Michael Yeh, Principal
Placed lived: Taiwan and the United States (Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, and New Haven)
Education: University of Michigan Business School (MBA, 2003), UC Berkeley School of Public Health (MPH, 1996), UC San Francisco (Doctor of Medicine, 1992), Yale University (BS, 1988 where he graduated summa with a distinction in biology)
Experience: Novartis (director of medical affairs, US 2010–11), Genzyme Corp (senior director and general manager 2008–10; global medical director 2007–8), Boston Consulting Group (consultant/project leader, 2003–7), St. Joseph Mercy Hospital (core faculty physician, 1996–2003), University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers (gastroenterology fellow, 1996–7), and University of California (associate physician, intern, and resident, 1992–6)
Focus: The interface between medical science and the development of healthcare products and services
Intellectual influences: Getting to Yes (Fisher and Ury), Edward Tufte, theories of sustainable systems, evidence-based medicine.
Turning points: The day I realized how much the proper care of patients was affected by many forces outside the examination room and my decision to take the steps necessary to understand those forces.
Mike is an MD/MBA/MPH. That's a rare combination of a lot of degrees. What is even rarer is the fact that his work has given him real opportunities to integrate and apply all that he has learned.
"Here's the patient and here am I. What I do and say will have real impact on her well being and health. But surrounding her and me is a medical system or set of systems that both enables and restrains what I can do for her. To really help her I needed a much more complete set of tools to make her life better and at the same time have the power to integrate and influence the disease field. After being a physician for several years I wanted to be able to both reflect on what I was doing and change the impediments keeping me from doing it better."
Mike's ability to cross disciplines has been evident throughout his career. It was key to his work at both Novartis and Genzyme. At Novartis, for example, as US medical director for meningococcal vaccines, he was the interface between clinical development, commercial business units, and thought leaders on vaccines. At Genzyme, where he was general manager for a therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), he led a global team made up of marketing, medical affairs, and program management, including post-marketing clinical research and disease registries.
His work at Boston Consulting Group prepared him well for these integrative roles. He led a project, for example, to develop vaccine capabilities and competitive strategy for a global pharmaceutical company. He developed product and clinical trial strategies as well, including new product launch strategy for a major medical devices firm. He also developed network analysis techniques using key words, patents, and grants to search for opportunities in neuroscience.
"Tapestry for me is another chance to work across borders – function, industry, and geography – to improve the lives of patients. Society needs smarter approaches overall to drug approval and reimbursement. We also need to understand and account for the long-term value of therapies, including both direct and indirect benefits. We have to work across disciplines to meet those challenges."
Mike, his wife, and their two sons live in Needham, Mass. "Someday," he says, "I might become a 'simple' physician again. But it will be the simplicity that lies on the other side of complexity. Treating the patient but changing the way the patient gets treated. I might just enjoy that."
Download Michael Yeh's Formal Biography
