All the Places You’ll Grow with this Revolutionary Software Company

This video provides an in-depth exploration of Veeva Systems, a cloud-based software company specializing in the life sciences industry, focusing specifically on its "Generation Veeva" new graduate development programs and the career progression opportunities they offer. The event, hosted by WayUp, features Sarah Young, who oversees Veeva's new grad programs, and a panel of three alumni from the Consultant Development Program (CDP): Kyle Stevenson (Director of Product Management), Mary Molnar (Account Executive), and Rebecca Wright (Practice Manager). The primary purpose is to inform prospective new graduates about Veeva's culture, values, business model, and the various entry points available for starting a career in a rapidly growing, impactful sector.

The discussion begins with an overview of Veeva's core identity as a software company that builds innovative solutions for the life sciences industry, serving end-users in pharma, med device, and clinical trial organizations. Veeva's comprehensive offering extends beyond just software to include integrated data solutions for customer insights, an in-house services team for product implementation, and a business consulting organization focused on commercial strategy and operations. With over 1100 global customers, including top pharma companies, and a workforce of over 5000 employees aiming for 10,000 by 2025, Veeva positions itself as the "industry cloud for life sciences." The company's values—do the right thing, customer success, employee success, and speed—are highlighted as foundational to its decision-making, underscored by its recent conversion to a public benefit corporation with a legal obligation to balance shareholder interests with those of customers, employees, and communities.

A significant portion of the video is dedicated to detailing Veeva's five "Generation Veeva" development programs in the US: the Engineering Development Program (EDP), Consultant Development Program (CDP), Business Consultant Development Program (BCDP), Analytics Development Program (ADP), and Sales Development Program (SDP). Each program is designed to recruit top university talent and develop their careers in a supportive environment, adhering to values of "learn by doing," "developing the person," and "having fun." The panelists, all CDP alumni, then share their personal journeys, illustrating how the foundational skills gained in the CDP—covering consulting basics, software implementation, project management, and industry knowledge—prepared them for diverse roles within Veeva, from product development and sales to people management within services. They emphasize the dynamic nature of careers at Veeva, driven by continuous growth and innovation, and offer advice to new graduates on navigating their early career choices.

Key Takeaways:

• Veeva's Industry Focus and Growth: Veeva is a leading cloud-based software company dedicated to the life sciences industry, including pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device sectors. It boasts over 1100 global customers and is rapidly expanding, aiming to double its 5000+ employee base to 10,000 by 2025, indicating significant career opportunities.
• Comprehensive Service Offering: Beyond software, Veeva provides integrated data solutions for customer insights, in-house services for product implementation, and business consulting for commercial strategy and operations, aiming to build the "industry cloud for life sciences."
• Values-Driven Culture: Veeva operates with core values of "do the right thing," "customer success," "employee success," and "speed." Its conversion to a public benefit corporation legally formalizes its commitment to balancing shareholder interests with those of customers, employees, and communities.
• "Generation Veeva" Development Programs: Veeva offers five distinct new grad programs: Engineering (EDP), Consultant (CDP), Business Consultant (BCDP), Analytics (ADP), and Sales (SDP). These programs are designed to provide a strong foundation and accelerate career growth within the company.
• Consultant Development Program (CDP) Versatility: The CDP is highlighted as a foundational program open to all majors (not just STEM), not requiring coding. It teaches consulting 101, software implementation, project management, and industry knowledge, serving as a springboard for various career paths including consulting, sales, and product management.
• Diverse Career Progression Paths: Panelists exemplify varied career trajectories from the CDP: Kyle moved into Product Management (Director of Product Management for ePRO), Mary transitioned to an Account Executive role, and Rebecca advanced to a Practice Manager position within technical consulting, demonstrating internal mobility and growth.
• Hands-on Learning and Professional Development: Veeva emphasizes a "learn by doing" approach within its development programs. The company also supports professional development through funding for further education, as demonstrated by Mary pursuing a Master of IT Project Management.
• Impactful Work: Employees at Veeva contribute to building solutions that help the life sciences industry develop and commercialize new medicines more efficiently, ultimately impacting clinical research sites, patients, and doctors.
• Embrace Open-Mindedness and Challenge: New graduates are advised to be open-minded about career options, pursue roles that energize them, and be willing to step out of their comfort zones, as this often leads to significant personal and professional growth.
• Work Hard and Smart: A key piece of advice is to strive to work hard and be productive, combining both "smart" and "hard" work to achieve significant career advancement.
• Become a "Guru": Aspiring professionals should aim to become an expert or "guru" in a specific product, application, functionality, or topic. This makes them a go-to resource and helps them get noticed and engaged in their work.
• Trust the Process and Seek Guidance: It's normal not to have a perfectly defined career path. Trusting that doing good work in an enjoyable, challenging environment will lead to new opportunities, coupled with seeking guidance from experienced colleagues, is a valuable approach.
• Value of Candid Feedback: Veeva's culture promotes candid feedback, which helps employees understand their performance, identify areas for growth, and feel recognized for their achievements.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva Vault eTMF: An electronic trial master file application, mentioned by Kyle as his entry point to Veeva's products.
• Veeva ePRO (Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes): A new application being built by Kyle's team to gather patient information in clinical trials.
• WayUp: The job platform hosting the virtual event.
• LinkedIn: Mentioned as a platform for professional networking and connecting with Veeva employees.

Key Concepts:

• Industry Cloud for Life Sciences: Veeva's vision to provide a comprehensive, integrated suite of software, data, and services tailored specifically for the pharmaceutical, biotech, and life sciences sectors.
• Public Benefit Corporation (PBC): A legal designation adopted by Veeva, signifying a commitment to balance the interests of shareholders with those of customers, employees, and the communities it serves.
• Generation Veeva: The collective name for Veeva's new graduate development programs, designed to recruit and develop university talent.
• Consultant Development Program (CDP): A flagship new grad program at Veeva focused on training individuals in consulting, software implementation, project management, and industry knowledge for life sciences.

Examples/Case Studies:

• Kyle Stevenson's Journey: Started as a clinical study administrator, manually filing paper documents. He discovered Veeva Vault eTMF when his company implemented it, became an internal expert, and then joined Veeva's CDP. He progressed to Director of Product Management, leading the development of the new ePRO application, which spans clinical operations, site engagement, and patient-facing web/mobile applications.
• Rebecca Wright's Progression: Joined Veeva's CDP after realizing a lab career wasn't for her. She became an expert in implementing clinical applications for smaller customers. Her passion and performance led to her being selected to lead a team, eventually becoming a Practice Manager overseeing a team of consultants and designing product implementation strategies.
• Mary Molnar's Path: With a background in psychology and clinical research, Mary joined the CDP, gaining hands-on experience in configuring systems, solution design, and project management for clinical applications. Leveraging professional development funding for a Master of IT Project Management, she transitioned through the Sales Development Program to become an Account Executive, acting as a strategic advisor to pharmaceutical and biotech customers.