
Presented by
Management Forum
A three-day accelerated management programme to give you the high-performance management skills of an MBA, designed specifically for pharmaceutical/biotechnology professionals and also applicable to medical device/animal health industries
★★★★★ "I liked the explanations on [the] examples. It was a training that increased creativity. Thank you f... more (57)"
The Pharma Mini MBA is a three-day accelerated management programme delivered virtually and designed specifically for professionals working in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. It distils the most valuable and practical elements of an MBA and applies them directly to real pharmaceutical business challenges.
The course is highly interactive and hands-on rather than academic, using pharmaceutical business school case studies, practical tools, facilitated discussion and live exercises throughout. The emphasis is on developing judgement, strategic thinking and management capability, rather than theory or self-paced online content.
Across the three days, participants work through live industry issues and their own challenges, helping translate learning into practical actions they can apply immediately in the workplace. The course also provides a realistic insight into what an MBA involves and is valuable both as a standalone development programme and as an MBA taster.
Guest speaker contributions
The course includes dedicated guest speaker sessions that complement the core Mini MBA content and provide additional applied perspectives from across the pharmaceutical industry.
This training course is part of our collection of Leadership & Management Training Courses which focus on leadership, innovation, strategy, communication, finance, problem solving and conflict management, to name a few key areas.
This course is designed for professionals working in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and related life sciences industries who wish to strengthen their business and management capability.
Pre-course work (sent out to delegates prior to the course)
This course has proven particularly popular among our customers in these roles:
A guest session focusing on innovation, strategy and transformation in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector.
A dedicated session exploring the role of market access reimbursement and policy influences in pharmaceutical strategy and decision-making.
Laura Brown is an independent pharmaceutical consultant and trainer with over 25 years’ experience supporting leadership, quality and management development across the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.
She was Course Director for two postgraduate MSc programmes in the pharmaceutical sector, including the MSc in Clinical Research, and has extensive experience translating MBA-level thinking into practical tools for industry professionals.
Laura’s training is highly interactive and experience-led, drawing on real-world pharmaceutical business challenges rather than academic theory.
Leela Barham is a freelancer with a background in health economics and now works in academia, as a journalist and with all stakeholders in the health care system conducting research on the economics of health and pharmaceuticals. She has over 20 years of experience and has been published in both peer reviewed journals and the specialist pharmaceutical press. She also worked to support the UK government as it agreed the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access.
Oguz is a strategy consultant in PwC’s Strategy& practice, leading large, complex and international transformations across the Pharma and Life Sciences sector. He has over 10 years of consulting experience in the sector having worked across various functions in Biotech, Pharma and Consumer Health as well as Pharmaceutical Wholesale.
This training was great and what I enjoyed the most was :
- The condensed approach with key tools to be used in my future projects
- The homework with insightful pharma case studies, allowing us to reflect ahead of the day
- The presentations from the guests
Nov 5 2025
Anne-Claire LE MEUR
Director, Global Clinical Supply Management, IPSEN
Nov 5 2025
content was good, presentation was good, and speakers were also good
Zonera Hassan
Project Manager, CHEPLAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH
Jul 9 2025
The content of the course was well-structured, relevant, and comprehensive, covering key areas such as strategy, leadership, finance, and marketing. It provided a solid foundation of business knowledge while encouraging practical application through interactive sessions. I particularly enjoyed the interactive workshops and team exercises, especially working with people from diverse professional backgrounds. These sessions offered a great opportunity to explore different ways of thinking, broaden my perspective, and apply concepts in a collaborative, real-world context.
Katarzyna Wajer
Sr Clinical Developement Manager, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
May 15 2024
I liked the explanations on [the] examples. It was a training that increased creativity. Thank you for your support and efforts.
Çiğdem ÖZTÜRK ÖZOLUR
International Market Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Recordati İlaç San. ve Tic. A.Ş.
May 15 2024
I wanted to get a grasp of how a real MBA would look like and learn the tools that are used the most for taking strategic decisions in the pharma industry. I have achieved this skills fully and got a good picture of strategic thinking in the pharma industry. I also wanted to learn more about leadership and strategic thinking and I think this was also covered.
Çiğdem ÖZTÜRK ÖZOLUR
International Market Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Recordati İlaç San. ve Tic. A.Ş.
Nov 6 2024
Very good.
Jia Gu
Senior Project Manager, Novo Nordisk AS
Nov 6 2024
[I particularly liked] the case studies and using different tools to assess current situation at the company vs where they want to be and the ideas how to get there. Overall was very good.
Salvador Dominguez del Rio
Associate Director, Clinical Program Management, Pharvaris
Nov 8 2023
I wanted to get a grasp of how a real MBA would look like and learn the tools that are used the most for taking strategic decisions in the pharma industry. I have achieved this skills fully and got a good picture of strategic thinking in the pharma industry. Good service overall and communications
Jordi Fina
Senior Research Associate, Evox Therapeutics Ltd
Feb 8 2023
It was very good for a 3-day program
Cheron Palmer
Managed Markets Director, Medexus
Nov 9 2022
I was expecting to get more awareness of what a full MBA would be like and I achieved this. I also wanted to learn more about leadership and strategic thinking and I think this was also covered.
Pablo Sancho
EU Manager – Global Monitoring, Incyte
May 18 2022
Hopes: An introduction to business management concepts unfamiliar to me. Achieved? Absolutely. Laura Brown was an absolutely fantastic and highly engaging speaker over the three days of the course. One of the best courses I have attended and would highly recommend to my colleagues.
Saadia Basharat
Senior Consultant, Alacrita Consulting Ltd
Feb 7 2022
Great course, especially if you are looking to opt for an actual MBA, this is a good taster
Lana George
Portfolio Manager, Roche Product Ltd
Nov 9 2022
I was hoping to have a better overview of what an MBA is, and if this is something beneficial for me in the near future. Also which techniques and tools can I use in my daily tasks at work just by taking the Mini MBA. I have accomplished this.
Jorge Flores
Regulatory Professional, Novo Nordisk A/S
Nov 9 2022
Well thought out and very relevant
Sarah Bunyan
Associate Director - Regulatory Affairs, Medical Devices & CMC, Vectura
May 18 2022
I thought it was well structured and well delivered.
Anthonia Oluwatuyi
Quality Graduate, Bespak Europe Limited
Feb 7 2022
I had hoped for a recap of the various strategies and tools, and got exactly that, thanks. It was useful to talk about the MBA in general too.
Mia Rensch-Jacobsen
Sr. Outsourcing Professional , Novo Nordisk A/S
Feb 7 2022
I hoped to improve my strategic thinking skills and my understanding of how business/project decisions are made and executed. While such skills and understanding are obviously not improved overnight, I certainly feel that I have learnt a lot and been equipped with tools that will help me achieve those goals. I aim to continue looking at the course material and practice some of the tools in my work.
Lillian Sandø
Senior Principal Medical Writer, LEO Pharma A/S
Nov 10 2021
The content was interesting and explained from the pharma field perspective.
Daria Dziura
Project Trainee, Tjoapack Netherlands B.V.
May 12 2021
Great course, enjoyed it a lot, would recommend.
Andrei Ilie
Doctor, NHS
May 12 2021
The course greatly matched my expectations and it was an invaluable experience, enriching my understanding and providing me with a toolkit to work on in my career.
Vasileios Eftychidis
Knowledge Transfer Associate - NeuroOncology, Cardiff University
May 12 2021
Very good I enjoyed it, right amount of time and info delivered. Very good interaction with the speakers and all the participants who were from very various backgrounds.
Eric Helmer
Director Clinical Pharmacology, Galapagos
May 12 2021
I've really enjoyed this webinar, covering all I was looking for in a short amount of time while keeping it very interesting and interactive along the way. Laura was very impressive, going through a lot of material and always keeping it very interesting. Case studies were very interesting. I also appreciated the use of different interactive tools for exercises.
Audrey Dicaire-Lavigne
Pharmacovigilance Leader, Jubilant Draximage Inc.
Nov 11 2020
I expected to be given the opportunity to strengthen my understanding of the pharma industry and key strategies for product development. I am happy to confirm this program allowed to do so!
Tiphaine Lamblot
Clinical Operations Leader, Clinical Operations, SANTEN
Nov 11 2020
Great course. Intense but good opportunity to learn and well presented. I enjoyed he group work and chatting to everyone too.
Feargal Cosgrove
Licensing Manager – Research & Impact, University of Ulster
Nov 11 2020
Very good, good set of strategic analysis tools was given..
Andreas Gallei
Head of Swine Virology, BIVRC GmbH & Co KG
Nov 11 2020
The guest speakers were a good addition. Overall, well done.
Katie Sippel
Director, Quality Compliance, Novocol Pharmaceutical of Canada Inc.
Nov 4 2019
Overall it was a very interesting course with much knowledge and very useful techniques for strategic thinking. I really enjoyed the case studies and working in teams to accomplish the exercises. Very well done and very well organised.
Theofanis Mantourlias
Senior Manager Formulation Development, Fresenius Kabi Austria GmbH
May 14 2019
Course very useful to get an overview of what a MBA could be. Laura makes the course very interactive and really interesting with many real life examples. Her knowledge of the global pharma industry is quite impressive.
Camille Rivail
Senior Manager Business Development, Avadel Pharmaceuticals SA
May 14 2019
Thank you for a great learning experience!
Jasper Deuring
Medical Affairs , Pfizer
Nov 5 2018
For a 3 day course, we covered a good spread of techniques and information. Having the talks sparked thoughts and also provided a change of pace. The speakers were excellent and Laura's energy & experience was very much appreciated.
Lorraine Borland
Director, Strategic Projects, Sartorius-Stedim BioOutsource
Nov 5 2018
The course gave a real insight into the MBA. There were so many tools I could take back with me and apply to my working life not only for myself , but for my colleagues. The course was a great mix of theory, case studies, external talks and media. Laura was extremely knowledgeable with great credibility within the industry. The course has made me consider a full MBA and also exploring what other courses have Laura as the trainer.
Emma Lennon
Group Manager, GW Pharmaceuticals
May 14 2018
Great energy. Best training I had in a long time.
Florent Noel
Sr Manager QA, Covis Pharma
May 14 2018
Laura [was] very engaging, varied content, good level, Not one boring moment! Deming [offered a] good practical experience in pharma. Great to have had a chance to practically use the tools Laura recommended.
Emma Dupree
RDQA Global Director AREA , AbbVie Ltd
Nov 5 2018
Laura Brown is a very interesting speaker
Mehdi Sellami
Scientific Director, Laboratoires Galpharma
Nov 5 2018
I think this was a very useful, practical and interesting course. I was able to adopt a strategic thinking that I will be able to implement in my work.
Aintzane Garcia
Medical Department, Faes Farma SA
Nov 5 2018
Good coverage of wide topic area, extremely useful for someone from a single function to get wider overview
Mark Andrews
Technical Director / QP, Deputy Managing Director, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Nov 1 2017
Really good overview and opportunity to ask many questions. Great course.
Luisa Teixeira
Account Manager, Owen Mumford Ltd
Nov 1 2017
Laura is a very dynamic person that knows very well how to deliver a message. The topics are very interesting from the pharma/management point of view and articulated - Would be interesting to have topic about pharma at geographical level
Janneth Ospina Paladines
Senior Regulatory Affairs Associate, Gilead Sciences International
Nov 1 2017
Very interesting
Emine Akin
Marketing & Sales Junior Assistant, Chiesi Group
Nov 1 2017
Overall good, too little time!
Janni Hermansen
Senior PV Advisor, LEO Pharma
May 22 2017
Course was very condensed either reduce the content or extend the course days
Aziz-ul-Islam Chaudhry
Head of Regulatory Affairs, Martindale Pharma
May 22 2017
I found it really practical, lively with possibility to exchange experiences
Mireille Pierrevelcin
Export Area Manager, Cesra Arzneimittel GmbH & Co
May 22 2017
The course is very good. Gives you in three days an overall view on core subjects that management people need to know to improve. Case studies were excellent and realistic. Speakers were great
Diana Binkert
Acino International AG
Nov 28 2016
Excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed it and left feeling like I had learnt something, which, at the end of the day, is the primary goal. I appreciated the method of teaching and enjoyed meeting other people on the course.
Zain Masters
Business Development & Licensing Director, Masters Speciality Pharma
Nov 28 2016
It was a very nice overview on MBA topics overview on MBA topics with a great speaker and interesting discussions
Ricarda Tiemeyer
Drug Safety Scientist & Deputy LSR, Roche Pharma (Switzerland) AG
Nov 28 2016
It exceeded my expectations. Really enjoyed practical sessions and focused environment.
Andriy Kirmach
Associate Director, International Compliance & Ethics, Allergan
Nov 28 2016
Overall excellent course, very well organized. Suitable content, stimulating presentations and excellent speakers.
Suna Horner
Associate Medical Manager, HRA Pharma UK & Ireland Ltd
May 18 2016
It was very informative and engaging with real potential to help with daily practicalities. The full content and delivery is hitting the mark in my opinion.
Irem Bostanci
Account Manager OEM, Owen Mumford Ltd
May 18 2016
Perfect blend of theory and practicality that allowed the attendees to process and apply the information to real world scenarios. Extremely valuable taster into the world and benefits of an MBA!
Dave Wood
Account Director, PharmiWeb Solutions
May 18 2016
An excellent course. I would recommend to all wanting a flavour of an MBA.
Bindu Patel
Senior Manager , Sanofi Pasteur MSD
May 18 2016
Good
Kevin Polhill
Quality and Regulatory Compliance Specialist, Invicta Compliance
May 18 2016
Excellent trainer, lots of info in a short time but actually by the end I thought it was a suitable duration and speed. Would have been nicer to have a little more on the PM part at the end simply because that fits better with my role.
Julia Caldwell
Clinical Trial Manager, Allergan
May 18 2016
This was a well-organised course and both the content and speakers were very good. I do think that the topics could have been tied together better in some instances in the same way as the strategy tools we covered. Some elements such as project management were covered far too quickly to be of any use.
Emma Woods
Pharmaceutical Development Innovation Lead, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Development
May 18 2016
Good mix of people and perspectives; venue was easy to get to. Guest speakers were a good idea.
Julie-Anne Webb
Inside Sales Associate - EU, Core Informatics
May 18 2016
It was rushed in places with things being skipped over - its good to try and include a lot but not if its skipped...doesn't help
GEOF WOLFENDEN
IP & Contracts Manager, AstraZeneca
Nov 28 2016
Provided exactly what I required
Peter Gaines
Chief Medical Officer, Veryan Medical Limited
May 18 2016
Few topics to develop
Edmondo Corona
Plan Engineering Director, AbbVie
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3 days
Typical duration
Pricing from:
We can customise this course to your requirements and deliver it on an in-house basis for any number of your staff or colleagues.
Contact our in-house training experts Aleksandra Beer and Yesim Nurko to discuss your requirements:
Multiple colleagues? See above for details of our discounts for 2, 3, or 4 delegates. For more, talk to one of our training experts to discuss how to: