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Q: A: My career has spanned more than two decades in the eyecare space, including in senior leadership roles at Allergan, Inspire, and—most recently—at Bausch + Lomb. I enjoyed the roles I had and the contributions I made to those companies. But when I was presented with an opportunity to head up the emerging Ophthalmics Business Unit within Shire, I couldn't turn it down. There were too many exciting opportu- nities to say no. Primarily, it meant I would have the luxury of hiring the team to lead this endeavor, and I would have the opportunity to build an anterior and posterior portfolio that has the potential to meet many unmet needs in the space. In addition, I admired Shire's mission: We are a company committed to the development of treatments for rare diseases and other specialty conditions. This resonated with me. I also liked the fact that Shire was committed to R&D. In fact, 20% of the overall team at Shire work in R&D. The opportunity to be part of a company that believes in and puts resources behind acquisitions as well as internal organic growth was a big draw for me as I see it as a strong indicator of staying power in the space. Based on our recent track record in these areas, including four significant acquisitions in eyecare in the last two years—a total investment of just over half a billion dollars—I'd say we are using our resources very well. Q&A with Bob Dempsey on his recent move to Shire To learn more about Shire in Ophthalmics, visit www.shire.com Follow Shire @shireplc Sponsored by Shire Ophthalmics. Copyright 2016 ASCRS Ophthalmic Corporation. All rights reserved. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial board, or the publisher, and in no way imply endorsement by EyeWorld or ASCRS. Bob, you're now heading the Ophthalmics Business Unit within Shire. What prompted your move? Q&A with Bob Dempsey A: At Shire, each business unit is encouraged to leverage an entrepreneurial spirit more typically associated with biotech, but with the resources more typical of a larger company. This approach has already yielded incredible results. For the Ophthalmics team in particular, we have more than 100 years of eyecare experience across commercial, medical affairs, and R&D, but we're very entrepreneurial in our outlook and we're determined to make a difference for patients and professionals alike. You've said that the Ophthalmics Business Unit has a very entrepreneurial outlook. Can you tell us more about that? Q: A: When I joined Shire as the vice president and business unit head, I had the luxury of building my own team and I could draw upon the relationships that I had built over the years to bring on board some of the most renowned and respected minds in the ophthalmics field. However, I also brought on individuals with both a solid business acumen and an open mind. Together, we're able to navigate through obstacles without losing sight of why we do what we do—and that's for the patients in need. What are the things you like most about working in this start-up-like environment? Q: A: I would advise anyone considering a move to a new and growing entity, as with any new change of career, to ask yourself: "What do you like about the company—its mission, the work, the team?" Be brutally honest with yourself about the answers. When days are hectic, you need to know why you're there and why you do what you do. What advice would you give those in big companies considering taking the leap and joining a new business unit or start-up? Q: 6

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