Paola Cortes, PhD, MBA

Pharmaceutical Marketing | Brand Manager | Strategical Vision | Cross-functional work | International Experience | Rare Diseases & Oncology

Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain

About

Currently serving as Brand Manager at Sobi, leading the cross-functional team responsible for launching pegcetacoplan across Spain and Portugal. With extensive expertise in pharmaceutical marketing and project management, the focus is on developing and executing comprehensive strategies to drive product success in the rare diseases space. Contributions include fostering collaboration, creating impactful promotional materials, and engaging with key opinion leaders to gather insights that inform actionable plans. Over three years of experience in rare diseases marketing, consistently delivering innovative solutions and enhancing team cohesion to achieve business goals. Demonstrated ability to navigate complex challenges with analytical precision and a strategic mindset. Passionate about advancing healthcare marketing initiatives that make a meaningful impact for healthcare professionals and patients alike.

Experience

  • Sobi - Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ) (4 yrs 8 mos)
    • Senior Brand Manager Nephrology
      Feb 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Brand Manager Aspaveli Iberia (Hematology & Nephrology)
      Dec 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 8 mos

      I lead the cross-functional team driving the launch and strategic growth of the brand in Spain and Portugal. My focus is on building innovative strategies, fostering collaboration, and delivering meaningful impact for patients with rare diseases. Spearheaded the successful launch of Aspaveli in Iberia, defining the strategic roadmap and achieving 50% of market share in PNH. • Developed and executed a brand plan recognized as best practice within the organization, both in Spain and globally – with tools and materials shared with global and other affiliates. • Championed cross-functional collaboration among medical, market access and commercial teams to ensure strategic alignment and executional excellence. • Implemented an omnichannel marketing strategy, enhancing HCP engagement and optimizing campaign reach and effectiveness. • Drove innovation in marketing, introducing new ways of working and initiatives later adopted as best practices by other brand teams. • Co-created impactful campaigns and materials with KOLs, leveraging insights to strengthen brand relevance. • Built and maintained strategic KOL partnerships, integrating medical and market insights into brand planning and execution. • Led market research and analytic initiatives, transforming insights into actionable strategies to guide decision-making and performance optimization. • Designed and executed tailored marketing plans for both PNH & C3G, aligning local needs with global strategy to ensure consistent market impact. • Actively contributed to global brand forums, sharing best practices and strategic insights that shaped global marketing excellence. This role has allowed me to combine strategic vision with hands-on execution, strengthening my leadership skills and building a reputation for innovation and collaboration.

  • Product Manager Oncology at Werfen
    Sep 2021 - Nov 2021 · 3 mos

  • Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1 yr 11 mos)
    • Product Manager aHUS - Pediatrics
      Mar 2021 - Oct 2021 · 8 mos

      • Planned and led cycle meetings to hand over new campaigns & activities to sales - specific to aHUS • Managed agencies and external vendors from pitch to implementation • Developed promotional materials for healthcare professionals • Executed marketing plans for aHUS in pediatrics and adults • Analyzed and report promotional materials usage such as approved emails • Co-created promotional materials with HCPs Goals: • Developed the tactical plan for aHUS pediatrics 2022 • Fully responsible for the aHUS pediatrics marketing plan • Led the cross-functional organization of the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Pediatrics symposium • Piloted and led the aHUS Focus Group in Portugal

    • Marketing Specialist Complement (PNH & aHUS)
      Sep 2020 - Mar 2021 · 7 mos

      • Managed agencies and external vendors from pitch to implementation • Developed promotional materials for healthcare professionals for both PNH and aHUS • Actively participated in cycle meetings and led sales & marketing workshops • Analyzed and report promotional materials usage, some which include approved emails

    • Marketing Specialist PNH (Soliris®) - Fully represented Marketing Manager (Maternity leave)
      Mar 2020 - Sep 2020 · 7 mos

      • Led the cross-functional Brand planning process for Soliris® in PNH • Generated marketing insights to identify growth opportunities • Planned and led cycle meetings to hand over new campaigns & activities to sales • Managed agencies and external vendors from pitch to implementation • Developed promotional materials for healthcare professionals • Actively participated in International Marketing Meetings • Analyzed and report promotional materials usage and key performance indicators Goals: • Developed the brand plan for PNH 2021 • Piloted innovative digital initiatives to adapt to evolving customer needs: - Interactive materials & tools for the sales team and hematologists - Virtual Emotional & patient-centric booth at the Spanish national congress of hematology - Involved in the initial development of the Rare Disease Knowledge Centre (Alexion's Platform) Received living the values award for excellent performance in leading PNH marketing

  • Nova Talent Member at Nova Talent
    Nov 2020 - Aug 2021 · 10 mos

    Founded in Sweden🇸🇪 in 1997, Nova is the global by-invitation-only top-talent network that connects high potential individuals amongst themselves to grow together.

  • PhD Candidate at Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
    Sep 2014 - Dec 2019 · 5 yrs 4 mos

    • Project management including experimental design and protocol development • Collaborated with colleagues to generate experimental data • Mentored graduate students in project design, experimental set up, critical analysis and preparation of project reports • Delivered data presentations to a wide audience locally and internationally • Developed data reports and analysis in written formats Poster presenter at the International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting in Australia (07/2018) Poster presenter at the Stem Cell Niche Conference in Denmark (05/2018)