Meet Sally Wiebe, one of ZAGENO’s dedicated Customer Success Managers (CSM). Sally’s job is to ensure that her pharmaceutical clients from all over the world have the smoothest experience possible with ZAGENO's lab supply purchasing platform. With a curious mind and an eagerness to help, Sally balances her day between strategic problem-solving, building relationships, and keeping researchers on track with their procurement needs.
Morning Ritual: Coffee, Podcasts, and Global Check-Ins
Sally’s day starts like many of ours—with coffee. But before diving into her to-do list, she listens to a podcast—she likes Pivot with Kara Swisher and The Art of Procurement with Philip Ideson—to get her in the zone. After that, she checks in on ZAGENO’s global activity, keeping a pulse on what her international colleagues have been working on overnight. “I prioritize and address pings according to my primary objective, which is always, ‘How can I make it easier and more visible to end users when their orders are arriving?’” says Sally.
One Less Worry for Researchers
The supply chain is a complicated animal, and hiccups can arise at any point in the procurement process. Sally’s goal is to anticipate and resolve these hiccups. “Our primary responsibility is to buyers who need to place their orders efficiently and make sure they get them on time. The last thing they should worry about is where their orders are. It's the whole reason they're working with us,” Sally shares.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Sally’s day is all about communication. Researchers often reach out to check on an order or ask a question about ZAGENO’s platform. Sally is easily reachable via email, but for her, nothing beats a virtual call or an in-person meeting.
Delivery Stress, Handled
One of the most fulfilling parts of Sally’s job is tackling challenges head-on. Whether it’s resolving a shipping issue or navigating a vendor delay, she is always ready to help her clients keep their research on track. “Researchers rely on us to manage the logistics so they can focus on their work,” Sally explains. “If there’s ever an issue, my job is to make sure that they know we’re on it and give them a clear path forward.”
Going Above and Beyond: A Success Story
Sally’s commitment to helping her clients shines through in her work. She recounts a recent success story where ZAGENO’s transparency helped a pharmaceutical team improve their internal order tracking. “They needed visibility across multiple lab locations,” she says. “We were able to help each team track orders across departments, which significantly reduced overspending and improved efficiency.”
We’ll Take it From Here
Usually, roles like category or lab managers are responsible for tracking vendor deliveries and ensuring inventory is on point. But with ZAGENO, Sally and her team handle it all. From the moment a pharmaceutical or biotech client joins, they have access to thousands of vendors without having to worry about managing them directly. When a client needs a new vendor, Sally and ZAGENO jump in to onboard them, taking the hassle out of setup and vendor relationships. As the marketplace grows, Sally keeps clients informed of new suppliers. For suppliers, the experience is seamless too. They continue working with the pharma companies they know, but ZAGENO simplifies billing and communication—making things easier on both sides.
“ZAGENO is especially useful to lab and category managers who oversee vendor relationships: we make it possible for the pharma or biotech to maintain their relationship with a trusted vendor, now via ZAGENO’s management.”
— Sally Wiebe, CSM, ZAGENO
Two for the Price of One: CSM + Strategic Consulting
Sally’s role goes beyond day-to-day support. “By having an eagle-eye view of the entire buying organization, I proactively find ways that teams can better use ZAGENO’s platform to meet their broader goals.” For example, she recently worked with a pharma company to streamline their order processes, reducing cycle times and saving valuable research hours.
Happy Labs, Happy Suppliers
Sally noted that humility is key to her role, recognizing that ZAGENO operates at the start of the supply chain, acting as a supportive partner in the broader research process. She emphasized that the best partnerships are those where clients collaborate with ZAGENO to expand their access, reducing the need to manage vendor relationships themselves. Sally’s work is to ensure that both clients and suppliers build and maintain strong, productive relationships.
Keeping it Compliant
Researchers and category managers juggle a lot, and procuring certain products isn’t as simple as clicking a button. That’s why Sally and ZAGENO step in to manage specialized needs, like products requiring a radioactive license. Her team tracks the licenses and expiration dates to make sure everything’s compliant, and deliveries stay on schedule. By handling the paperwork and ensuring orders meet regulatory requirements, ZAGENO helps clients stay compliant without the added hassle.
Better Call Sally
What drives Sally? “I really do love being curious in my job,” she admits. “When you get into Customer Success, it's because you're curious about how a product works and how you can help others use it better.” Whether it’s solving supply chain issues or ensuring compliance, Sally finds satisfaction in knowing she’s helped clients focus more on what really matters—advancing their research and innovation.
If you’d like to talk to Sally about how she and ZAGENO can ease your workload and help you navigate the challenges of procurement with confidence, reach out today!
More About Sally
Sally Wiebe, based in Washington, DC, joined ZAGENO in January 2022 with a mission to showcase the company's catalog and services to researchers and buyers. Her goal is to help pharmaceutical companies quickly streamline their lab supply spending and make procurement more efficient. Sally thrives on creating "eureka" moments across organizations, whether through in-person meetings or virtual interactions. With a balance of creativity and analysis, she transforms customer and product insights into content that resonates with both leads and end users. Her passion for brand management drives her to bring fresh ideas to the table every day.
