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Patty Martin joined BioCrossroads as president and CEO in July 2019. She stepped down from the role in April. She previously worked as chief operating officer of Lilly Diabetes and served as Eli Lilly and Co.’s chief diversity officer and chief alliance officer. She is a member of the Indiana University Foundation and Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council and served as 500 Festival board chair in 2016. She also served on the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute and the Indiana Health Information Exchange. Currently, she serves on the Regenstrief Institute board and is an independent board member of CareSource Inc., AN2 Therapeutics Inc. and Leap Therapeutics.
Something surprising
Longer answer: My second job out of college was with an Indiana T-shirt printer in Wabash, Indiana—my hometown. My title was “creative design coordinator,” a bit unusual for an accountant. In this role, I negotiated licensing and artwork agreements for a number of popular characters (at the time), including Smurfs, Hello Kitty and Walt Disney (long before Disney was the marketing powerhouse they are today). Shorter answer: I have shot one hole-in-one.
Recently listening to
“Atomic Habits,” by James Clear, for the second time
Advice for a young person
As you consider opportunities and career paths, don’t focus on the “job” per se but the skills you will acquire. Your first experiences in the workforce present the opportunity to build your “toolbox.” Be thoughtful about the skills, especially transferable skills, that you want to acquire. For example, a barista is not just about making coffee but interacting with tough customers. Selling is not just about bringing in business but organizational and follow-up skills. Be willing to learn and make mistakes. Don’t focus on “what is next” but on what value you can create or deliver in the present, for yourself as an entrepreneur or as an employee.
Worries about
That in today’s world of misinformation, disinformation and opinion, our younger generations are not developing the important skills of thinking critically, pursuing facts and weighing both sides of an issue or argument. “Media”—over-generalizing here to make a point—“tells” us what to think and believe, often laced with a less-than-healthy dose of partisan or personal bias. My father used to say, “Patty Ann, don’t believe everything you see,” “Patty Ann, don’t believe everything you read,” or, “Patty Ann, don’t believe everything you hear.” Our kids would benefit from a healthy amount of curiosity and skepticism to develop their own understanding of the critical, and often divisive, issues we face daily as humans and society. Don’t get me wrong, I am a highly emotive person. But nothing drives me crazier than when someone’s opinion is represented as fact.
Walk up song
“Dancing Queen,”by ABBA•
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