In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I had the privilege of welcoming two inspiring guests, Mary Beth Sandin and Kristina Fusella. It was my first time hosting two people at once, and the conversation felt like sitting down with old friends who have walked similar roads of challenge, growth, and self-discovery. Together, we explored what it means to stay grounded when life feels uncertain and why asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather an act of genuine strength.
Kristina shared how her Taekwondo practice has shaped her understanding of balance, both physically and emotionally. Her reflections reminded me that being unshakeable is not about staying perfectly still, but about finding stability while in motion. Mary Beth brought a different kind of insight, showing how self-awareness, preparation, and allyship can create calm even in moments of chaos. Hearing both of them speak so openly about fear, confidence, and connection felt deeply human.
What stayed with me most was our discussion about grace, vulnerability, and the quiet courage it takes to ask for support. We discussed the unrealistic expectations women often place on themselves, the importance of having allies, and how small moments of encouragement can have a profound impact. If you are someone trying to hold it all together, this conversation will remind you that strength often begins the moment you decide to reach out.
About Kristina Fusella
Kristina Jiali Fusella is a purpose-driven, transformational commercial leader with deep expertise in market access, brand marketing, commercial strategy, sales planning, analytics, and insights across the pharmaceutical sector. Leveraging a courageous and team-focused leadership approach, she relentlessly pursues excellence while championing innovation and continuous improvement. Comfortable in the face of uncertainty, Kristina translates complex analytics into actionable strategies while navigating ambiguity to unearth growth opportunities.
Since joining Novo Nordisk in 2015, Kristina has advanced through multiple key positions. Kristina was recently selected as high-potential talent for a one-year rotation to accelerate her leadership readiness. As part of that, she became the Senior Director, Capabilities, Employee Experience at Novo Nordisk. Currently, she is National Director, Cardiometabolic Educators, Commercial Execution – Cardiometabolic Sales. In that role, she leads a team of 240 Educators and 26 Educator Managers in the sales organization, driving execution excellence in market shaping efforts ahead of new launches, setting clear priorities, and ensuring team culture and motivation.
Prior to her one-year rotation, Kristina was Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Executive Support for Strategy and Rare Disease. As a pivotal member of the senior leadership team, she served as the senior vice president’s chief of staff, ensuring the commercial unit’s seamless functioning while providing strategic insights that help build a sustainable future beyond the core business. Kristina spearheaded the strategic planning process for the rare disease and future business group, translating a long-term strategy into actionable yearly plans across multiple therapy areas. At Novo Nordisk, Kristina has also served as co-lead of two of the company’s biggest ERGs, Millennials and Women in Novo Nordisk.
About Mary Beth Sandin
Mary Beth Sandin is a distinguished biopharma executive and commercial leader with over 25 years of experience driving global brand strategy, organizational transformation, and enterprise communications for industry innovators spanning large pharma and clinical-stage biotech firms. With a career anchored by influential roles at Pfizer, including Executive Global Commercial Lead and Global Brand Leader for multi-billion-dollar portfolios, and most recently as Vice President, Head of Marketing and Communications at Affimed, Mary Beth has built and led commercial and marketing functions from the ground up, delivering repeatable success in brand launches, stakeholder engagement, and value-driven pipeline advancement.
Renowned for her ability to align C-suite and board agendas to achieve strategic launch objectives in highly competitive environments, Mary Beth is a trusted advisor recognized for translating complex scientific value into clear, compelling narratives for investors, physicians, and patients alike. She excels in orchestrating enterprise-wide commercial communications, securing impactful brand integrations, and fostering healthy, collaborative cultures, consistently exceeding organizational goals in dynamic, global environments.
Her leadership journey includes architecting Affimed’s first global commercial capability, guiding the company’s transformation from a platform technology firm to a mid-stage clinical innovator in immuno-oncology. She pioneered best practices in communications and commercialization across both Affimed and Pfizer, spearheading initiatives in media, advocacy relations, investor relations, and patient engagement while driving milestone messaging and reputational strategy for high-stakes disclosures.
As an independent partner and advisor, Mary Beth supports early-stage biotechs and pharma organizations in commercial innovation, investor communications, and cross-functional alignment, shaping investor-ready narratives and advising senior leadership on market differentiation and value creation. Her global experience encompasses directing commercialization strategies for portfolios covering women’s health, mental health, and smoking cessation, partnering with teams across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Mary Beth’s influence extends to thought leadership and public speaking, including contributions to professional forums and published articles on women’s leadership, equity, and versatility within the life sciences sector. She holds a Master of International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor of Arts in International Management from Eckerd College.
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
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