Employee Ambassador Spotlight: Jeffrey Jacobs

I'm the Director of Product Innovation and Market Access at MSD for Mothers. This August will mark 29 years at MSD for me. I've had the opportunity and privilege to work across a range of functions within the company, spanning commercial, corporate responsibility and policy, splitting my years on the commercial and corporate responsibility sides of the business. I've been based in various geographies, including Kazakhstan and Puerto Rico. Just prior to MSD for Mothers, I led Regional Marketing for our HIV and Hepatitis C franchises across Latin America.

Prior to joining MSD, I worked in the development and humanitarian assistance fields for several non-governmental organizations. Throughout my career - both at MSD and before - I've always been driven by an ethos of improving access to innovation, health care and, more broadly, public service. These have always been central to who I am.

Outside of work, I really enjoy being outdoors - typically hiking in hills, mountains or near the ocean and water. My wife and I have fallen in love with New England, particularly Maine, where we regularly spend time. I'm also passionate about traveling. While I've been privileged to travel extensively for work, we've also made travel a priority in our personal lives. I'm fascinated by language, culture and different perspectives. Travel has taught me that there are countless ways to approach challenges and live life. Understanding that these differences exist, offers new perspectives to consider in decision making.

Could you describe your background and what led you to MSD for Mothers?

My connection to MSD for Mothers has roots that go back much further than I initially realized. Very early in my career, well before joining MSD, when I was still an undergraduate at the School for International Training, I was part of a program that required me to live in a culture other than my own. I ended up in West Africa, specifically Côte d'Ivoire, where I was involved in health outreach initiatives to rural communities.

One of those initiatives was visiting different villages in the area to support infant nutrition goals by weighing babies using UNICEF growth charts. Since many of the women with infants in the villages didn't speak French, we had to learn a specific set of questions in the local language (Agni). Among those questions was an inquiry if all the children a woman brought to be weighed were her own. I remember asking myself why this was important, but as I saw women regularly responding that these were not their own children - they would say things like "I'm the aunt" or "the birth mother passed" - it struck me. That was the moment I came face to face with the reality of maternal death.

That experience made a lasting impression and, when MSD for Mothers was established in 2011, I was drawn to its mission and potential impact. At that time, I was leading Regional Marketing for the HIV and hepatitis franchises in Latin America. The MSD for Mothers team reached out to me for insights, knowing that much of my HIV work dealt with access-related issues into public health systems. Soon leadership expressed that I could be a good fit for the MSD for Mothers team, based on my experience introducing medicines into the public sector and a global health background. While I joined MSD for Mothers in 2014, looking back, that experience at 18 in West Africa has come full circle. Nearly 35 years later, MSD is allowing me to address maternal mortality directly through purpose-driven investments intended to improve quality of care women receive during their pregnancy journey.

Since joining MSD for Mothers, have there been any particular projects or initiatives that have been especially meaningful or impactful to you?

What stands out most to me is not just the impact on my own life, but increasingly the impact on the global health space. Since the inception of MSD for Mothers, we have been working to advance maternal health through strategic investments that support evidence generation, influence policy at both the global and country levels and expand access to innovative solutions.

Specifically, the investments we've made to strengthen country response to address postpartum hemorrhage (severe or excessive bleeding after childbirth), the number one direct cause of maternal death globally, stand out. Our work has helped convene stakeholders across the global health community around urgent priorities to address persistent gaps in the prevention and management of postpartum hemorrhage. What's been really gratifying is that we're now seeing actual shifts in clinical practice that are directly based on our investments in this area.

Are there specific individuals whose experiences inspire your commitment to MSD for Mothers' mission to help end maternal mortality?

My mother was a nurse and has been a caregiver her entire life. I grew up watching her work in hospitals and eventually founding hospice in our Northern California county. She was always driven to improve health services for those in need. Watching her commitment to care and service has clearly rubbed off on me.

Additionally, Nelson Mandela is someone I've always admired. While he wasn't specifically focused on maternal mortality, he was always focused on public service and giving back to society.

That commitment to serving others and using one's platform for good resonates deeply with me. Knowing that MSD for Mothers is focused on helping to create a world where no woman has to die while giving life - which is such an emotional and profound issue for so many - it's a privilege to support this kind of initiative. I'm proud to do it personally, proud to do it for the initiative and really proud of our company for being willing to resource something like this.

One of my favorite Mandela quotes summarizes my sentiment well: “What counts as life is not the mere fact that we have lived; it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Mandela

What advice or guidance would you give to colleagues who are interested in becoming involved with MSD for Mothers or the work you do?

My advice is simple: If you're interested in the initiative and want to learn more, connect with someone on our Social Impact and Sustainability team. The key is connecting with the team so we can try and find the right fit for both you and our focused efforts.