ૐ શાંતિ, ૐ શાંતિ, ૐ શાંતિ Arpana Dangol – Brand Management 147
I first met Arpana Dangol in January 2010. She was then a young brand executive at Quest Pharma, a respected Nepal‑based pharmaceutical company, attending a training program I was conducting for their managers.
From the very first day, Arpana stood out. She was a keen learner, hungry for knowledge. She kept asking about books on brand management, especially whether anything existed specifically for pharma brand management. Her curiosity was sincere, deep, and relentless.
At the end of the program, she gently suggested that I should write a book on pharma brand management. I smiled and dismissed it lightly. I did not take her seriously.
But Arpana did not give up.
Even after I returned to India, her questions continued, email after email, thought after thought. Her online training in pharma brand management went on… and in the process, my own learning grew. Many times, I had to visit the British Library to find answers to her questions.
In a very real sense, she became my teacher. We shared a beautiful bond; the true Sanatan Dharma Guru‑Shishya Parampara.
One Saturday afternoon, a few months later, she called me again. With her gentle insistence, she urged me once more to write that book. Something in her voice moved me. I finally took her suggestion seriously.
And thus, was born the first book ever written specifically for pharma brand managers: “WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM THE BRAND MANAGER.”
The book became a big success. I went on to write the second edition — “WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM THE BRAND MANAGER – Overcome The Tough Challenges In Pharma Branding.”
On the very day the e‑version of this book was released, a message arrived from Kathmandu.
Arpana had passed away. A sudden bout of pneumonia. Just 25 years old. Married only a couple of months earlier.
I was shocked. Stunned. Broken. She left behind a heart‑broken teacher who owed her more than she ever knew.
My later edition, “WHAT THE 21st CENTURY PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM THE BRAND MANAGER – Overcome The Tough Challenges In Pharma Branding,” is also dedicated to Arpana Dangol, the bright student who became my teacher, and whose gentle nudge created a legacy in pharma brand management.
ૐ શાંતિ, ૐ શાંતિ, ૐ શાંતિ