Matt Allegrucci was recently appointed as the first Chief Compliance Officer at Daiichi Sankyo (DS), tasked with developing a global compliance program and infrastructure.
Integrity and trust have always served as central themes in Matt Allegrucci’s life. Growing up on his family’s horse farm in eastern Pennsylvania, Matt observed the passion and dedication his father brought to his life’s work and, in particular, how seriously he took the responsibility entrusted in him to care for and train the animals that were both beloved and valued by their owners.
“The importance of trust in business and personal relationships was instilled in me from a young age,” he explains. “The values lived by my father and others around me were centered on honesty, reliability and competency.”
Matt carried those formative learnings with him as he built a successful career as a legal and compliance professional with trust at the center of his work. In more than 20 years at DS, he has become a proven leader who has taken on numerous challenges with an innovative spirit, serving as the first in-house attorney dedicated to the R&D organization, heading U.S. Legal Affairs, and establishing the US compliance program and department as it exists today.
Matt will now bring his experience, learnings and can-do approach to his biggest challenge yet: building a global compliance and risk management structure and program to support the company’s transformation into a Global Pharma Innovator with a competitive advantage in oncology.
“This is the most exciting time I’ve experienced at DS as the company continues to deliver on the promise of its innovative pipeline for greater impact on more patients around the world,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the further success of this organization and will challenge myself and my team to create a world-class compliance program that meets the needs of a global company with high ethical standards.”
His new role will include building a global team, setting strategy, establishing consistent global standards and seamlessly integrating global compliance and risk management activities into all aspects of the business. The aim is to ensure the company meets applicable laws and regulations and operates according to its core values of innovation, integrity and accountability.
“The trust of patients, physicians and everyone with a stake in our business is essential to the long-term success of the organization and our mission,” explains Matt. “In my experience, DS is a company with ethical leaders and employees who want to do the right thing, so the job of compliance, simply put, is to ensure we earn that trust by working consistently against clear global standards.”
Establishing a Global Culture of Compliance
Behind the scenes of the internal training videos promoting
ethical culture
An essential element of the new effort will be fostering a global culture of compliance and responsible business practices with attention to regional identities and norms.
Matt is driven by taking creative approaches to promoting ethical culture and one of his signature initiatives has made him a well-known face inside the company - he personally participates in educational training videos featuring skits with his team.
“The video skits, which we began years ago with all filming and production done in-house by our team, have lent a fun and engaging aspect to the trainings and we hope to incorporate them into new initiatives,” Matt commented.
Equally as important, he notes, “The training videos represent the idea that everyone at the company plays a role in ensuring DS is a trustworthy company that operates with integrity to meet our mission for patients.”
Matt enjoys spending time outdoors
Matt and his team are excited to further support colleagues in the US and across global regions as they install the first global compliance system at DS.
“The day I walked into DS for my job interview more than two decades ago, I instinctively knew it was where I was supposed to be,” Matt reflected. “I could not have imagined how much the company would grow and evolve and how much opportunity and support I would receive. I’m thrilled to be part of this innovative organization that is impacting the lives of so many patients.”
When he is not working, Matt loves spending time outdoors, enjoying activities like biking and kayaking. His interests also include photography and traveling. In fact, he frequently visits Japan and has begun studying Japanese. "I do enjoy my personal life, so I try hard to balance it with my work life, which keeps me healthier and feeling fresh to do my job. I believe everyone should find a balance between the two," he said.