Hilary Hall

At the age of 12, Hilary Hall underwent a bone marrow transplant for acute myelogenous leukemia. Since surviving that ordeal, Hilary has run nine Boston Marathons, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, married, given birth to three children, undergone a bilateral mastectomy for breast cancer, and earned a Health Sector MBA from Questrom. “My goal every day is to create value and hopefully help other oncology and transplant patients,” says Hilary. It’s a goal she’s accomplishing as associate director for brand strategy and marketing at Takeda, one of the top 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.

Business school was not on Hilary’s agenda when she went to work at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2010 as a clinical research data analyst. “I never envisioned myself as someone who would get a business degree. I was very science-driven,” she says. When she realized a business degree with a health management focus was possible, she was elated. “The combination of my science background and MBA has opened so many more doors than I would ever have imagined.”

One of those doors was the Leadership Development Program at Sanofi Genzyme, which Hilary was invited to join at the beginning of her second year at Questrom. “The program at Sanofi allowed me to grow my breadth of knowledge,” she says. It also earned her a post-graduate job offer that took her into oncology marketing and sales.

Hilary looks back on her Questrom days as the building blocks for both professional success and a network of colleagues and friends she continues to rely on. “I still meet some of my professors for coffee to talk about career moves, the industry, life—it’s not the kind of place where you go, get your education and leave. Creating a close-knit group was paramount to the experience.”

Now, at Takeda, Hilary is focused on brand strategy and marketing in the transplant space. “At Takeda, one of our guiding principles is that patients drive every decision. For me, my job hits home. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to continue to give back to patients who are similar to me.”

“The combination of my science background and MBA has opened so many more doors than I would ever have imagined.”

– Hilary Hall