Invisible, Essential and Overloaded: Rethinking Medical Operations

Published 3 August 2026

Medical operations teams are often essential to the work of medical affairs, yet much of their contribution remains unseen. At the same time, growing workloads, limited resources and constant interruptions can leave teams operating in a cycle of reactive support.

In this episode of Cognitio, webinar convener Lee-Mai Pang speaks with Sanofi medical operations leader Menai Johnson about breaking that cycle. Drawing on a practical organisational example, they explore how accountability can gradually shift towards medical operations, why this creates dependency and cognitive overload, and how capability building, clearer governance and risk-based implementation can return responsibility to the appropriate teams. The discussion also considers practical ways to protect capacity, say yes differently and reposition medical operations as a strategic partner focused on outcomes and impact