Jihye Yang: Breaking Glass Ceilings In The Healthcare Industry

South Korea has made remarkable strides in empowering women leaders across various industries, including the pharmaceutical sector. Women in leadership roles are increasingly shaping the country's corporate landscape through their innovation, resilience, and commitment to excellence. Among these trailblazing leaders is Jihye Yang, the General Manager of BEIGENE KOREA, whose extensive experience and contributions in the pharmaceutical industry highlight her exceptional journey.

Jihye Yang brings 19 years of pharmaceutical expertise, with 15 of those years dedicated to the oncology field. She began her career at Pfizer Korea in 2006, where she held multiple leadership roles across sales, marketing, and market access teams. Her tenure at Pfizer Korea showcased her ability to achieve outstanding results, including successful new product launches, reimbursement strategies, and innovative digital model setups. Notably, she played a pivotal role in advancing patient access to cutting-edge oncology treatments and fostering collaborations with key stakeholders to ensure impactful outcomes.

In 2021, Jihye joined Novartis Korea as the Head of the Solid Business Franchise for Oncology, overseeing solid tumor portfolios with an annual value exceeding 70 billion won. She demonstrated bold decision-making, leading to organizational transformation. Her leadership in strategy development, team engagement, and market shaping further cemented her reputation as a visionary in the oncology space.

Jihye joined BEIGENE KOREA in May 2022 as General Manager. Her initial impression of BEIGENE KOREA as an innovative and patient-centered company has been reinforced by her experience there. She continues to focus on ensuring patient access to transformative oncology medicines, driven by her belief in the profound impact these treatments have on improving lives.

The Global Women Leader magazine engaged in a one-on-one interaction with Jihye Yang. Let’s dive in to know more.

My success mantra is 'Winning is a HABIT', which means that success is built through consistent actions, attitudes, and behaviors

Introduce us to BEIGENE. As the General Manager, what are the primary roles and responsibilities you take on?

BEIGENE is a global oncology pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing innovative cancer treatments with a mission to make them more accessible and affordable for patients worldwide. With over 11,000 employees across 40 locations on five continents, the firm has established itself as a leader in the oncology field. BEIGENE KOREA, founded in 2019, is a rapidly growing organization comprising around 120 talented and dedicated individuals who are committed to expanding patient access to our cutting-edge oncology medicines. Our team is an integral part of BEIGENE's Asia Pacific region.

My foremost responsibility is to establish BEIGENE KOREA as a profitable organization while ensuring South Korean patients can access our innovative oncology treatments. I draw immense inspiration from our core slogan, ‘Cancer has no borders, neither do we’, and am committed to fostering a supportive and dynamic organizational culture that aligns with our mission. It’s an incredible privilege to serve as General Manager, building BEIGENE KOREA alongside a passionate team driven to make a real difference in the lives of cancer patients. We also plan to change the name BEIGENE to Be One Medicines Ltd. in 2025.

What are your current focus areas for driving growth at BEIGENE in the near future?

We are currently driving the growth of BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib) for hematologic cancers following its national reimbursement in 2023, and anticipate significant momentum for TEVIMBRA (tislelizumab) for solid tumors with its reimbursement expected in 2025. Additionally, BEIGENE boasts one of the largest and most compelling oncology pipelines in the industry. With a portfolio of two approved therapies and a broad pipeline focused on hematology and solid tumors, we are only at the beginning of delivering on our vision of becoming the most impactful oncology company.

What do you consider the biggest achievements in your professional journey so far? What is your personal ‘success mantra’ as a leader?

My success mantra is 'Winning is a habit', which means that success is built through consistent actions, attitudes, and behaviors. It's not about one-time victories but the repeated effort to strive for excellence, making success a natural part of your routine and mindset. Since joining BEIGENE KOREA, I’ve focused on creating a winning culture within the team. As a result, we’ve achieved significant milestones and established a strong business foundation.

Some of our key wins in 2024 include significant contribution for South Korea patients’ access to innovative drug, especially in therapeutic areas where there are no innovative treatment options, through successful new product launches and contributing 75 percent of APAC’s revenue growth. We achieved reimbursement expansion for BRUKINSA with industry record timeline, overcoming multiple external challenges. BRUKINSA has become a market leader in all indications currently. Additionally, TEVIMBRA had groundbreaking launches as the second country globally. It also secured government positive recommendations and reimbursement approval for 2nd line ESCC (Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma), and will make a critical milestone for patient access in 2025.

Throughout these achievements, my top priority has been fostering a healthy culture and high engagement of team which I strongly believe are key to BEIGENE KOREA's long-term success.

How do you see women’s representation in leadership roles evolving in South Korea in the future? What steps can be taken to create a more gender-balanced leadership environment?

According to the 2020 Global Gender Gap Report, South Korea has one of the lowest percentages of women on company boards. However, women’s representation in leadership roles has made notable progress, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, where the percentage of women General Managers is now around 40 percent among multinational pharmaceutical companies. Despite this progress in certain sectors, other industries still face challenges due to deeply ingrained cultural, social, and structural barriers. To achieve a more gender-balanced leadership landscape, we need to implement policies that promote gender equality, provide work-life balance solutions, and challenge traditional gender roles. A concerted effort from the government, businesses, and society as a whole will be crucial in driving meaningful and lasting change.

Jihye Yang, General Manager, Beigene Korea

Jihye Yang is the General Manager of BEIGENE KOREA, with 19 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in oncology. She has held various leadership roles at Pfizer and Novartis, contributing to successful product launches and leading innovation. Jihye is committed to enhancing faster and broader patient access to innovative oncology treatments.