In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality, host Lola Adeyemo speaks with Craig DeLarge, a digital healthcare strategist and mental health advocate whose remarkable 45-year career spans pharmaceutical giants, academia, and global leadership.

Craig began as a fashion design major before switching to marketing and has subsequently led to an impressive career trajectory through marketing research, advertising, product management, and eventually digital strategy in the pharmaceutical industry at companies like Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Novo Nordisk, Merck, and Takeda. Parallel to his corporate roles, he maintained a 25-year teaching career across five business schools in the Philadelphia area.

In this conversation, Craig shares invaluable insights on career development across cultural boundaries, the transformative power of international experience, and why it's never too late to pursue new opportunities and advanced education.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why it's never too late to pursue new career opportunities and advanced education
• How international experience can transform your perspective and challenge unconscious biases
• The importance of focusing on process and legacy rather than just career outcomes
• How personal challenges can evolve into professional purpose and advocacy
• Understanding intersectionality as a source of both challenges and unique strengths

Key Career Insights:

Age is Just a Number in Career Development
Craig completed his first international assignment at 49 and obtained his second graduate degree at 53. His message to younger professionals: "Don't give up... It's not too late if you're called to it, if you surround yourself with the right community, and if you have a vision for yourself and how you want to impact the world."

International Experience Transforms Perspective
His three years in Singapore challenged his "American Imperial bias" and connected him with the global African diaspora in unexpected ways. For cross-cultural success, Craig advises: maintain a sense of humor about yourself, build community, and be willing to critique your own biases.

Focus on Process, Not Just Outcomes
"Make sure that whatever outcome you want, you're not forgetting to have fun and to be engaging meaningfully in the process... You have more control over the process of your career than the outcome of your career."

Personal Challenges Drive Professional Purpose 

A family tragedy involving mental health 19 years ago transformed Craig's career focus, leading to his current work combining digital health expertise with mental health advocacy. This demonstrates how our personal journeys can inform and enrich our professional contributions.

About Our Guest

Craig DeLarge's career includes executive roles at Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Novo Nordisk, Merck, and Takeda, alongside 25 years as a university professor teaching marketing, communications, leadership, and business ethics. His educational journey includes degrees from Philadelphia University, University of Westminster (UK), and King's College London. Craig's intersectional identity as an African American male from the South raised in the North, along with his roles as husband, father, and grandfather, have shaped his unique perspective on career development and leadership.

Connect with Craig DeLarge: LinkedIn Craig DeLarge

Connect with Host Lola Adeyemo: LinkedIn

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