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DANIEL GETMAN:
PFIZER'S MVP
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By Christine Imbs
Walk into Daniel Getman’s office and it’s apparent–this man’s a baseball fan. All along one wall are old photos of some of the game’s most esteemed players. And although he hails from Buffalo, New York, and resides here in St. Louis, there’s no playing favorites.
“These are photos of baseball history,” he says grinning. “There’s Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Satchel Paige, Walter Johnson, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb and Shoeless Joe Jackson, just to name a few. I usually tell people if you can name all the players in these pictures, I’ll take you out to dinner.”
Getman’s love of the sport has also earned him a collection of signed baseballs. The most valuable of those line the window sill of his office. But you probably won’t recognize the names. That’s because they aren’t the signatures of baseball’s most valuable players. They’re the MVPs of Pfizer
St. Louis and Getman is their coach.
As vice president of research and development and the director of Pfizer’s
massive St. Louis lab, Getman has been creating a community of sorts among his employees. For the past year and a half, he’s met with groups of 15 to talk about what they do and how it fits into Pfizer’s big picture. It’s a three-day seminar filled with
discussions, exercises and yes, baseball stories.
“I generally tell them some of the baseball stories I’ve heard, and at the end of the seminar I hand them a baseball to sign,” he says. “I tell them out of all of my signature baseballs, these are the most valuable to me.”
And he means it. When asked what his biggest achievement is without hesitation Getman answers, “It’s the people I’ve helped develop along the way, and who have in turn helped develop me.” And he adds that it’s these very people that helped him make a major career decision.
“Although I’ve always been very loyal, at one point there were some changes going on within the company and it was an uncertain time. It was then that a rather unique job opportunity presented itself,” he explains. “But then I stopped and looked at the people I worked with. That made all the difference in the world. I said, ‘no, I’m staying.’”
Getman started his career as a chemist making new compounds for prescription drug candidates, eventually taking some of these on to clinical testing. He says because of this experience, stepping into his current role at Pfizer was a natural fit. The biggest challenge for him has been the leadership component.
“I’m the voice of Pfizer St. Louis. It’s a very different role from what I’ve had in the past. Before I was assigned strictly as a scientific leader, whereas this is more of an inherent leadership role,” he explains. “So people look at you in a different way, and the way you talk to people about things is quite different as well.”
sGetman says he’d like to make a big impact in pharmaceutical development. “I’d like to put as many new candidates into clinical development as possible so that ten years from now there will be new drugs helping patients,” he says. “I’d also like to get more involved in the community. I’ve only been in this position for two and a half years, so I’m just getting started. I’m still trying to decide where to spend my time.”
One thing’s for certain, some of that time will be spent at a baseball game. He and his daughter, Becky, are planning to visit all 30 major league baseball stadiums.
“So far, we’ve been to 14,” he says breaking out into another big grin. “I guess we still have a way to go, but it will be worth it.”
TalkingPOINTS |
BORN: Buffalo, New York
EDUCATION: Undergraduate in chemistry from University of Buffalo; graduate degree in
organic chemistry from the University of Minnesota.
FAMILY: Wife, Kathy; two daughters, Becky and Kim.
HOBBIES: History, especially baseball history; golf & tennis.
FAVORITE BOOKS: Jackie Robinson’s autobiography and “The Boys of Summer” by Roger Kahn.
FAVORITE MUSIC: I’m a 60s, 70s, & 80s guy so I like the Beatles, John Cougar Mellenkamp, Bruce Springsteen & Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
PHILOSOPHY: I have two. Enjoy the moment and working together we can accomplish anything.
IMPRESSION OF ST. LOUIS: It’s a big city with a small town atmosphere. |
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