The Business of Science

Matt Barnes (MBP ‘10) had no intention of having a business-oriented job, but that is exactly what he has today. 

Barnes is a client partner and senior director at IQVIA, a global provider of analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry. He has been with the company for nearly three years and was promoted to his current position in March.  

He credits Northwestern Engineer's Master of Biotechnology Program (MBP) with making it possible for him to succeed in a role he never envisioned himself having.  

In his new position, Barnes manages the relationships with two of the company’s largest commercial pharmaceutical clients as they work toward bringing new drugs to market. He said his MBP experience helped him merge his love of science with the business skills he needed to do the job well. 

“This is really communicating business risks and opportunities to high-level client executives and breaking it down using data that's really easy to understand,” he said. “It’s about breaking it down into very actionable insights and communicating how it's going to drive a difference for their business.”  

IQVIA is a multinational company with nearly 90,000 employees in more than 100 countries. Its customer list includes Bausch Health Companies, Eli Lilly, L’Oreal SA, and Nestle, among many others.  

More than 1,500 companies use IQVIA for health analytics.  

Barnes leads a team of software developers and sales executives. The team splits its time between managing projects for existing clients and pitching the company’s health analytics products to potential new customers.  

Barnes said he relishes helping lead such a high-profile company dealing with potentially life-changing drugs. 

“The most exciting thing is when we solve a really big business issue, have a good outcome for our clients, and we do well financially,” he said. “It’s large contracts, large relationships, and it's about keeping executives happy, which can be a challenge.” 

That’s a challenge he manages with the lessons learned in MBP.  

Barnes was initially attracted to MBP because of his interest in biology and science. He had no plans at the time to move to a more business-oriented role, but as his MBP journey progressed, he realized he liked taking a scientific problem and turning it into a business challenge.  

“I remember tackling lab projects or research projects and learning how to frame a problem – at the time it was a scientific problem, not a business problem – but then breaking that down into the sub-components,” he said. “It's definitely all about understanding a problem, a potential solution, and then putting a plan together to get there and do it.”  

Along the way, Barnes formed relationships with members of his MBP cohort that still are thriving. Those relationships extend beyond the professional and have turned into what he called lifelong friendships.  

Because of how MBP helped spark his professional growth and led to fulfilling personal relationships, Barnes supports the program strongly and recommends it to those looking for similar growth.  

“MBP is a really good opportunity to become a generalist in life sciences,” he said. “You're going to understand the entire value chain of research and development commercialization. It’s a really good way to get started in the industry.”