Howard Reid
Product Director, Strategic Accounts
and Reimbursement
Janssen Therapeutics, HIV Portfolio
Titusville, N.J.
Age: 31
As project director of Strategic Accounts & Reimbursement for Janssen Therapeutics, a Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company, Howard Reid wants to provide innovative virology therapeutics that address unmet needs of people living with HIV and other infectious diseases. “My goal is to work with payers (managed-care organizations, Medicare, Medicaid, government programs) to reimburse and provide access to patients in need of HIV medication, specifically products provided by Janssen,” Reid explains.
Reid joined Janssen in 2008 and, since 2010, has worked with J&J’s Global Marketing Group as the associate director. Before joining J&J, he was a Merck & Co. pharmaceutical sales representative and a microbiologist at M&M Mars. He has an MBA in health sciences management and strategy from the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester and a bachelor’s in biology from Penn State University. “I’ve always looked to my parents first for guidance and advice. They’ve managed to raise a family, grow amazing careers and maintain a zest for life,” he says. Another mentor was his first supervisor at Merck, from whom he learned “the importance goal-setting and the incredible responsibility that comes with working in the health-care space.” His first manager after business school taught him the importance of relationships and networking.
Reid himself mentors high school students, undergrads, MBA candidates and new hires in his company and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and local AIDS awareness initiatives. “In school, you’re taught that by setting clear goals, streamlining operations, cutting costs and maximizing profits you’ll run a successful business. What they can’t teach you is that without dedicated, hardworking people, all of those things are impossible. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that you are only as good as the people you work with,” he says.
Fun Facts
Favorite book: The Republic
Favorite charity: Habitat for Humanity
First job: Chemistry lab tech
