Assisi Consulting was founded by Melissa Olivadoti, PhD CMPP, a Neuroscientist and former Head of Medical Affairs (Verrica) and VP of Scientific Strategy (OPEN Health).
Having worked directly in publications, as an MSL, and in headquarters roles, she combines 16+ years of in-house and consulting experience with a reputation for collaboration, integrity, and getting things done. Read below to learn more about Melissa.
Background
After earning a PhD in Neuroscience, Melissa got her start as a Publications Manager for a large Pharma company, coordinating up to 120 projects at any given time. After a colleague told her she would be great as an MSL, she landed her first role with a medium-sized pharma company, juggling a territory of up to 12 states at one time. During her time as an MSL she built training programs for her own MSL teams, along with those in headquarters, sales, and payor, and mentored junior team members in several companies and disease states, while building KOL relationships and bringing in key insights. She also earned a Certification in Medical Publications Planning and continued her passion for disseminating important information through publications.
As an MSL during an acquisition of her parent company, Melissa was promoted to a Director of Medical Affairs at Pfizer where she worked on projects including CME, training, PRC and MRC, Advisory Boards, and publications, and managed the multi-million dollar budget of the unit. Melissa then transitioned into a role as the Head of Medical Affairs for a small start-up company, building out the Medical Affairs organization.
While searching for greater variety, Melissa was recruited into consulting by a former colleague, and has never looked back. During her time as a consultant and Vice President, Scientific Strategy, she created and executed on strategic plans for different sizes and structures of organizations, helping their therapies and innovations succeed in the marketplace.
In the Summer of 2023 Melissa found herself at a crossroads with a change in focus in her unit away from smaller companies. Her passion to help start ups and small organizations early in the development phase led Melissa to take the leap into independent consulting. She loves the challenge of assisting organizations in compliant education, building trust and relationships, and executing for maximal valuation and successful launches
Current Activities
Melissa currently works with Pharma, Biotech, Nutraceutical, and Supplement companies in many disease states, conditions, and stages of development. She thrives in the role as an all-in-one strategist, content creator, and problem-solver for whatever activities her clients need.
Services and Offerings
For more information on what Melissa can offer, please visit our Services page.
What’s in a Name?
Names hold power. We often get asked “Why did you name your company Assisi Consulting?” Two reasons:
In Italy, the city of Assisi has a temple built to honor Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and strategy, which is at the heart of all of Assisi Consulting’s activities.
Saint Francis of Assisi is known as the patron saint of animals. Melissa has a passion for animal rescue and has been fostering special needs animals since 2002. She donates a portion of her yearly salary to several deserving animal rescue organizations across the Las Vegas valley and volunteers as a dog walker and fundraiser. As she often says: “Work pays the bills, but fostering and volunteering feeds my soul”. Adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate to Nevada SPCA.