Jesica Freeman has worked in healthcare for almost 20 years—she started as a software engineer, and in early 2021 became the VP of Product Management and Marketing at TriNetX. While her role has changed over the course of her career, her drive to positively impact patient lives has been constant.
Joining TriNetX has allowed her to continue pursuing this passion for helping others. “The TriNetX mission is to build a global data and analytics ecosystem that provides real-world insights to address the most pressing health challenges. TriNetX’s vision is to connect the world to improve human health,” she says. “Both the mission and vision align with my personal career goal of creating new products that can truly impact a patient's life.”
Here, Freeman shares her career journey, what it takes to succeed in her role, and advice for women looking to follow a similar path.
Tell us about your career journey, and what led you to your job at TriNetX.
My career started off in Philadelphia during the late 1990s as a young woman in a very male-dominated healthcare technology industry. I have spent the majority of my career in biopharma services supporting patients through innovative products for providers, patients, and payers.
I was introduced to TriNetX and was thoroughly impressed by the platform and ability to provide immediate patient insights from harmonized electronic medical record (EMR) data across global academic centers. The TriNetX platform is a revolutionary real-world data (RWD) platform that has impacted global research and clinical trials.
When I was approached with the opportunity to lead the product and marketing team at TriNetX, it was an honor to mentor and develop a talented team, bring a wealth of life sciences knowledge, and launch innovative products across new markets that impact patient lives.
What are you responsible for in your role?
My responsibilities include inspiring our product and marketing teams to successfully launch new innovative products and execute our product roadmap. Most recently we launched TriNetX Linked, which allows our customers to explore harmonized data across disparate, clinically rich data sources to gain a deeper understanding of the patient journey by linking electronic health records and closed payer claims data. Our future product roadmap consists of product offerings in clinical trials diversity and inclusion, AI and machine learning patient identification models, global precision medicine, and a global oncology network.
I am also responsible for setting the strategic direction of our future product portfolio with internal business stakeholders and our global community of life science and healthcare organization partners.
What are you working on right now that excites or inspires you?
Right now I’m working with my team on the strategic products they are launching in 2022, which truly inspires me to support their growth and development. We are excited by the ways in which they will empower researchers to improve personalized medicine on a global scale. We also launched a value and access consulting business division, which is extremely exciting and will grow our strategy in real-world evidence (RWE).
What traits and skills does a product manager need to succeed at TriNetX?
The most important skills a product manager needs to succeed at TriNetX are the ability to create relationships directly with the customer and across internal teams, conduct market research, map out product features and benefits, develop value proposition, and own the future product roadmap. A passion for customer discovery is extremely important.
What do you like best about the company culture at TriNetX ?
TriNetX culture is driven by our CEO Gadi Lachman—his energy and passion are infectious. I immediately connected with the shared values, company culture, and the ability to fuel the global real-world data revolution.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Create impactful and trusting relationships with your colleagues as you never know what opportunity could be presented to you in the future. Challenge yourself outside your comfort zone and do something different.
What advice do you have for women looking to follow a similar career path as yours?
My advice to women: Never be intimidated, advocate for yourself, align with excellent mentors, strive to be your best, and take risks! For women who want to break into male-dominated fields, be bold and believe in yourself.