Our Talented Team

Road to Red Oak: I joined Red Oak after spending 15 years at CVS where I held numerous roles including Pharmacist, District Manager, and Regional Director of Acquisitions. The business side of Pharmaceuticals has always intrigued me and when I heard of Red Oak I jumped on the opportunity.  I put my name forward, interviewed for Director of Pharmaceutical Sourcing and was offered the role.

Role at Red Oak: I own the pharmaceutical supplier relationships for CVS and Cardinal Health – everything from negotiations to industry knowledge. We manage supply, deal with disruptions and negotiate contracts to make sure patients and providers have the generics they need at the best value.

Why Red Oak? We have a very close knit group. We collaborate every day and we take time as a team to celebrate our successes.  In procuring pharmaceuticals, I know that we make a difference in improving drug access for our patients.

Most valuable skills: Being a pharmacist – having a strong knowledge of pharmaceuticals – and my experience with negotiations and relationship building. At CVS, in my last role, I essentially built relationships with independent pharmacy owners and brought their businesses over to CVS.  I then worked with the store teams to transition the business over and make it as smooth as possible for the patients and the store teams.

Tips for new hires: There’s definitely a diminished amount of red tape here. If you want action, you can make it happen pretty swiftly. We have the luxury of having our leadership right down the hallway.

Road to Red Oak: I was working in healthcare in Boston and looking for a change. I was casually keeping my eye out for jobs and I stumbled upon this new startup opportunity. I interviewed, then took a leap of faith. And, it happens to be something that I absolutely love.

Role at Red Oak: My team is responsible for data management as well as contract validation, administration and execution.

Why Red Oak? It’s very dynamic. There’s always something happening. The days go by very quickly and it’s fun. That’s what I love about it. That and the people on my team.

Biggest Contribution: I helped build and now manage a custom application that basically “marries” the data from our two parent companies. It lets our sourcing team quickly query, review and then use data.

Road to Red Oak: I was a pharmacist in India. I came to the U.S. in 2002, joined the CVS Pharmacy Merchandising Team, then moved to Sourcing two years prior to Red Oak’s formation. I’ve been here since the beginning.

Role at Red Oak: As a member of the Sourcing team, I work closely with suppliers to get the best value for our Parents. We manage thousands of products and there are a lot of moving parts in this industry.

Why Red Oak? The biggest thing for me was that, while Red Oak is a startup, it has the backing of two large healthcare companies. I wanted to have the experience of building a company, but with the security and stability of the Parents.

Most valuable skills: Experience. Knowing the industry and understanding finance.

Tips for new hires: Take your time. Understand the needs of all stakeholders and remember that value isn’t simply measured by lower prices.

Road to Red Oak: I did my MBA at Boston University. One of my classmates told me about the position. Before my MBA, I worked in the healthcare field. I wanted to get into pharmaceuticals and I jumped at the chance to work for a company associated with CVS and Cardinal Health.

Role at Red Oak: I help support the day-to-day operations for the sourcing team. I do a lot of work with discontinuations. If a Red Oak supplier discontinues a generic drug, my team and I manage the process of finding alternative supplies to ensure that CVS and Cardinal Health customers continue to have access to affordable medications.

Biggest Contribution: Making sure everything is running smoothly for the sourcing team. I also help integrate new acquisitions from parent companies. I’ve been involved with bringing OmniCare (acquired by CVS in May 2015), Target Pharmacies (acquired by CVS in December 2015) and The Harvard Drug Group (acquired by Cardinal Health in June 2015) onto the Red Oak program.

Best Work Day Ever: Going out to visit the teams at both CVS and Cardinal Health and walking through the work Red Oak has done to improve the process of bringing pharmaceuticals to market and maintaining consistent supply.

Road to Red Oak: I worked for Walgreens for 22 years. I started out as a retail pharmacist, then became a District Pharmacy Supervisor and then a District Manager.

Why Red Oak? After 22 years, I felt it was time for a change, so I moved on over to Red Oak and couldn’t be happier. Every day, I work with a group of exceptionally smart people, who are dedicated and care about their work. You can’t ask for more than that.

Role at Red Oak: A large part of my job is helping to ensure good supply of generic drugs for CVS and Cardinal Health. That involves a lot of strategic thinking, negotiating and building strong relationships to get high-quality products and good value for our parents and their customers.

Biggest Contribution: I bring a different perspective. I was  an external hire. Several team members came here through CVS or Cardinal Health. My experience as a pharmacist and in the retail industry brings added value to the team.

Best Tip for Applicants: The perfect candidate is someone who can manage their time, learn independently, think critically, and work collaboratively. It’s a very collaborative environment here.  

Best Work Perk: The charity match is one of the ways Red Oak gives back to the community. Red Oak matches your charity donations up to $1,000 annually. I think that’s amazing. Also, we have gym membership reimbursements. It’s a great way Red Oak supports our health and wellness.

Road to Red Oak:  I was an FP&A supervisor for a telecom company and I was interested in changing industries while still using the skills I had learned in my previous role.  I came to Red Oak to learn the generic pharmaceutical industry and haven’t looked back!

Role at Red Oak: I was recently promoted from Senior Analyst to Manager on the FP&A team.  Now I manage the monthly forecast and annual budget for Cardinal Health and help with CVS reporting as needed.

Best Work Day Ever: Founder’s Day which is an annual, off-site celebration of the founding of Red Oak.  It is a great opportunity to get to know coworkers outside of the office while enjoying the day.

Best Tip for New Hires: Be patient in learning the role and industry.  Make sure to ask a lot of questions and interact with everyone.  We are a small company and making personal connections with coworkers is very important.

Personal Passion: Country music and attending concerts.

Road to Red Oak: I came from IT at Cardinal Health. I was looking for something outside my comfort zone and thought sourcing was an interesting way to go. Initially, I started looking at Cardinal Health. Then, I attended a Lunch & Learn and found out about Red Oak.

Role at Red Oak: I recently moved from Sr. Analyst on the Operations team to Sr. Analyst for Sourcing. I’ll be working more closely with suppliers to make sure continuity of supply is there. They’ve trusted me to step into this new position, which has a whole new set of responsibilities.

Why Red Oak? Working at a smaller company really piqued my interest. It’s dynamic, fast-paced and rewarding. Supply continuity is challenging…and fun. The amount of fire drills because of issues with recalls can get a little hectic. You never know what’s gonna come your way. You gotta be on your toes.

Best Tip for New Hires: Be collaborative. We definitely have an environment where working together works well.

Favorite Work Perks: The people I work with. We work hard, but we have these great events. We just had a Chili Cook-off. There’s also great sushi around here and Happy Hours at Patriot Place are a lot of fun.

Personal Passion: I’m sort of a dare devil. I jump out of planes.

Road to Red Oak: Prior to joining the Red Oak team, I worked at Cardinal Health for 5 years in multiple departments.  My last role was on the finance operations team and I was interested in learning more about sourcing.  My boss recommended Red Oak and I thought it would be a great fit.

Role at Red Oak: My focus is making sure that when a customer needs a product they can get it from either of our parents.  I also communicate any discontinuation of a product to our sourcing directors so they can ensure continuity of care.

Why Red Oak? I love fast-paced environments.  There’s never a shortage of information to learn or opportunities to be involved.

Most Valuable Skill: Accountability.

Best Tip for New Hires: Be present, listen, and ask questions.  Give yourself time to understand what is really happening and don’t be afraid to speak up.

Favorite Lunch Spot: Mansfield Deli is pretty great.

Road to Red Oak: I was in consumer finance doing credit risk analysis for Capital One prior to joining Red Oak. I saw this job opportunity on LinkedIn, sent in a resume and got the job.

Role at Red Oak: I analyze the impact of major market events like changes in the market, regulatory changes, and supply interruptions – really anything that has an impact on Red Oak or our parent companies.

Why Red Oak? I wanted an analytical challenge. When I interviewed at Red Oak, I was so impressed by the quality of the people. The combination of challenging work, smart people and the fact that Foxborough is a beautiful little town is what brought me here.

Biggest Contribution: Staying on top of the news and always seeing the big picture. I make sure our sourcing team has the information they need when they sit down with supplier partners.

Best Work Day Ever! We had the opportunity to present to the Red Oak board. The more senior members of the team ultimately presented, but my colleagues and I played a large role in putting the presentation together. It was very fulfilling to have that level of leadership visibility.

Road to Red Oak: I previously worked at Cardinal Health. I was brought over to help Red Oak install their infrastructure and never left.

Role at Red Oak: I’m the IT guy. I do everything related to IT – from phones to networking to security. I’m it.

Why Red Oak? I’m on a small team, so I’m more involved with things and part of the whole decision-making process. Also, no one is title-driven here. Everyone is approachable and part of the team.

Biggest Contribution: I bring new technologies and tools to the company with the goal of improving our operations.

Best Work Day Ever! Every day is the best work day ever. On my day off, I still come in. I just love what I do.

Road to Red Oak: My background is retail-based. I worked at Target and as a financial advisor at Citizens Bank. I was looking for something different; more on the analytical side. A friend referred me, so I checked it out.

Why Red Oak? I was impressed with the people and the mission, the small company feel, and that you also have two big Fortune 20 companies behind your back.

Role at Red Oak: My team works with sourcing, suppliers, and the parents…but the biggest contribution we make is getting low-cost drugs to patients. The impact of what we do — morally — feels great. What we do is savings-driven.

Most Exciting Thing: There’s room here to be creative and change the way something is done with the data. It’s a culture where you can say, “What do you think of this?”

Most Rewarding Thing: The work matters. I go home every day knowing I’ve made a difference.

Favorite Work Perk: We do a lot of team events. At least a couple times a month we get out and just have some downtime together. That’s part of what drives the positive culture here.

Road to Red Oak: I was working at CVS in their Pharmacy Merchandise Department. I was looking for an opportunity to advance and heard about this position at Red Oak. I went to the interview and everyone was so warm, friendly and encouraging. I felt like it would be a good place for me.

Role at Red Oak: My current focus is to evaluate bids and offers from suppliers and provide accurate and timely data to help the Sourcing Directors make informed decisions.  In my previous position at Red Oak, I concentrated on contract execution at the end of the deal cycle, so it has been interesting to have that experience and now have more exposure to market events on the other end.

Why Red Oak? Of course, with any job you want to make sure it’s going to advance your career. But mainly, it was the informal environment and laid-back attitude here. I really like that people like spending time with each other at work and outside of work.

Favorite Work Perk: We do a lot of volunteer work. Me and a small group of people volunteer at the Ronald McDonald house, making meals for the families. We also volunteer at the local food pantry. We even did a furniture-assembly event. We donated 50 IKEA dressers to a non-profit! I think that’s really cool.

Personal Passion: I have a Masters in Historic Preservation! I still love taking pictures of architecture.