Former Pharmaceutical Executive, Smith Anderson Attorney Shares Stories of His “Influence of Exemplars”

Sandy Costa, a Smith Anderson attorney, nationally recognized speaker on leadership, former President of Quintiles Transnational and author of the book “Humanity at Work: Encouraging Spirit, Achievement and Truth to Flourish in the Workplace,” shares his stories of faith, virtue and humility with Venture with Virtue host Jay Tramonte. Sandy talks with candor about what has shaped him into the man he is today and offers advice on succeeding in the workplace.

Sandy discusses with Jay the art of making mistakes and why they aren’t as detrimental as businesses think. He claims that “if people aren’t making mistakes, they aren’t moving the organization forward. The only way companies move forward is by every now and then making a mistake and coming out of it, and as long as a company has a healthy culture where people tell you they made a mistake, everything will be fine.”

Sandy also shares insights on achieving success and claims “the most important thing a person can do to be successful is be somebody other people can trust…and form good relationships.” Sandy has had a successful professional career and chose to work at Smith Anderson for its strong culture that resonated with him. He believes we were put here on this earth to help people, and he feels he is able to do this through his current work and writings. “There is nothing more important than being trustworthy, professionally and personally. The first thing I learned is how to be a servant leader, and to take care of the people around you and you will succeed all the more,” said Sandy.

Sandy has over 40 years of professional experience, serving as an executive in the pharmaceutical, health care and life sciences industries. He has also sat on the board for over 20 public and private companies.

To listen to the full episode, click here.

About Venture with Virtue

Venture with Virtue was born after host Jay Tramonte realized the meaning of real success after completing a business deal. He wasn’t sure what move to make next, so he went back to adoration and realized he still needed formation in virtue, particularly patience and humility. He soon started to advise business owners, startups and venture capital firms, and was fortunate to meet many Catholic business leaders. He determined a podcast show would be the perfect platform to provide other Catholics in business with access to top Catholic mentors. Through Venture with Virtue, Jay has created a community of Catholics in business who explore the meaning of success and the role of virtue together.