Inspired at Hikma: Purpose-driven leadership, developing talent and building for growth. Meet Kristy Ronco

At Hikma, our progress is shaped by the people who bring their expertise and energy to work every day. In this employee story, we hear from Kristy Ronco, Chief Commercial Officer for our Hikma Rx business, about the experiences that shaped her, what drives her as a leader, and where she sees the Hikma Rx division heading next.

By education, you’re a trained nurse. How does that clinical background shape the work you do today?

My clinical background is something I carry with me. In truth, I probably draw on it more in my personal life, I'm always happy to be the person who can help family and friends. But the desire to help people drives me at work too, and I get to do that through pharmaceuticals, and through innovation, access and availability. When things get busy it's easy to be caught up in the day to day, but when I stop and think about it, I know I'm doing this for a really good reason. That sense of purpose is what keeps me motivated.

You started and champion the intern programme at our US sites. Why is developing early career talent so important to you?

I was once an intern at a biopharma company, and honestly the rest of my career stems from that experience. It's a big part of why I created and continue to drive our intern programme at Hikma, which I championed early in my time here and which has really taken shape since. Every intern, whether they sit within my organisation or not, presents to me at the end of their eight weeks, and I love sharing my story with them. They always want to know how I got to where I am, and I remind them that they're right at the beginning, that it's hard work, but that they've made a great start.

What drew you to Hikma, and what keeps you here?

I joined Hikma at an incredibly exciting time of growth, and I saw a real entrepreneurial opportunity in that. I love the adrenaline rush of a challenge and the opportunity to engage deeply with a project.

Throughout my career I've been drawn again and again to situations where you can take something, break it down and build it back up the right way. That appetite is exactly what brought me here, and it's what keeps me energised.

Collaboration is one of Hikma's core values. How important is it to you?

It's really important, because collaboration leads to adoption. When something is forced on people, they rarely believe in it, but when they feel part of the decision, implementation is so much better and people are genuinely behind it. Making a decision single handedly might be quicker, but it usually invites pushback later. I'd much rather the process be a little more challenging upfront and earn real adoption as a result.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I'd describe myself as direct, firm and fair, and I actively seek feedback from my peers and my direct reports, because it's important to be held accountable. I've definitely matured as a leader. Early in my career I treated almost everything as a battle, because I was determined to prove myself; over time I've learned to choose my battles. I'm still a fighter and never want to lose that, but I want it matched by fairness, and I'll always advocate hard for the things I believe in. Above all, I hope my legacy is loyalty. I stand by my team, I invest in their development, I'm honest with them when something has gone wrong, and I make sure they're thriving in a safe environment. I don't shy away from correcting and teaching, but I want people to know it comes from a place of support. I've built what feels like a family, and I'm proud of that.

You clearly lead with passion. Does that feed into your team?

Absolutely. Everyone expresses it differently, but the passion is there. Right now we're working on a project the whole team has thrown itself into, we want to see it succeed, and we're building it from the ground up with real pride. You can't force that kind of energy on people, it has to come from them, and it's wonderful to see.

If you had a message for someone just starting their career, what would it be?

Work ethic is everything, and it's the one thing you can't teach. You can train someone on a system or a process, but you can't teach them to show up and work hard. So when we're hiring, we look for people who are driven and articulate and have that work ethic, and we teach them the rest. Being innovative, being creative, showing up every single day, that's hugely valuable to me, whether or not it's in pharma. My advice is simple: work hard and do more. You can't replace that with a degree or with networking, those are the people who make the difference.

Finally, what are you most excited about for the future of the Hikma Rx division?

For me, the Hikma Rx division is now a place where we're innovative and thriving on challenges. We educate, we lead, and that's something I want both our internal and external stakeholders to know. Our base business is hugely important to us and we're very attached to it, but at the same time we're ready for more, whether that's complex generics, innovative products, or new business development opportunities. Over the last six or seven years we've worked hard on our infrastructure, and that has made us much stronger. We prioritise quality and know how to react in challenging times, and what counts is being prepared to respond. That's what excites me about where we're heading.