Chris Kostka

50th Alumni Profiles
B.Sc. '77, M.Sc. '81 - Chris Kostka
Founding Partner, CoachWithin Inc.; Former Vice-President, Purdue Pharma
Career History Since Graduation CoachWithin Inc: Founding Partner, 2014 – Present

Purdue Pharma: Vice President, Marketing, 2012 – 2013, Vice President, Health Solutions, 2004 – 2012, Director of Sales, 1999 – 2003

Bayer Healthcare: Regional Business Director, Ontario Region, 1997 – 1999

Market Force Communications Inc: Senior Director, 1995 – 1996

Minerva CME Group Inc: General Manager, 1992-1995

Medical Education Network Inc: Group Marketing Manager, 1990-1992

Earlier experience in increasingly responsible roles with global pharma companies, as a sales rep with Astra Pharma and Manager, Sales Training with Boehringer Ingelheim through to Senior Product Manager with Bristol Myers Squibb, 1983 - 1989

York University: Varsity Hockey Coach, Lecturer, Residence Tutor, 1980 – 1982
Most Memorable York University Experience Chris has so many great York experiences, but here are just a few – research from Masters program was accepted for publication in two peer reviewed journals – research was also accepted for presentation at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meetings – as Varsity Hockey Player received a OUA first team all-star selection and named team captain – as York’s Varsity Hockey Coach took a bottom place team to a CIS 7th ranking nationally and a OUA semi-final appearance – was a founding committee member for the York Sports Hall of Fame – Loved being a residence Don and Tutor – In the late ‘90s returned to York completing a Schulich School of business executive development program and won their two team strategic planning competitions.
York University Anecdote or Highlight York’s raison d’etre, ‘tentanda via' translates to ‘the way must be tried’ captivated Chris in many ways. It stoked his passion for understanding human performance, how to improve it and application of what he learned through his academic and athletic endeavours.
As a grad student, Chris created 5 and 10 mile running routes around campus to test psychological and physiological concepts gleaned from his teachings. Psychologically, he would enter altered states of consciousness to induce a relaxation response while jogging. These techniques became valuable tools for coping with the stresses of business and life.
Physiologically, he used running to improve maximal oxygen uptake and other key performance parameters. He remembers taking a graduate course in cardiovascular physiology as taught by Professor Norm Gledhill. In the lab portion of the course, Chris’ VO2max was measured at 5.95 litres of oxygen per minute. Apparently, Dr. Gledhill didn’t believe the outcome because it was at the level of a world class athlete. So, he made Chris do a second measurement and low and behold the result was the same.
On another occasion Chris was finishing off one of his long runs with a strong kick, sprinting to the finish. Unknowingly he was being watched by Dave Smith, the Cross Country Team coach at the time. Dave Smith approached Chris and asked him to join his team, but declined as he was already playing varsity hockey and rugby.
York helped Chris realize anything is possible and provided a solid foundation of values for how he would operate in business and life. And, in the spirit of ‘tentanda via’ he developed a raison d’etre as said best in the writings of Lao Tzu,
“Go to the people, live with them, learn from them, love them, start with what they know, build with what they have. When the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say, we have done this ourselves.”
Highlight(s) of Professional Career - Earned highest employee engagement score for a department (84%) compared to Best Canadian Employers (79%) and company overall (75%).

- Outperformed the competition based on customer ratings of field reps (6.1 vs. 4.0 on scale of 7.0) a direct result of championing best practices approach to sales force effectiveness.

- Achieved exceptional sales growth of more than $300M. Increased dollar market share from 32.5% to 56% for major therapeutic area. Sales per rep grew from $1.3M to $4.1M improving ranking from 21st to 4th in the industry.

- Built a specialty sales division and launched a product into a new therapeutic area that turned a profit in the second year meeting the strategic goal of broadening company portfolio.

- Successfully implemented a change management initiative to better align sales and marketing with company’s vision improving focus on patient centred health solutions.

- Earned the highest leadership ratings across all 7 business divisions at multinational health care company. Identified as high potential candidate for career advancement.

- As part of senior management teams started up several successful new business ventures and divisions.

- As head hockey coach took a bottom place team to a CIS 7th place ranking and an OUA semi-final appearance applying coaching and management strategies from mentors.
Community Involvements/Contributions (Local to International) Committee Member, Pickering Mayor’s Charity Events Program
Career Advisor, University of Ontario Institute of Technology Varsity Hockey Program
Vice-President, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Ajax Chapter
Co-Chair, York University Hockey Team Alumni Committee
Chair, Program Committee, Ontario Pharmaceutical Marketing Association
Honours and Awards Highest employee engagement scores, Purdue Pharma, Pickering, Ontario
Highest leadership ratings in the company, Bayer Inc. Toronto, Ontario
First Prize for both Strategic Planning Team Competitions at Executive Development Program, Schulich School of Business, York University
Father-Son Alternate Shot Club Champion, Whitevale Golf Club, Pickering, Ontario
President’s Award of Excellence, Bristol Myers Pharmaceutical Group, Ottawa, Ontario
OUA Coach of the Year, York University Varsity Hockey Team
OUA First Team All Star Defenseman, York University Varsity Hockey Team
Captain, York University Varsity Hockey Team
High School Athlete of the Year, David and Mary Thomson C.I.