Like most people Michael began his career in an entry-level position, working in sales at Pfizer. But from there he’s the first to say he always zigged when everyone else zagged. While he thought he would end up in a marketing leadership role, a series of great opportunities led him to several management positions, including President of CNS and Immunology at Janssen Pharmaceuticals. He then spent several years as Chief Commercial Officer at ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, focusing on addressing major unmet needs in neuroscience before becoming president and CEO of ViaCyte where he led the regenerative medicine company's acquisition to Vertex Pharmaceuticals.​Here, Michael shares why thinking creatively about go-to-market and exit strategies is crucial, why you need to master making the complex simple, why he likes stressful situations, and why your assigned projects should be just the tip of the iceberg.

01 Be creative in determining all the ways your product has value

02 A leader’s job is to make the complex simple

03 Stressful situations promote learning

04 Your assigned projects are just a metaphor

https://www.av.co/michael-yang-spotlight