Peter Marszal › Global Sr. Product Manager, Smith+Nephew plc
Bio
Peter Marszal is currently the Global Sr. Product Manager responsible for the Unicompartmental Knee franchise at Smith+Nephew plc. In his current role Peter is responsible for developing and executing on the global strategy for the portfolio, including new product development, lifecycle, management, forecasting, and business planning. Prior to this role Peter worked with the Smith+Nephew Canada Business Development team and led the launch of CORI, Smith+Nephew's surgical robot, into the Canadian market. Before joining Smith+Nephew Peter held a number a of roles of increasing responsibility with Zimmer Biomet, including sales, downstream marketing (Canada), and upstream marketing (Global).
How did your experience in the MBiotech program contribute to your career success?
For me, the MBiotech program was invaluable in taking my undergraduate training in Natural Sciences and retooling it for the world of business. There are a number of unique skills that STEM undergrad students have to offer industry; the MBiotech program helped to expand these skills, while developing a well-rounded business acumen.
What are some of the key skills and knowledge you acquired during the MBiotech program that are still valuable to you today?
The MBiotech program stressed the importance of teamwork, ownership and accountability. There was a very high standard to not only have a deep understanding of content being covered during group projects, but also to come up with novel solutions or insights, often where no solutions existed before. Not only did this force out-of-the-box thinking, but it taught me the value of creative problem solving.
What advice would you give to current MBiotech students or recent graduates who are entering the job market?
Be intentional, be open, and network. It's okay to not know what you want to do but avoid being (or appearing) unfocused. Be open-minded about opportunities that are beyond the boundaries that you'd imagined; you may surprise yourself. Lastly, lean on your network of peers, colleagues, family etc. to learn as much as you can about the industry, roles, and career opportunities you're interested in. A few zoom calls early on may save you a lot of time and energy in the long-run.
