Rising Stars: Meet Jay Sésán Conzé of Perimeter Center (Virtual)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Sésán Conzé.

Hi Jay Sésán , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My path into clinical research began in graduate school, where I was training to be a psychotherapist but quickly saw the industry’s untapped need for business-minded voices who could communicate the true value of drug development—where every drug on a pharmacy shelf represents a billion-dollar journey from molecule to market.

From tech in China to networking nights on LinkedIn and industry events, I immersed myself in the players and the market. That hustle led to a European biotech role managing sales teams in the UK and Romania, and within five years I rose to become Head of Strategy for Japan and Asia Pacific at the world’s largest contract research and healthcare data organization.

Recognizing the lack of representation and access in African and Middle Eastern communities, I founded a boutique consultancy to help Western companies build strategic partnerships and expand market access across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. At the same time, I work to establish world-class clinical research infrastructure in these regions—leveraging global collaborations to accelerate healthcare innovation and drive sustainable economic growth.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Adversity and disruption have been the blueprint of my success. I’ve often found myself as the only African American male in a room of 800 people, navigating the pressures of leadership while breaking barriers in an industry that wasn’t built with representation in mind. At the same time, I faced the personal challenge of losing both of my parents to cancer—an experience that deepened my commitment to healthcare innovation and equity. These struggles shaped my resilience, sharpened my perspective, and reinforced my belief that disruption is not a setback but a catalyst for growth.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently the Director of The Healthcare Research Institute for a fortune 1 company with $680 billion in revenue and the world’s largest retailer. I leverage Ai to create insights into disease complexity. The goal is to deliver greater Accessibility to healthcare research and access to underserved communities.

In addition my consultancy leverages my background in clinical mental health and business to identify and assess scalability for individuals and organizations.

My biggest distinguishing characteristic is my ability to adapt, to understand what motivates people and identify weaknesses in people and organizations.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is how many people you can impact and empower.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Meditation.jay
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jay-conze-b9a7b7131
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@meditationjay.1