By Pete Mercer
In a recent episode of the Repertoire Podcast, host Scott Adams spoke to Audra Jones, senior vice president and head of North America for QuidelOrtho, about her role at the company, where the organization is headed, and the importance of manufacturer-distributor relationships in delivering value to clients.
Delivering value together
To spark fresh thinking on how to amplify the customer experience and use small moments to build deeper relationships with customers, QuidelOrtho invited Jesse Cole, founder of Fans First Entertainment and owner of the Savannah Bananas, to speak at the annual sales kickoff meeting.
During his keynote, Jones noted, Cole shared how a “fans first” experience comes to life in his organization and challenged QuidelOrtho’s leaders to consider what it could look like within theirs.
“We are very passionate about developing an organization that employees want to work for,” Jones said. “On the other side of that, we also want our distribution partners and the customers that we collectively serve to become fans of QuidelOrtho. When I think about the audience that we serve, I think about how the great partnership between the distribution and our sales reps can deliver that together.”
Creating space for experimentation
One of the challenges that leaders often must overcome is giving their team members the space to experiment and be creative. This is a leadership style that allows their teams to think outside the box and come up with what might be an indirect approach to solving a problem. For Jones, those solutions are the goal. Her approach to leadership hinges on creating a trusting, experimentative environment that gives her team a safe space to fail.
“Don’t be guided by your failures,” she said. “Be willing to wake up every day and ask, ‘How can I engage a little bit differently? How can I challenge the status quo of the organization?’ It’s also in how we work with our partners and customers, creating a platform that provides a safe space for people to fail, and on the other side of that, it can lead to discovering new, innovative ways of going to market and working.”
Delivering on a promise
QuidelOrtho sees distribution as a true partner in bringing healthcare closer to patients, especially in rural communities. Physician office labs are becoming central to care, and distribution plays a critical role in helping them deliver reliable, accessible testing. “When our partners think about solving problems for customers, I want them to see the value of our Certified Solution,” said Jones. This program gives practices an affordable, full testing menu for their local patients.
Beyond innovation, QuidelOrtho prides itself on service — ranked No. 1 for over five years — so distributors and clients benefit from strong, reliable support. By combining advanced solutions with a robust service model, QuidelOrtho and distribution partners work hand-in-hand to improve patient access and strengthen community health nationwide.