Meet our industry expert and Principal Advisor, Sharon Montgomery, MA, RPh. Sharon, a licensed pharmacist and RxBenefits’ Principal Advisor, started her career in the pharmaceutical industry at a young age. After being recruited at her college’s career day, Sharon began her first professional job as a pharmaceutical sales representative, launching a more than 30-year career in pharmacy. With over three decades of managed pharmacy and healthcare experience, she’s worked for and with companies that include hospital systems, health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, consulting firms, home health care, and retail pharmacies.
From Career Day to Today
Today, as RxBenefits’ Principal Advisor, Sharon’s primary responsibilities include consulting with strategic business partners and clients and supporting business development on national accounts. Sharon’s time in the industry and multifaceted background have enabled her to establish numerous areas of expertise that she utilizes today to partner with clients and develop pharmacy benefit strategies tailored to their unique healthcare benefits goals. According to Sharon, “The most challenging and most fulfilling aspect of my job is truly understanding the client’s needs and solving for those needs.”
Wisdom of Experience
Experience is the best teacher, and all these years in the industry can translate to many lessons learned for Sharon. She explains the most significant lesson in her career hasn’t been just one thing, but many.
“I have learned many lessons, from the reward of taking calculated risks to the importance of speaking up to the value of perception. The two biggest lessons I tell my pharmacy students are: 1) always ‘work outside of your job description,’ meaning never say that is not my job, stretch yourself by asking for additional responsibilities, and always be curious and eager to learn more, and 2) the importance of building and cultivating relationships, including having a mentor and a sponsor.”
Balancing Act of Activities
While Sharon is a true Washingtonian, born and raised in Washington, D.C., she currently resides in Georgia. Her latest special interest is anything and everything wedding-related. Her two daughters are engaged, with one having set her date for next year! Outside of her work and wedding planning responsibilities, Sharon balances a variety of fun and charitable extracurricular activities.
Some of her favorite pastimes include traveling, visiting museums, watching movies, and being a “foodie” with her husband – even starting a list together of the best things to do and best places to eat in Georgia. She also enjoys reading, shopping, and donating resources and time to homeless women in Georgia and to helping pharmacy students with their career planning.
