Lawrence Akunga Oeyo says something many people of science can’t: he picked medicine because he thinks it’s an art. “The body is a work of art, think of it as a house, with amenities designed to optimise comfort and functionality. I would have chosen architecture, but medicine won me over because the body, as I see it, is an architectural masterpiece.” Says the 2012 University of Nairobi Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree graduate.
He is a 2011 recipient of the Medical Clinical Elective Program from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a holder of the African Vaccinology Course certificate from the University of Cape Town.
He is the Medical Head of all English-speaking sub-Saharan countries at Sanofi Vaccines, a role he has held for eight years. This puts him right in the middle of the second most impactful aspect of public health after the provision of safe drinking water and, rightly so, the most political aspect of public health.
“The politics of vaccines is not a new thing. As a scientist, I focus on the science. What does the data say, what does research show, is there impact in the administration of vaccines and how can we harness this information to make available vaccines to the most vulnerable.”
"Put God first, stay on course with your ABCD—be, Ambitious, Brave, Consistent, and Disciplined. You’ll achieve anything."
As Sanofi’s medical head, he ensures total adherence to local legislation and pharmacovigilance guidelines, medical validation, support, and technical advice for all training and promotional materials.
As a corporate leader, he provides business development support in terms of giving technical advice and input on all product development and licensing opportunities.
His is a life of eternally seeking an equilibrium. “I sit in Nairobi, but we have operations in western and southern African countries. I am ahead of some of these countries with up to three hours. This means that when I am clocking out at five, there are countries I am in charge of that are just halfway past their working days. I then must ensure that I align my day so that nobody is left behind because they are in a different time zone.”
He credits his success at a young age to four things: Purpose, Persuasion, Self-drive, and Belief. His anchor after these four is God and family. “God is central in all the things I do.
Family, for me, is the gravity, support, and validation that keeps me on the grind. In trying to strike that equilibrium, I am intentional about creating time to spend with my wife and two daughters. I start my days by dropping my daughter off at school. This is a deliberateness that everyone in leadership should have.”
To his younger self, Lawrence would say two things, “Put God first, stay on course with your ABCD—be, Ambitious, Brave, Consistent, and Disciplined. You’ll achieve anything.”
-Ndugu Abisai