“Turning Operations into a Strategic Powerhouse.“
Susan Essumang is an accomplished clinical operations executive whose leadership has helped bring some of the world’s most successful pharmaceutical products to market. With over 15 years of experience in clinical program management, Susan has steered cross-functional global teams through complex, high-impact initiatives that blend operational excellence with scientific integrity. Her professional hallmark is aligning business goals with patient-centric strategies, consistently delivering measurable improvements in cost efficiency, regulatory outcomes, and market readiness.
Susan’s track record is particularly distinguished by her work on life-changing treatments like Victoza®, Ozempic®, and Wegovy®—blockbuster drugs expected to reach a combined $15 billion in projected sales by 2024. Her clinical insight and operational foresight were equally pivotal in securing pediatric labeling for OPSUMIT®, which carried a net present value of $2.4 billion according to Johnson & Johnson’s internal financial analyses. With a sharp acumen for budget optimization, she directed programs that achieved a 22% cost savings on a $70M budget—then reinvested those savings to launch a Phase 2 trial two quarters ahead of schedule.
Currently, Susan serves as Senior Director and Co-Founder of M3S Consulting LLC, a strategic advisory firm based in Cary, NC, where she leads lifecycle management and program delivery across pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. She advises biopharma clients on integrated clinical strategy spanning preclinical, translational, and early-to-late phase development programs, and provides cross-functional leadership across internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment with regulatory and strategic goals. At M3S, she oversees complex programs—including formulation, development, drug supply strategy, and risk-adjusted resource allocation—and continues to deliver validated trial data and patient-centric insights that shape regulatory approval strategies and optimize outcomes.
Her previous leadership roles span organizations like Johnson & Johnson’s Innovative Medicine division, Derma Sciences Inc., and Novo Nordisk Inc. At J&J, Susan implemented a global KPI framework, oversaw quality inspections that resulted in zero critical findings, and orchestrated vendor strategies that enhanced operational efficiency by 20%. Her pioneering “walk the protocol” approach improved patient-focused trial design and accelerated data collection. Earlier in her career, she led Novo Nordisk trials for multiple landmark drugs, harmonizing trial execution with key opinion leaders and stakeholders to streamline adoption and elevate inspection readiness.
Susan’s academic foundation includes dual master’s degrees in Business Administration and Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Northeastern University. She has augmented her expertise with certifications from the Project Management Institute (PMP) and a forthcoming Scrum Fundamentals certification. Actively engaged in professional communities, she maintains affiliations with PMI, HBA, ACRP, SOCRA, DIA, ASCO, and the American Diabetes Association.
Whether she’s mitigating risk through adaptive monitoring, directing governance frameworks, or guiding strategic market research in oncology, pulmonology, neurology, and rare diseases, Susan Essumang brings a rare blend of vision, precision, and passion to every program she leads. Her career exemplifies what happens when operational excellence meets an unwavering commitment to patient outcomes.
Character
Susan Essumang demonstrates integrity, resilience, and a results-driven mindset, consistently championing patient-focused solutions while fostering operational excellence and regulatory compliance across complex global clinical programs.
Knowledge
With a deep academic foundation in neuroscience, healthcare, and business, and decades of experience across therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular, and rare diseases, Susan expertly bridges scientific rigor with strategic execution in drug development.
Strategic
Susan has a proven ability to transform data into actionable insights, streamline multimillion-dollar budgets, and accelerate clinical timelines—strategically reinvesting savings and optimizing vendor relationships to deliver early and efficient trial outcomes.
Communication
Susan excels in cross-functional leadership, engaging stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and key opinion leaders with clarity and purpose, ensuring alignment, transparency, and successful collaboration throughout all stages of clinical research.
