In Conversation: Akshay Kapadia, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Conexus Solutions
Operational challenges can be taxing for life sciences companies to solve, but companies like Conexus Solutions, Inc. have made it a priority to ensure that every project is executed in a strategically sound and flawless manner for their customers.
The company was launched in 2016, with the goal of providing outsourced commercial operations for pharmaceutical and life sciences companies. Conexus primarily focuses on the small and mid-size market, which has been somewhat ignored by other service providers, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Akshay Kapadia told BioBuzz.
“The needs of the small and mid-size companies are no different than the needs of bigger organizations,” Kapadia said. He added that the primary difference is the available funds the larger companies have at their disposal. “Many of the emerging companies are run by experienced people who know what they want, they just may not have the budget they did at larger companies.”
Conexus provides support for commercial operations, creative services, data science and insights, and more. One of the primary services provided by Conexus is support for Veeva Systems’ cloud-computing software. The company provides services in configuration and implementation, as well as ongoing support services for Veeva CRM, Vault, and other solutions. In fact, Conexus has received several Veeva certifications, including “Services Partner for Veeva Development Cloud,” “Services Partner for MyInsights,” and “Premiere Services Partner for Veeva Commercial Cloud.” These certifications that the company has earned, showcase Conexus’ ability to leverage its expertise when implementing Veeva for its clients. Kapadia said Conexus is well-versed in all things Veeva, making them an attractive partner for their customers.
In addition to Veeva, Conexus offers implementation and support for various Salesforce solutions such as Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Health Cloud, as well as Marketing Cloud. Although Conexus does not intend to become a marketing agency, Kapadia noted his team has the technical expertise to craft templates and messaging to support Veeva multi-channel modules, which he called “Veevatizing.” “A lot of the content doesn’t require creative work, it’s just a matter of putting it together to make it compatible with Veeva,” he said.
Conexus has a spirit of can-do, and the company touts that right on its website. “You name it, we’ve done it. And if we haven’t, we’ll figure it out,” the website reads. “We built our business by solving any operational challenge our clients brought to us. So yeah, we’ve seen a thing or two,” the company also said on its website.
In the coming years, Kapadia hopes to broaden the reach of Conexus and work with larger life sciences companies. They have the capabilities and know-how to support the needs of the bigger companies in the United States, as well as across the globe. Kapadia said the company is taking a steady and measured approach to its ambitions, wanting to ensure it’s able to continue supporting its current clients before staking a claim with the larger market-share entities.
“Our steady approach is paying off. We first wanted to focus on building long-lasting relationships with our current customers,” he said. “But we do have programs in the works that will support our growth opportunities.”
Since its establishment five years ago, the company itself has grown significantly. Conexus currently has about 100 employees, split between its offices in the U.S. and in India. By the end of the year, Kapadia said he anticipates the team will have expanded to about 150 employees. Despite the ongoing pandemic, Kapadia said the company learned it could operate in a flexible and remote environment while still providing top-notch service to its clients.
For potential employees, one of the drawing powers of Conexus is its company culture. Kapadia explained that the company has been designed to be top-heavy with employees who bring a resume full of domain experience. That significant amount of experience within its employee base provides the company with a solid foundation to scale up. “Each of our senior team members can have a team of people working under them, which will support growth and scale,” Kapadia said.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Alex Keown is a freelance journalist who writes about a variety of subjects including the pharma, biotech, and life science industries. Prior to freelancing, Alex has served as a staff writer and editor for several publications.
