Women In Aesthetics: Terri L. Phillips, MD, FAAP, Merz

Terri L. Phillips, MD, FAAP, joined Merz in January 2018 as Vice President and Head of Global Medical Affairs. She previously served as VP of Global Medical Affairs at Santen and also worked at Allergan for nine years.

Dr. Phillips is a passionate advocate for increasing diversity and inclusion among leadership in the medical field. With an MD degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, she is dual board certified in Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine and Pediatrics. She is a veteran of the US Army Medical Corps; she served 14 years and received numerous awards, including the Army Commendation Medal.

WL: Who were some of your mentors throughout your career?

Terri: My mother was my role model and helped cultivate my passions. I am passionate about my family, enthralled by the pursuit of knowledge, and committed to service to my community and maintaining a wellness-focused lifestyle. I knew I didn’t need to replicate my mother’s path, but her example of service continues to inspire me to identify and pursue the things that are most important, fulfilling, and bigger than me. She always reminds me that I have an opportunity and a responsibility to care for others, as we don’t live in this world alone.

During my fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Dr. Tom Wisewell took a strong interest in my professional development and provided wonderful lessons in leadership for both the military and medical practice.

When I transitioned to the aesthetics industry, Dr. Wes Cetnarowski, who is currently Senior Vice President, Scientific Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at B. Braun Medical, was a guiding force in helping me navigate my new landscape. He liked to challenge me with new opportunities to see the science from the side of the consumer, which ultimately helped me understand the role I could play and the value I could bring to aesthetics as an individual who had been on the other side, practicing medicine.

Daniel Leonard became my executive coach and I later worked for him in a consulting role. Private industry is immensely different from practicing medicine, and he was my strongest sounding board as I found my footing.

Collectively, Tom, Wes, and Dan instilled such confidence in my abilities and encouraged my seat at the table, for which I’ll always be grateful.

WL: How did you get your start in the aesthetics field?

Terri: I was working in therapeutics at Allergan when Botox Cosmetic was approved. The field of aesthetic medicine was in its infancy, and I had just built a successful model for Medical Affairs to support the therapeutics business. Aesthetics was looking to create a similar system of scientific support and I was offered the opportunity to build a team, so I took the leap.

At Merz Aesthetics, we exist to fuel confidence by helping people look better, feel better, and live better. Our Medical Affairs team bridges the gap between scientific discovery and research to the practical application of our products and services with real patients, ensuring we are innovative enough to impact the market and meet the expectations of consumers, while also providing important feedback to the business on how the treatment landscape is evolving.

As Chief Medical Affairs Officer, I support a talented team of advanced healthcare practitioners and individuals with advanced life sciences degrees in facilitating customer engagement to glean information to help improve our products and patient outcomes. Together we focus on market innovation and building impactful peer-to-peer relationships with HCPs to create deeper scientific insights and business intelligence.

WL: What advice do you have for rising stars in this industry?

Terri: Even if you don’t see yourself reflected in the room, it doesn’t mean you do not belong there. Lean into your strengths and find a team that makes your weaknesses irrelevant. None of us are as smart as all of us together. Be open to continuously learning and pursuing every new experience you can—always strive to find a way to be better.

During my tenure in the US Army, I had the chance to develop a real sense of purpose; applying that purpose to something that makes a difference was invaluable. As a leader, I want to ensure similar opportunities—ones that nurture adaptive capacity, innovation and flexibility—are available to my team so that we can advance the aesthetic field.

I advise colleagues as they step into leadership and continue to rise through the ranks, to find and hire the best talent, define what success means to you, and trust in your abilities and the abilities of those around you.

WL: How would your colleagues describe your management style?

Terri: I think they would say that I am a leader who empowers. I like to coach—set the vision, lay the groundwork, provide the resources, articulate goals—then let my team take the lead on navigating the next steps. I will always remain present so that I can provide support and help remove obstacles, but I want my team to feel confident and empowered by their ability to innovate. We have built our relationship on trust, respect and integrity, and I hope they know they can rely on me to help drive their personal and professional success.

Name a quote or quotes that best describe your philosophy

Terri: I have many, but one of my favorite sayings is, “Bet on yourself.” It’s incredibly important to be your biggest motivator and trust in your abilities and the potential that is inside you. If you don’t bet on yourself, who else will?