Meet Andrew Duncan, SVP of Business Operations, Pricing, and Strategic Finance at Phil

We recently caught up with Andrew Duncan, our SVP of Business Operations, Pricing, and Strategic Finance. Andrew shares how his personal connection with Phil’s mission is what he likes most about his role and a recent success that he is particularly proud of.   

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at Phil. 

I lead the business operations team at Phil, which currently includes business operations, client optimization, strategic finance, and analytics engineering. I really enjoy what I do. My team's overarching goal is to help make sense of our data and apply it to make better decisions, whether that's related to pricing, forecasting, prioritization of our initiatives, or where we invest as a company. I came on board about 2 ½ years ago to build out this function, and now we're a proud team of seven.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

What I like most is my personal connection to what we do, which I can break down into two things: Phil's mission and the freedom this role provides. I think that most people in the US understand the pain of Utilization Management hurdles, and I can say from experience that calling them PAs doesn't really do it justice. Being on the receiving end of crazy bills because insurance says "no" doesn't feel good to me or anyone else. Having the opportunity to help people clear those hurdles so they can get the treatments they need at a reasonable price is truly work I can be proud of. We're doing something that is helping everyone across the pharma chain. I also really value the "just get your work done" aspect of our company’s culture. It allows me to balance work and personal life in a way that likely wouldn't be possible at many other companies.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced since joining Phil?

I think the biggest challenges are around scaling. Of course, this is a great problem to have because it means we're a growing company. As we’re expanding at breakneck speed, things are constantly changing. For example, outgrowing infrastructure that worked great six months ago, or discovering processes you thought were bulletproof that need to be rebuilt. On the flip side of the coin, this challenge also gets me up in the morning because it's exciting to solve these complex problems. I've learned that nothing works forever in a rapidly scaling company. You must always be on the lookout for what’s going to change, and be ready to jump in.

Tell us about a recent success story that you’re proud of.

I was really proud when we reached a milestone in 2023, where we could accurately predict our forecast in terms of volume within 5% of the actuals. The infrastructure we were previously using wasn’t working, and we are in the process of optimizing the system. It was a great success for our team. However, my lesson from significant accomplishments is that you can't rest on them. What we thought we did well no longer worked, and we needed to figure out how to build a new and improved model. In 6 to 12 months, it will likely change again because we won't be the same company we are today. Since I've been with Phil, there have been several distinct phases where one would not recognize the company it was just six months before, and that’s a good thing.

What are your favorite hobbies or interests outside of work?

Since my three- and four-year-old sons have come along, I've given up all of my previous hobbies and interests. Right now, besides spending time with my family, I'm part of an old man bowling league, which I didn't think I'd say at age 40, but here I am. We bowl once a week. Prior to children, and hopefully again in the future, I really liked playing basketball and golf, and going on road trips.

What, if anything, are you currently binge-watching? Or reading?

My wife and I just started The Gentlemen. We're only one episode in, so I don't know anything about it yet. I also like the really bad Bravo reality shows. You could say I'm a closet Bravo fan. So, my wife and I still watch Southern Charm, Vanderpump Rules, and Summer House.

Interested in joining the Phil team? Check out our company page to discover our exciting job opportunities.