Our leadership team believes in the quality of its people, its projects, and its customers. We're not about numbers, though numbers matter; we're about delivering the highest quality work in a family-friendly environment that supports personal and professional growth.

Starting with our founder and CEO, our leaders are world-class.

Deborah B. Wood, MFA Deborah B. Wood, MFA
Chief Executive Officer,
DWA Healthcare Communications Group

Deborah is the head, heart, and soul of DWA. Hers is the vision that keeps the company relevant, creative, collegial, and compliant.

With more than 18 years of experience in healthcare marketing, education, and communications, preceded by 10 years in management with Fortune 500 companies, Deborah is highly recognized in the industry for her visionary leadership, innovation, and the successful execution of her entrepreneurial endeavors. Thanks to Deborah’s experience and commitment to the industry and community, DWA has earned the ranking of Top 25 Woman-Owned Businesses in Indiana and the 2010 Indiana Companies to Watch list. Deborah was named one of the “100 Most Inspiring People in the Life-Sciences Industry” in 2010 by the readers of PharmaVOICE magazine. Additionally, Deborah’s role in the community reflects her commitment to helping Indiana. DWA is a United Way company, and Deborah is a member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, among other volunteer leadership positions. She has served in many capacities for various charitable causes in Hamilton and Marion counties and, along with DWA, has received a plethora of community awards.

As a business owner, Deborah has created an environment that is inspired by the customer—one that continues to evolve and exceed customer expectations, as evidenced by recognitions such as the 2010 Lilly Sustained Supplier of the Year award. Along with dedication to the customer, Deborah places equal importance on providing a positive and rewarding work environment. All employees have the opportunity to learn and grow professionally and are recognized and for their achievements. As a result of Deborah’s thoughtful management, DWA has been recognized as a Top Workplace in Indiana by the Indianapolis Star.

A graduate of Vincennes University with a Bachelor of Science degree, followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Evansville, Deborah holds a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Nebraska.

 

William L. Brooks William L. Brooks, MSSM
Chief Operating Officer,
DWA Healthcare Communications Group

Bill oversees the corporate engine, making sure the corporate people and processes work as a whole and keeping our services and resources fine-tuned and fit for the future.

Bill Brooks joined DWA in 2000 and shares more than 35 years of leadership and management experience. Bill’s knowledge has contributed to the company’s successful growth and diversification by incorporating information technology, process improvement, quality control, and resource management, including staff career development models, into the business mix, along with leading-edge data management, Web conferencing, fulfillment, and multimedia services. He is certified as a project manager and acquisition professional at the highest level within the Department of Defense and is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI). He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Prior to DWA, Bill was an officer in the United States Air Force. In the private sector, he led operations for several complex, highly visible public and private organizations, including various business units in the commercial printing and insurance industries. His project management experience includes large technology, corporate acquisition, and business development projects. He is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute and holds a Master of Science degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

 

Monica Nelson Monica Nelson, CPA
Chief Financial Officer,
DWA Healthcare Communications Group

Monica pays the bills and keeps the financial ship sailing smoothly. Her penny wise management style opens avenues for investment and growth.

As Chief Financial Officer, Monica oversees all aspects of DWA’s Accounting Department, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, cash collections, and payroll. Her current responsibilities include treasury management, internal and external financial reporting, contract negotiations, and tax and regulatory compliance issues. A Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Indiana CPA Society, Monica has more than 15 years of experience in public and industry accounting. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Indiana University Bloomington, where she graduated with high distinction.

 

Leslie Doane Leslie Doane, SPHR
Executive Director, Human Resources and Corporate Compliance
DWA Corporate Services Division

Leslie is our people person. She ensures that employees have the compensation, resources, and training they need to provide optimal service, advance professionally, and work collaboratively.

Leslie Doane joined DWA in 2002, and she has been an integral part of the human resources team ever since, sharing her expertise in development and training. She is certified by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and its local affiliate, Indy SHRM. Leslie has a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University and a Certificate of Human Resource Management from Indianapolis University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. Prior to joining DWA, she worked in the private education sector.

 

Bruce J. Bellande, PhD, FACME, CCMEP Bruce J. Bellande, PhD, FACME, CCMEP
Chief Education Officer and Chief Compliance Officer,
DWA Medical Science and Education Division

Bruce sees lifelong clinician learning as the key to improved healthcare outcomes at lower costs and regulatory compliance as a touchstone to credibility with patients and payers. He’s put adult learning principles at the foundation of medical and scientific content development.

With a career spanning more than 30 years in the disciplines of lifelong learning, continuing professional development, and continuing medical education, Bruce leads DWA’s medical science and education experts in the design, development, delivery, and measurement of evidence-based medical education, while also overseeing the DWA compliance program. Prior to joining DWA's Medical Science and Education Division, he served as President of CME Enterprise, Director of Education of the Southern Medical Association and Executive Director of the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education (ACME), guiding that organization to national prominence. He is a Certified Continuing Medical Education Professional, a Fellow of ACME, and the recipient of the ACME Outstanding Leadership Award. Bruce earned his PhD in Healthcare Administration from the University of Mississippi and completed training at Harvard University's Institutes for the Management of Lifelong Learning and Leadership in Continuing Professional Education.

 

Murali Gopal, MD Murali Gopal, MD
Chief Medical Officer,
DWA Medical Science and Education Division

Murali sees education with a practitioner’s eye for relevance and a scientist’s passion for evidence and objectivity. His team puts facts into a clinical perspective to help clinicians help patients every day.

Murali provides executive leadership, strategic vision, medical expertise, and inspirational enthusiasm to a team of scientists, medical writers, editors, researchers, and reference librarians who develop educationally sound medical and scientific content for disease state programs and other activities.

A psychiatrist and clinical researcher, Murali has a strong background in providing medical support for business planning and the development of marketing and medical education materials, as well as other medical deliverables. Murali began his career in clinical work and practiced medicine in the field of psychiatry, serving as medical director for several psychiatric healthcare facilities, before joining the pharmaceutical world and working for a large pharmaceutical company. His extensive experience in navigating regulatory, scientific, legal, and marketing considerations helps advance the medical science and education team creatively through the highly charged field of medical communication.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Penn State, his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine, and completed his residency training in Psychiatry at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. He served as an elected member of the American Psychiatric Association Assembly for seven years.

 

Samantha Schwartz Samantha Schwartz
Executive Director, Avant Media Manager Product Development
DWA Corporate Operations Division

Samantha manages the Avant Media Manager© product team to ensure that clients’ presentations and other media messages remain up-to-date, correct, and compliant.

As Director of Avant Media Manager Product Management, Samantha is accountable for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Avant Media Manager product and support systems, including the development of strategic plans to grow the business, supervision of the product team, and creation of department goals, objectives, and processes. She also oversees cross-functional team efforts, including all vendor/contract relationships. Avant Media Manager is a turnkey product developed in-house to address client needs for a simple, effective, versatile, yet compliant content management system for multiple-use slide presentations. It facilitates version control and regulatory compliance while allowing for individual faculty variation and frequent updating and revision.

Samantha was previously Director of Business Affairs for Avant, where she drove business development and sales achievement within diversified accounts, developed market position and implementation plans, and managed internal business operations. She also served as Director of Avant Account Management, leading a team of 20-plus client services account executives. She completed the 40-hour Project Management Institute training course and is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.

Samantha has more than 12 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including a position as a top-performing sales representative at a major pharmaceutical company. In that position, she handled a multimillion dollar account and launched four products into the marketplace. She earned her degree in Telecommunications from Indiana University, where she graduated with highest distinction and was elected into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society upon graduation. She joined DWA in 2004.

 

Tammy Prouty Tammy Prouty
Chief Officer,
Avant Healthcare Marketing

Tammy Prouty is the Chief Officer of Avant Healthcare Marketing. Tammy leads a team of medical and marketing professionals providing strategic and objective-driven solutions to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device clients. Her leadership guides all sectors of the company’s operations, including strategic, medical, and sales initiatives.

Tammy’s leadership has helped Avant increase client satisfaction, generate referrals, and diversify our client roster. Before Avant, Tammy spent more than nine years as a marketer in the neuroscience business unit at a major pharmaceutical company. Her core responsibilities included the development of thought leader strategies, design of customer programming, and oversight of direct-to-healthcare professional relationships and initiatives.

Tammy received her Bachelor of Business Administration with highest honors from Marian University. She is trained in the principles of the Project Management Body of Knowledge through the Project Management Institute. She is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

 

Tammy Prouty Robyn Snyder
Activity Management Director,
CME Enterprise

Robyn skillfully orchestrates the myriad talents and needs of multiple partners as CME Enterprise embraces collaboration and systems thinking to deliver effective, evidence-based continuing medical education addressing national public health priorities.

With nearly a decade of experience managing continuing medical education activities, Robyn brings a wealth of expertise in program planning, communication, and process creation and management to the delivery of high-quality live and enduring educational activities on time and within budget. In addition, her years of experience interacting with commercial supporters, associations, and providers on a variety of CME activity-related issues have given her a deft touch in serving as the functional manager of a number of multi-partner collaborative initiatives. She also mentors and trains a team of activity managers.

Prior to joining the company in 2001, Robyn served as a project manager for Lockheed Martin IMS and Netgov.com; she also spent five years as the Director of Hiring and Training and Alternative Programming for the Marion Superior Court Juvenile Division in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from DePauw University and a Certificate in Public Management from Indiana University, Indianapolis. She has completed the 36-hour training course in PMI principles and is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

 

Debbie Routh, PMP
Director, Multimedia and Design Services,
DWA Corporate Operations Division

Debbie leads a talented group of multimedia, design, and PowerPoint specialists dedicated to crafting superior and engaging deliverables of unmatched quality and resonance.

Debbie is the Director of the Multimedia and Design Services Department (MMDS). She joined DWA Healthcare Communications Group in March 2005, bringing with her 15 years of account management and business consulting experience. Currently, she manages a staff of creative experts serving both promotional and disease state programs. Her department is charged with the responsibility to transform marketing strategies, scientific data, and educational concepts into meaningful user experiences that generate positive outcomes with healthcare professionals.

Debbie is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) as well as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She chairs the corporate Project Management Office (PMO) Advisory Board and serves as a liaison to the PMO Steering Committee.

Her experience in the industry includes extensive knowledge of pharmaceutical promotional material guidelines and the DDMAC submission process, promotional material components and claim requirements, as well as peer to peer marketing strategies. Debbie has logged over 4500 hours leading and directing project tasks and achieving customer objectives. She has also led and served on numerous infrastructure projects to improve the corporations’ standard operating procedures. Debbie earned her bachelor's degree from Indiana University.

 


           

 

Marianne McLean
Director, Implementation Services 
DWA Corporate Operations Division

Marianne is responsible for upholding the customer service and quality standards of five departments and fostering innovation through visionary leadership, teamwork, and guidance.

Marianne is the Director of Implementation Services, where she is responsible for the oversight of Project Support Services, Logistics Services, Event Recruitment Services, Copyediting Services, and Fulfillment Services.

Prior to her current role, Marianne was Senior Manager and Director of Corporate Training Services, where she managed all aspects of the creation and development of the department, as well as collaborated on and developed the orientation and training plans for the corporate onboarding program at DWA. Additionally, along with the Design for Lean Six Sigma Team, she created and implemented DWA U, the continuing professional development program that seeks to enrich and enhance the development of DWA employees company-wide.

A Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Marianne’s extensive background in professional development includes the completion of Harvard Manage Mentor, Microsoft Project 2007, and the Project Management Institute courses.