WASHINGTON, NJ, USA – Nov 8, 2017 – The Association of Commercial Professionals – Life Sciences (SAMPS) announces Kurt Mussina, General Manager, Frenova & Vice President, Fresenius Medical Care NA as the recipient of the first ever SAMPS SAMI Award for Mentorship.

The SAMI (Sales And Marketing in the life science Industry) Award recognizes an individual who has served as an outstanding mentor to individuals in the life sciences and made a significant difference in their careers. The award reflects the core focus of the SAMPS which is professional development for marketers and sales people in the life sciences. The SAMPS exists to serve its members and give them the competence, connections and market understanding to be more successful.

Kurt Mussina exemplifies exactly that.

Joe Dustin, now Principal of Mobile Health at Medidata, was one of the people he mentored. Kurt was Head of Sales when Joe was in IT and then a project manager at CRF Health. He saw something in Joe and took him on the road where, Joe says “Instead of being yelled at about timelines and budgets, I could help sell the real value of the company. Kurt told me people believed in me because they could see my passion and my belief in what we were doing. He said ‘You could do really well if you learned a few more things and here is what you need to know now…'” Joe continued, “He helped me chart out a career path when no path was being charted for me and gave me the mindset to consider things I wouldn’t have otherwise. A good boss cares about you, and not just what’s on a spreadsheet.”

Erin King, currently Vice President, Commercial and Strategic Analytics, PPD was another beneficiary of Kurt Mussina’s mentoring. She noted that “Kurt is a thought leader in our industry that openly shares best practices, advice and lessons learned in earnest in order to help those he has mentored.  I can always count on Kurt for directness, sincere advice and sound guidance.  He is engaged in helping to connect the right individuals with new growth opportunities and career paths.  I am pleased to see Kurt nominated for such a well-deserved award.”

Chuck Drucker, President of SAMPS, said, “We are very pleased to present this award to Kurt Mussina, who by his actions reflects exactly the purpose of the association – to help sales and marketers, working for suppliers of life science products and services, develop, grow, and find success by sharing our collective knowledge and experience.”