In this episode of Healthcare Uncensored, host Rani Khetarpal sits down with Barbara Salami, Vice President and former executive at Moderna and Novo Nordisk, to explore how kindness, innovation, and leadership can transform healthcare organizations.

Barbara shares her inspiring journey from Nigeria to the U.S., discussing the challenges of cultural transition, her path through diverse roles in pharma and tech, and the personal values that have guided her rise to senior leadership.

Together, Rani and Barbara dive deep into what it truly means to lead with kindness in an industry where decisions can mean life or death. They also discuss how AI and digital transformation are reshaping the future of healthcare — and why leaders must balance efficiency with humanity to drive meaningful change.

Meet the Guest: Barbara Salami

Barbara Salami is a seasoned healthcare leader with over two decades of experience driving digital innovation, commercial excellence, and customer experience strategy. She currently serves as a Vice President and has held senior roles at some of the world’s most influential life sciences companies, including Moderna, Novo Nordisk, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Shire, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, and Aetna.

At Moderna, Barbara served as VP of Digital for Commercial, where she built and scaled the company’s digital ecosystem to support its rapid global growth. Her work focused on simplifying complex systems, building AI-driven insights, and creating frictionless experiences for patients, providers, and partners.

Passionate about STEM education, diversity, and inclusion, Barbara co-founded STEM Dragons, a program teaching coding fundamentals to K–8 students. She is a sought-after speaker on leadership, innovation, and the future of healthcare, and she actively mentors emerging leaders in the industry.

Barbara holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from Penn State University. She is also a proud mother of three and an advocate for building compassionate, human-centered healthcare experiences.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Barbara’s journey from Nigeria to the U.S. and how it shaped her leadership style.
• Why kindness is a leadership superpower — and why it’s often misunderstood.
• The difference between kindness and empathy in driving team culture and success.
• How organizational friction forms and why removing it is so difficult.
• The evolving role of AI in healthcare and how it can balance efficiency with humanity.
• Why leaders must be bold enough to disrupt outdated systems to truly innovate.

Barbara’s predictions for how healthcare will evolve over the next 12 months.

Connect with Barbara Salami:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarasalami/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/rani-khetarpal/

In this episode of Healthcare Uncensored, host Rani Khetarpal sits down with Zak Eisenberg, Partner at Merritt Healthcare Advisors, to demystify the world of healthcare investment banking and uncover what truly makes a company attractive in today’s market. From co-founding an edtech startup in college to advising on strategic transactions for ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals, Zak brings a rare blend of entrepreneurial grit and financial strategy to the conversation.

Rani and Zak explore the ins and outs of mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and deal-making in a highly regulated, politically influenced industry. They also tackle the growing role of AI in healthcare, the shifting venture capital landscape, and what it really means to be a value-added partner—not just a banker.

Meet the Guest: Zak Eisenberg

Zak Eisenberg is a Partner at Merritt Healthcare Advisors, where he advises health system leaders, physicians, and investors on strategic transactions in ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals. With a background in venture capital, entrepreneurship, and private equity, Zak brings a uniquely cross-sector perspective to healthcare M&A. He specializes in deal origination, capital structuring, and strategic growth, bridging clinical operations with long-term value creation across the healthcare ecosystem.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How Zak’s unconventional path from acting student to startup founder shaped his career
• The role and real function of investment banks in healthcare (hint: it's not just raising money)
• Why Merritt Healthcare Advisors focuses exclusively on the lower-to-middle market
• Key indicators that make a healthcare company "investment ready"
• Why relationship-building is core to successful healthcare transactions
• The impact of AI on provider workflows, patient interaction, and diagnostics
• What venture capital firms are really looking for in the current climate
• How AI hype is creating noise—and where Zak sees real, sustainable value

Connect with Zak Eisenberg

🔗 https://merrittadvisory.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/rani-khetarpal/