find really interesting about real world studies is the way they provide the ability to understand how drugs and treatments actually work in a diverse patient population, within the real world. In a clinical trial, drugs are tested in a very controlled environment, but once you get out of the actual monitored trials and into the real world, the very nature of how that drug treatment responds, is so different.

Can you tell us about your onboarding and your interview process?

When undergoing my interviews at Cisiv earlier in the year, everyone I spoke to was extremely supportive and helpful. It was so different to previous interviews. Each person I came into contact with, and every conversation I had was very natural and free-flowing.

With regards to the onboarding process, the team were so well organised. Coming from a background that specialised in people’s behaviour management, I was quick to notice what a fantastic job the team did in welcoming me and how well prepared they were.

Outside of the office, do you have any hobbies or interests?

Like everyone, I do like to relax when not at work, but the hobby that brings me the most pride is my allotment. I spend most of my time there with my three children, teaching them how to grow vegetables and fruit which we then cook. We love spending time together as a family and the children enjoy making jams in the summer.

I also love nature and going out on walks with the family dog. Not forgetting, being a European Sales Director, I obviously love to travel. However, due to the pandemic, this has been put on hold, but I am hopeful and feeling excited about what 2022 has in store.

Lastly, what inspires you?

What really inspires me is being a mum. My kids teach me so much, because they see things in the most simplistic of ways, and sometimes as adults we can be guilty of overcomplicating things.

To get in touch with Marta to book a coffee and chat please; 07807063882 or marta.chodorek@cisiv.com.