TO: Jeff George; For Success in R&D you need a PhD

PhDs learn how to do research, MDs learn how to diagnose and relieve symptoms. Who do you want running your R&D organization?

The MDs who have taken over R&D have created a bureaucracy that suffocates the spirit which motivates a Scientist and Engineer to do what they love to do. Innovation and creativity stem from curiosity, interest, passion and the freedom to pursue; things you will not find in the bureaucratic maze that has become Alcon R&D.

If you bring in the right PhD to lead R&D, I am sure Alcon R&D will produce a rich pipeline of successful products, just as it did during the days of the Gerry.

 

Well said, but its not going to happen. Alcon's finished. Go find yourself another R&D job.

 

Alcon is still the world's largest Ophthalamic company, it's not going anywhere.

 

Bring back Jerry Cagle! Always got the job done, had team of winners, developed people instead of beating them down, committed to a stable organization, winner. Fostered culture of confidence where people were not afraid. All we have now is a bunch of losers leading. The revolving door of losers Sabrina has hired and those currently in place well known to be stuck in the 80's with their leadership and management. Culture of fear and dysfunction since Sabrina started, F' her!

 

Haney? Cadmus? couldn't make it as doctors either

Huge laugh

 

The day McKinsey starts advising your company is the day to leave, no real leaders in that company.

 

This post is correct. Alcon needs a competent Ph.D. scientist to lead R&D. Not all Ph.D's are created equal. The one's in management were not effective researchers, but we're effective at self promotion. For those of us in the trenches, it is easy to spot these frauds. Pseudo scientists are more interested in how things look rather than actual content or ideas. These guys will focus on hair cuts, clothes, fonts, for presentations, project names, FTE reporting and names of work groups within R&D. The shallow understanding of people, science and shelf absorbed behavior of managers are the main reason this company is in deep trouble. One should not forget that these "leaders" have created an environment of mistrust and back stabbing. These are just some of the reasons why Alcon is in deep trouble. Those of us that remain have seen the injustice and lack of decency in how others were treated after many years as productive employees.

Those with talent should leave R&D.

 

This post is correct. Alcon needs a competent Ph.D. scientist to lead R&D. Not all Ph.D's are created equal. The one's in management were not effective researchers, but we're effective at self promotion. For those of us in the trenches, it is easy to spot these frauds. Pseudo scientists are more interested in how things look rather than actual content or ideas. These guys will focus on hair cuts, clothes, fonts, for presentations, project names, FTE reporting and names of work groups within R&D. The shallow understanding of people, science and shelf absorbed behavior of managers are the main reason this company is in deep trouble. One should not forget that these "leaders" have created an environment of mistrust and back stabbing. These are just some of the reasons why Alcon is in deep trouble. Those of us that remain have seen the injustice and lack of decency in how others were treated after many years as productive employees.

Those with talent should leave R&D.

 

But they got 3 tv's in the new Conner Center Starbucks!

 

Novartis has killed the golden goose that was Alcon. It should not - but still is amazing - what hiring just a couple of buffoons and the 'culture' they bring with them will do to a company.
Leave - before you have all shred of decency squeezed out of you!
The grass IS greener on the other side.

 

But did everyone get the memo that Jeff is a family man?

 

Judging by his presentation Jeff does not know that microscope optics sucks and Verion Toric alignment does not work.

 

Open Note to Jeff George

PLEASE help us!!!!!!!
You have management in R&D with a LONG history of driving out anyone who is capable of independent thought and who doesn't agree to function as a serf or minion. There are still a few courageous souls left who actually care about the company and want to strive valiantly to turn this company around. But are these people appreciated or protected?? NO!!! Those that are in the arena Daring Greatly are not supported and encouraged. Instead they are railroaded out the door by incompetent, insecure bosses who are more worried about protecting their own turf then in trying to rescue the company for the patients and employees who rely on it!

I may be in the minority, but I still want to believe in Novartis, Alcon and you. My impression when you came in was that you just might be the one to see the problem and try to turn us around... Is that who you are? If you want us to continue believing, then show us that you see us as humans that deserve to be valued and not just as toys to be played with and manipulated as the "existing" management has treated us for so many years.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat" - Teddy Roosevelt

 

The language of business isn't written in letters. It's written in numbers. If you want to touch his heart, crunch numbers into profit. Then maybe you will move him emotionally.

 

The numbers are simple, Sabrina hasn't delivered a product since taking over R&D that wasn't a new formulation of an existing product that was developed when a PhD was running Alcon. Sabrina's acquisition of ESBATECH has been completely unfruitful in the 5 years since the deal was struck; which was for $500 million. Than the IOL group hasn't delivered anything since RESTOR, which itself hasn't captured much of a market share, hell even KB complained about his RESTOR lenses when he got them implanted. Now AMO is about to launch "Symfony", which looks pretty promising and because of the ridiculous bureaucracy Sabrina and loss of major talent, nothing worth pursuing can get past the insane "governance".

Point is under Sabrina R&D hasn't produced anything new and has only disenfranchised all KOLs and the entire Ophthalmic community, so yeah the bottom line is getting fucked because of that asshole running R&D.

Jeff, you've heard from the KOLs, and now you know where the problems lie. Get rid of this waste and let's fix R&D!!!!

 

He hasn't set his long term goals any further than 2017. That should tell you something.

 

Did you learn about that Roosevelt quote from an Innovation luncheon with a member of our esteemed ELT? Hmmmmmm. Anyway, fully true poster up above says Sabrina hasn't delivered and causes too much beauocracy. He's not a good leader and has limited scientific know how. Poor business deals have really handcuffed our R&D. Even firing him now, would put R&D back another 2-3 years to undo all of these mistakes. I don't think JJ would allow that after the poor bottom line of Alcon since NVS took over. Sorry everyone. There is no knight in shining armor coming to save this place.

 

If you still want to believe in JG, Alcon and Novartis, you are past redemption, past the point of no return and deserve what is being dished out to you at Alcon. If you have half a brain you would have bailed long ago. Alcon is finished - nothing can stop that from happening now.

 

There is a reason research then all retina was taken from Sabrina, why is he still there? He promised to save IOL pipeline? Waaaaay toooooo late!