Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to CEOs. You should know. I'm Christopher Thompson from iHeartMedia,
joined by Brandon Rockwell, chief operating officer of PAI. Brandon,
why don't you start by telling us what is PAI?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Thanks Chris. PAI is the largest domestic manufacturing company and
distributor of pharmaceutical liquid products. It's a bit of a mouthful,
but we make products that go out to the most
indigen population of patients, the pediatric and the elderly patients
here and in the US. We supply forty percent of
(00:37):
all of the liquid prescription medications that are out there
and dispensed in hospitals and pharmacies. It's a pretty important role.
I think. In the retail setting, you may go into
your local pharmacy and you get a bottle of liquid
four and ten chance it's ours. In a hospital, they
actually deliver these unit dose cups. It's almost like a
(00:58):
ca cup of medication, pre measured, pre dosed, and nine
out of ten of those or eight out of ten
of those are delivered by PAI. We make those all
in Greenville, South Carolina, right there in the state.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
And how did Brandon Rockwell get to PAI? Tell us
about your background and what led you to the company.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, well, I've been here for a few years now.
It's probably been four years at PAI, but my role
is probably a bit unique. I actually started my career
in pharmaceuticals in an unusual place. I started in the
IT department, was one of those I worked my way up.
(01:40):
I've always relied on my analytical skills strong understanding of
technology to find solutions, but I always learned early on
that technology isn't always the answer on its own. I
was pursuing my MBA while I was working full time,
probably a little over ten years ago, and I had
a great opportunity to transition to the business side. It
(02:02):
was kind of a right place, right time situation, but
it wasn't really about just being in the right place
in the right time. It was also putting in the
time and the effort to make it work. It was
probably challenging in the beginning now that I think back,
because I was surrounded by a lot of industry experts,
which was daunting. But I didn't really let the uphill
(02:24):
climbs set me back. I just focused on adapting with
the company and growing rapidly, and there was an opportunity
to learn and step beyond the lines of my role
and I kind of took the bull by the horns,
and then four years ago I had the opportunity to
do more at a smaller company, which was really exciting,
and so I joined PAI. And that brings me to today.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
What a transformation for you professionally and Brandon, you mentioned
the a little bit about PAI, but tell us the
mission of your organization. I'm guessing you cater specifically to
those who are most vulnerable and in need of medicine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, so the mission of PAI is it's to participate
in the creation of healthier lives by exceeding the expectation
of those that we serve. And you know, the way
we do this is really ultimately continuing to be the
partner of choice, consistent, reliable, affordable, delivering the patient the
(03:21):
medication that they need every time exactly how they expect it.
That's important. We're in an industry of needs, not in
an industry of wants. I think there's a lot of
places where folks work where you know, they make a
service or a product that people want, and not to
say that quality can suffer, but in the medical space,
(03:44):
it needs to be exact. It needs to be right,
and it needs to be done right the first time
every time. And that's a little bit about you know,
why our mission is shaped the way it is.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Brandon Rockwell is the chief operating officer of PAI Brand
and PAI Local in South Carolina. What do you find
about the Palmetto State that that is easy to sell
to others?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
It is a great place to have a business. I mean,
I would tell you a couple of things. We're located
in Greenville. We have a manufacturing site there with over
five hundred people, and we've grown that site dramatically over
the past couple of years. It's an easy place to
recruit into. I think, especially for folks who aren't as
(04:30):
familiar with South Carolina. One visit to the Greenville area,
they stay downtown, they see the restaurants, the community, they see,
you know, the distance to great hiking, they see the
affordable housing, and they see, you know, great people and
great climate. It makes it really easy to, you know,
(04:51):
even for those who don't know South Carolina to get
excited about it. And then just I'd say kind of
as a company who runs a business there, We've got
great supportive business climate in South Carolina. That's made our
story even easier. I think about the leaders that we
have in Washington Senator Scott and Graham, and then also
(05:13):
local congressman. I mean, people are interested in bringing businesses
to the area, domestic manufacturing. I think that's what's exciting
for me is the growth.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Brandon, Let's learn a little bit more about you. What's
your philosophy, what drives you each day and has that
changed as you made the transformation from it to the
other side of the executive suites.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, good question. My leadership philosophy is built around leading
by example, trust and a commitment to operational excellence. Early
on in my career, I was fortunate enough to work
under great leaders. I had someone who is running the
president of our company at the time. His name is
Paul Campanelli, and he's just a very people first leader.
(05:58):
Always made sure that his actions matched his words, and
he just showed me that treating people and delivering on
your promises are fundamental to building trust and respect within
a team. I think about our industry where precision, reliability
or crucial. It's essential to do what you say and
your actions will always be noticed by the people around you,
(06:20):
and that kind of trickles down and they'll start to
emulate those behaviors within the organization. And so I just
believe that if you consistently execute on your commitments while
treating others with respect, you set an example that motivates
the people around you.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Anything in particular you've read recently, you've watched or streamed
anything that is this impacting how you make decisions today.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I kind of look to the world around me and
try to reflect on it to impact and maybe a
little less so reading business books or watching movies or
so when I think about things around me today. Actually,
I rewatched The Goonies with my son this weekend. It
(07:08):
was one of my favorite movies growing up in the eighties,
and it reminded me of the business world. Oddly enough.
It's a group of kids who bring something unique to
the table, whether it's you know, the one their mouth,
the gadgets that data, has the courage of Mikey. It's
one of my favorite movies all right together. You know,
(07:29):
I think they're on a mission. They overcome obstacles, they
take risks, they work together through the conflict. It's the collaboration,
it's the resilience. That's the same thing about business it's
a successful team that combines diverse talents, thinks creatively, and
really sticks together through the highs and the lows despite
the setbacks. I think it's vital to keep pushing the
(07:52):
challenges because that's where we discover who we are as leaders,
and we discover some of the best talent around us.
And so, anyway, I was watching that and it just
reminded me you don't have to go it alone and
sometimes the biggest successes come from embracing adventure and working
as a team.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Well, that sounds like great advice. Brandon Rockwell, chief operating
officer of PAI, I was about to ask you if
you were mentoring someone younger, maybe a college graduate, trying
to get into your field, what advice would you give
that aspiring young person.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Stay curious and adaptable. I think about our field in
the pharmaceutical landscape, it's always evolving. Continuous learning is essential.
And then I'd say, build a strong team around you
and surround yourself with people who challenge you to grow.
Real success comes from working with people who bring the
fresh ideas to the table. Maybe the last thing is
(08:49):
take a chance, take a chance on investing or risk
with somebody who's young, and you see the potential and
even if there's someone who doesn't have the skills. I
look back at my own career. Someone did that, you know,
to me once and it's shaped me to be who
I am.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Brandon, you mentioned family, that's probably at least part of
what you do when you're not working, But any other
hobbies that fuel you.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
I enjoy hiking, We enjoy activities outdoors. I have a
six year old son, a four year old daughter, and
a three year old daughter.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
So you're fairly busy already.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, outside of work, there's not much else that I
have going on besides my family.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Nothing wrong with that, that's admirable. He's Brandon Rockwell, chief
operating officer of PAI. Brandon, you've mentioned how happy and
joy as your company is to be in the state
of South Carolina. As you sell that company and that product.
What would you identify, though, if you could make one
change in South Carolina, what would be a game changer
for quality of life?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Changing for quality of life? It's such a hard question.
I look at the area we're in in Greenville, and
I love it. I could tell you every time that
I walk around downtown, I'm just amazed at how well
planned it is, how easy it is to commute, how
(10:14):
easy it is to get to places around. Honestly, I
wouldn't change anything. I think that they've made so much
investment in that area over time, it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Brandon Rockwell, chief Operating Officer of PAI. Thanks for joining
us on CEOs. You should know
Welcome to CEOs. You should know. I'm Christopher Thompson from iHeartMedia,
joined by Brandon Rockwell, chief operating officer of PAI. Brandon,
why don't you start by telling us what is PAI?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Thanks Chris. PAI is the largest domestic manufacturing company and
distributor of pharmaceutical liquid products. It's a bit of a mouthful,
but we make products that go out to the most
indigen population of patients, the pediatric and the elderly patients
here and in the US. We supply forty percent of
(00:37):
all of the liquid prescription medications that are out there
and dispensed in hospitals and pharmacies. It's a pretty important role.
I think. In the retail setting, you may go into
your local pharmacy and you get a bottle of liquid
four and ten chance it's ours. In a hospital, they
actually deliver these unit dose cups. It's almost like a
(00:58):
ca cup of medication, pre measured, pre dosed, and nine
out of ten of those or eight out of ten
of those are delivered by PAI. We make those all
in Greenville, South Carolina, right there in the state.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
And how did Brandon Rockwell get to PAI? Tell us
about your background and what led you to the company.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, well, I've been here for a few years now.
It's probably been four years at PAI, but my role
is probably a bit unique. I actually started my career
in pharmaceuticals in an unusual place. I started in the
IT department, was one of those I worked my way up.
(01:40):
I've always relied on my analytical skills strong understanding of
technology to find solutions, but I always learned early on
that technology isn't always the answer on its own. I
was pursuing my MBA while I was working full time,
probably a little over ten years ago, and I had
a great opportunity to transition to the business side. It
(02:02):
was kind of a right place, right time situation, but
it wasn't really about just being in the right place
in the right time. It was also putting in the
time and the effort to make it work. It was
probably challenging in the beginning now that I think back,
because I was surrounded by a lot of industry experts,
which was daunting. But I didn't really let the uphill
(02:24):
climbs set me back. I just focused on adapting with
the company and growing rapidly, and there was an opportunity
to learn and step beyond the lines of my role
and I kind of took the bull by the horns,
and then four years ago I had the opportunity to
do more at a smaller company, which was really exciting,
and so I joined PAI. And that brings me to today.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
What a transformation for you professionally and Brandon, you mentioned
the a little bit about PAI, but tell us the
mission of your organization. I'm guessing you cater specifically to
those who are most vulnerable and in need of medicine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, so the mission of PAI is it's to participate
in the creation of healthier lives by exceeding the expectation
of those that we serve. And you know, the way
we do this is really ultimately continuing to be the
partner of choice, consistent, reliable, affordable, delivering the patient the
(03:21):
medication that they need every time exactly how they expect it.
That's important. We're in an industry of needs, not in
an industry of wants. I think there's a lot of
places where folks work where you know, they make a
service or a product that people want, and not to
say that quality can suffer, but in the medical space,
(03:44):
it needs to be exact. It needs to be right,
and it needs to be done right the first time
every time. And that's a little bit about you know,
why our mission is shaped the way it is.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Brandon Rockwell is the chief operating officer of PAI Brand
and PAI Local in South Carolina. What do you find
about the Palmetto State that that is easy to sell
to others?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
It is a great place to have a business. I mean,
I would tell you a couple of things. We're located
in Greenville. We have a manufacturing site there with over
five hundred people, and we've grown that site dramatically over
the past couple of years. It's an easy place to
recruit into. I think, especially for folks who aren't as
(04:30):
familiar with South Carolina. One visit to the Greenville area,
they stay downtown, they see the restaurants, the community, they see,
you know, the distance to great hiking, they see the
affordable housing, and they see, you know, great people and
great climate. It makes it really easy to, you know,
(04:51):
even for those who don't know South Carolina to get
excited about it. And then just I'd say kind of
as a company who runs a business there, We've got
great supportive business climate in South Carolina. That's made our
story even easier. I think about the leaders that we
have in Washington Senator Scott and Graham, and then also
(05:13):
local congressman. I mean, people are interested in bringing businesses
to the area, domestic manufacturing. I think that's what's exciting
for me is the growth.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Brandon, Let's learn a little bit more about you. What's
your philosophy, what drives you each day and has that
changed as you made the transformation from it to the
other side of the executive suites.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, good question. My leadership philosophy is built around leading
by example, trust and a commitment to operational excellence. Early
on in my career, I was fortunate enough to work
under great leaders. I had someone who is running the
president of our company at the time. His name is
Paul Campanelli, and he's just a very people first leader.
(05:58):
Always made sure that his actions matched his words, and
he just showed me that treating people and delivering on
your promises are fundamental to building trust and respect within
a team. I think about our industry where precision, reliability
or crucial. It's essential to do what you say and
your actions will always be noticed by the people around you,
(06:20):
and that kind of trickles down and they'll start to
emulate those behaviors within the organization. And so I just
believe that if you consistently execute on your commitments while
treating others with respect, you set an example that motivates
the people around you.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Anything in particular you've read recently, you've watched or streamed
anything that is this impacting how you make decisions today.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I kind of look to the world around me and
try to reflect on it to impact and maybe a
little less so reading business books or watching movies or
so when I think about things around me today. Actually,
I rewatched The Goonies with my son this weekend. It
(07:08):
was one of my favorite movies growing up in the eighties,
and it reminded me of the business world. Oddly enough.
It's a group of kids who bring something unique to
the table, whether it's you know, the one their mouth,
the gadgets that data, has the courage of Mikey. It's
one of my favorite movies all right together. You know,
(07:29):
I think they're on a mission. They overcome obstacles, they
take risks, they work together through the conflict. It's the collaboration,
it's the resilience. That's the same thing about business it's
a successful team that combines diverse talents, thinks creatively, and
really sticks together through the highs and the lows despite
the setbacks. I think it's vital to keep pushing the
(07:52):
challenges because that's where we discover who we are as leaders,
and we discover some of the best talent around us.
And so, anyway, I was watching that and it just
reminded me you don't have to go it alone and
sometimes the biggest successes come from embracing adventure and working
as a team.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Well, that sounds like great advice. Brandon Rockwell, chief operating
officer of PAI, I was about to ask you if
you were mentoring someone younger, maybe a college graduate, trying
to get into your field, what advice would you give
that aspiring young person.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Stay curious and adaptable. I think about our field in
the pharmaceutical landscape, it's always evolving. Continuous learning is essential.
And then I'd say, build a strong team around you
and surround yourself with people who challenge you to grow.
Real success comes from working with people who bring the
fresh ideas to the table. Maybe the last thing is
(08:49):
take a chance, take a chance on investing or risk
with somebody who's young, and you see the potential and
even if there's someone who doesn't have the skills. I
look back at my own career. Someone did that, you know,
to me once and it's shaped me to be who
I am.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Brandon, you mentioned family, that's probably at least part of
what you do when you're not working, But any other
hobbies that fuel you.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
I enjoy hiking, We enjoy activities outdoors. I have a
six year old son, a four year old daughter, and
a three year old daughter.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
So you're fairly busy already.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, outside of work, there's not much else that I
have going on besides my family.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Nothing wrong with that, that's admirable. He's Brandon Rockwell, chief
operating officer of PAI. Brandon, you've mentioned how happy and
joy as your company is to be in the state
of South Carolina. As you sell that company and that product.
What would you identify, though, if you could make one
change in South Carolina, what would be a game changer
for quality of life?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Changing for quality of life? It's such a hard question.
I look at the area we're in in Greenville, and
I love it. I could tell you every time that
I walk around downtown, I'm just amazed at how well
planned it is, how easy it is to commute, how
(10:14):
easy it is to get to places around. Honestly, I
wouldn't change anything. I think that they've made so much
investment in that area over time, it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Brandon Rockwell, chief Operating Officer of PAI. Thanks for joining
us on CEOs. You should know
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