Modernizing Targeting to Close the Field Execution Gap - with Damion Nero of Daiichi Sankyo

Pharmaceutical commercial teams are trapped in a cycle where critical field intelligence arrives too late to act—often a day or a week after the optimal moment for HCP engagement. Despite abundant data, fragmented systems, outdated infrastructure, and disconnected workflows prevent timely delivery. Damian Nero of Daiichi Sankyo reveals that the real bottleneck isn't data scarcity, but execution: legacy tech, siloed analytics, and poor integration slow down even the most promising AI pilots. The most successful organizations aren't chasing flashy AI automation; they're starting small, focusing on high-certainty, routine tasks like literature reviews or data aggregation—where AI delivers measurable, reliable results. This builds trust, reduces admin burden, and frees field reps to focus on the human relationships that drive prescribing decisions. The key insight? AI isn’t a replacement for humans—it’s a tool to amplify them. When used strategically, it turns reps into superhuman performers by eliminating drudgery. Companies that fail do so not because of technology, but because they treat AI as a magic bullet to replace people, leading to abandonment after underwhelming pilots. The future isn’t autonomous agents—it’s human-AI collaboration, where machines handle the routine, and humans bring the empathy, narrative, and judgment that only they can.