Part 4 Did Insys Put Profits Before People? | Alec Burlakoff

Описание: On this episode we continue our conversation with Alec Burlakoff, VP of Sales for Insys Pharmaceuticals. In the previous episodes, we discussed how Alec joined Insys Therapeutics Inc. as a salesperson and quickly rose through the ranks to be VP of Pharma Sales. We also discussed Alec’s sales strategies and how he recruited and kept sales reps. In this episode Alec talks about how firing a pregnant sales rep eventually led to the company’s downfall. And he also describes his journey of being a person of interest in a federal investigation and how that affected his personal and professional life.
Firing a pregnant sales rep was a mistake:
Alec believed that whenever a company fires a sales rep, they might become a whistleblower. Alec was therefore, never in favor of firing a sales rep. When the company terminated a pregnant sales rep, Alec was sure that she could become a whistleblower. The pregnant sales rep did go to the government and that is how the investigation began.
The phone call that changed Alec’s life:
When the investigation began, Alec did not take it very seriously as he thought this was a routine investigation, something that he had experienced at his previous organizations as well. He thought that the company will have to pay a fine and there would be no other serious consequences. The employer appointed a civil attorney for Alec and the other employees to take care of the investigations. However, one day, he got a phone call from the civil attorney saying that Alec was no longer a person of interest but a subject of a federal investigation. This meant that Alec would need to hire a criminal attorney.
Alec mentions that at the time, he did not make a big deal about it and continued working as if everything was under control. He thought that the company would take care of him. In 2015, Alec resigned his position of VP of Pharma Sales and then was hired as a consultant. Three months later, the company terminated his consulting agreement and that is the first time that Alec realized that the company would not protect him.
Alec’s Personal Life:
Alec regrets that instead of taking care and being there for his family, he was more worried about Insys. By the time Alec realized that he was in serious trouble, it was too late. Alec thought that this was a routine investigation and the only thing he did was to inform his wife about what was happening but asked her not to worry. Alec does mentions that his wife stood by him throughout his downfall and divorced him only after he got out of prison.
Alec, along with six other employees and the owner of Insys were sentenced to several years in prison as they were found or plead guilty for helping drive the nation’s opioid crisis.
Alec not only suffered professionally but he also lost the support of his wife in his personal life.
Alec Burlakoff’s book- ‘Selling Hard Lessons Learned’ is available on Amazon-https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Lesson...
If Alec would have resigned, would he be able to protect himself and his family? Tune into the interview to find out!

Don’t miss our final interview with Alec where he talks about his experience in prison and the halfway house.

Don't miss Darshan's other interviews with Alec:
Episode 1- The Rise and Downfall of a Pharma Sales Rep Part 1-    • The Rise & Downfall of a Pharma Sales Rep ...  

Episode 2- The Death of a Pharma Sales Rep Part 2-    • The Death of a Pharma Sales Rep Pt 2 | Ale...  

Episode 3- The Cautionary Tale of Being a Pharma Sales VP Pt 3-    • The Cautionary Tale of Being a Pharma Sale...  

Episode 5: The Tragic Of A Pharma Sales VP In Prison-    • THE TRAGIC STORY OF A PHARMA SALES VP IN P...  


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