Working with Stars: Meet Tony Vuolo, MBA, IT BA

Tony Vuolo is one of the best PV database and PV Vendor expert that I have met. Working with him is a real treat. His talents are not only on the professional side: wait to hear him singing in his a capella group, play guitar or cook delicious Italian pastries....

How did you start working in PV?

When I was part of a very large pharma company and something went wrong with one of their products. They had a major product recall due to a safety issue, because they had not recognized information that they should have in a timely manner. It opened my eyes to the power of data and how important it is for information to be available to the right people at the right time so that they can make correct decisions.

Tell me about one of the most rewarding moments of your PV life.

My best moments are when I can take technology and deliver an innovative solution helping other end users. Once, I led development and design for a PV data query tool available to all in the PV organization. From the biggest technophobe to the most computer savvy person, everyone was able to get the information and the view they needed easily. For instance, if an MD was looking for signaling information, they could go into the system and with literally four to five mouse clicks, get exactly what they needed.

Did they ever consider career paths outside PV?

Yes, I began as a calculus and computer programming teacher and then worked in manufacturing IT before moving into pharma in the clinical trial development sector. Once the PV bug hit me, I have remained in PV since – for most of my 30+ year career.

What makes you successful in what you do?

I am always asking questions. Even when reaching a point where I felt like I achieved success, I try to take a step back and ask what could I have done better?  If we achieved 90% of what we wanted to do, there's still that 10% that we didn't. Was there anything we could do about it? Is there anything we can change moving forward?

What changes would you make in how PV is practiced today?

I would improve cross-functional education so non-PV teams better understand the value of PV. How do you show the worth of an organization which doesn't contribute to the bottom line?  In truth, you need high-functioning PV because they are your sentinel, ready to identify and mitigate issues before becoming catastrophic.  And if the unthinkable should occur, PV is the independent voice that will advise how best to remain compliant and keep patients safe.

Why do you like working with JPCC? (Tony worked with JPCC for 8 years)

Because I get to work on projects I would probably not get to work on otherwise to quite the same depth. I appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with JPCC experts from around the world, all with different experiences and areas of expertise. Being able to work with them as part of a qualification audit or gap analysis, I'm exposed to and can provide input into other areas of PV, which might not be my first area of expertise and vice versa. I like to think that I bring my experience in IT systems and vendor management.

What is the trait you want people to know about you?

Anybody that's worked with me before knows if you ask me for my opinion, I will give you my opinion.  And providing an unpopular or potentially unwelcome opinion can be challenging while consulting. But that's one of the things that I like about the relationship I have with JPCC and with our clients: that they're actively looking for our opinions and insights and are able to receive constructive feedback, when we give it.

At the end of the day, what do you want to be remembered for?

I think that applies to my work as my personal life too: when I'm gone, have I left the world a better place than when I arrived?

See Tony Vuolo profile here.