Erika Song 

Director of Marketing Operations 
Gilead Sciences
US

It’s amazing how much the medical conversation around Covid shifted in just one year. In 2020, there was considerable hope being placed into the effectiveness of therapeutics, most notably Gilead Sciences’ anti-viral drug remdesivir. Now, with several highly-effective vaccines available around the world, much of that conversation has moved in that direction. That’s not to say, however, that remdesivir is completely out of the spotlight: for instance, a study released in June shows that remdesivir reduced mortality rates in hospitalized patients with Covid-19. The drug’s benefits have helped the company’s shares perform fairly well in 2021.

This all means that Erika Song continues to be one of the communications leaders at the center of the pandemic. She’s handling marketing for the company as new coronavirus challenges emerge, including the uneven distribution of vaccines and drugs around the world, plus maintaining traction for other drugs in the company’s portfolio. Song has more than two decades of experience in marketing and marketing operations, strategic sourcing, client relationship management, business development and change management. On her LinkedIn profile, Song says that she is “highly effective in challenging work environments building high performing teams and successful partnerships, both direct and cross-functional.” This, it seems, is her moment.