Medtech product manager Q&A: From market insights to patient impact in Southeast Asia
What does success look like for a Malaysia-based product manager at J&J MedTech? For Liz Y., it means connecting customer insights, specialized expertise and teams across markets to ensure surgical products reach the healthcare professionals and patients who need them. Find out more, including how you can join her, in this short Q&A.
Q: How would you define your role?
A: My job is to shape go-to-market and commercial strategy, work with marketing, sales, supply chain and regulatory teams, and translate customer needs and competitive dynamics into clear positioning and growth opportunities. As a medical device product manager, the overarching goal of our work is always top of mind: supporting the rollout of J&J’s surgical products across Southeast Asia in order to positively impact patients’ lives.
Q: What are the most important skills for a product manager at J&J?
A: Cross-cultural influence, prioritization and stakeholder management. For anyone building a healthcare marketing career, one of the first things I learned is how to adapt to different cultures and business styles—how to “speak the same language” as my colleagues across the region. When you’re working across markets without direct authority, strong relationships are essential.
Q: What has surprised you the most about the role?
A: Coming in, I truly believed that I should have the answer for every clinical or market question. But that isn’t really true at all. Strategy development is less about doing everything yourself and more about recognizing the unique strengths of each one of your teammates, then channeling them in the right direction. You could say that “know-how” becomes “know-who,” in a sense.
Q: How has that changed your approach?
A: Earlier in my career, my instinct was to take complete ownership of every task and try to do everything myself. When you step into a regional management position shaping strategy across APAC, that approach doesn’t scale.
I’ve found that building the right network is how you turn market insights into coordinated action and deliver value to our customers and patients. Success is about collaborating and aligning so that teams move in a shared direction.
Want to help shape the future of healthcare—and be part of what’s next?
If you’re interested in product management jobs like Liz’s, take a moment to explore opportunities at J&J in Malaysia. You should also:
- Find out more about J&J in Malaysia (including roles in Kuala Lumpur), meet other team members and explore programs for students
- Sign up for our global talent community—it’s the first place our recruiters look when they have a new role
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