With more than 30 years’ experience in the aesthetics and medical fields, Pat Altavilla has emerged as a very familiar face in the aesthetics industry. She began her career at Mentor Corporation and served as Vice President of International Sales and Worldwide Marketing. For nearly two decades, she was instrumental in growing their sales tenfold globally. She launched several novel products during her tenure and enhanced Mentor’s global market presence by managing international direct and distributor relations.
Ms. Altavilla later went on to be Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Operations at The Plastic Surgery Company, and then she co-founded and ran Spa Medicus/Medicus Skin Enhancement for several years. Soon after that, she joined BioForm Medical Aesthetics as the Vice President of Global Marketing for Radiesse and was instrumental in restructuring the marketing department, growing sales, developing a comprehensive practice development program, and raising the company’s visibility in the market, which ultimately resulted in Merz Aesthetics acquiring the company. She subsequently joined ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. and served in several leadership roles within the CoolSculpting brand.
Throughout her formidable career, Ms. Altavilla has been instrumental in developing global marketing strategies, building physician loyalty, enhancing practice development, launching innovative products, and increasing the industry presence of the brands she spearheaded. She has consistently led negotiations for joint ventures, strategic partnerships, and distribution relationships in an effort to continue to advance the positions in the marketplace for the companies she led.
Pat’s latest opportunity is to redefine Suneva Medical’s position within the industry as a leader in regenerative aesthetics and to shape the future of the brand. She is definitely up to the task, according to her peers and many key opinion leaders. Under her leadership, Suneva recently introduced Regenerative Aesthetics, and Suneva HD PRP plus PureGraft for harvesting fat to round out their portfolio, and the company is hyper-focused on growing its flagship product, Bellafill.
WL: Who were some of your mentors throughout your career?
Pat: I’ve been very fortunate to have many positive influences throughout my career, and I believe that if you are open, there are many people whom you can learn from. I began my career in human resources and had two remarkable female role models who inspired me; Susan Dey and Barbara Evans helped me understand how to navigate the world of business. As I transitioned my career into the commercial side of the industry, Dennis Condon, who has served in various Vice President, President, and CEO roles for major aesthetics companies, helped me to frame the way in which I think about the industry today.
WL: How did you get your start in the aesthetics field?
Pat: My career began more than 30 years ago with Mentor Corporation. It was a great training ground and gave me real depth of knowledge in the aesthetics space. Along the way, I have worked with some tremendous leaders and mentors and have had the privilege to meet so many dedicated practitioners across all specialties. It has been an amazing ride and I feel very privileged to have been part of such a vibrant industry that continues to thrive and evolve.
WL: What advice do you have for women who are rising stars in this industry?
Pat: I believe we have a unique position in the aesthetic industry as we are also the primary consumer. Our insights into the customer are invaluable to any aesthetic company and we need to be confident in the value that we bring to any organization. In addition, developing and homing in on your leadership skills is essential to be an effective leader for your organization as well as the industry.
WL: How would your colleagues describe your management style?
Pat: I think they would tell you that I am a pace-setter and a hard worker but never ask people to do more than I would; that I am focused on alignment within the organization to ensure that we are all running together. While it’s important to set the right tone for your organization, it’s equally important to make sure that everyone is closely connected to one another to keep things moving in a positive direction.
WL: Name a quote or quotes that best describe your philosophy.
Pat: “Leadership means firmness, not harshness or bullying; understanding not weakness; justice not irresponsible freedom, humanness not intolerance; generosity not selfishness; pride not egotism.” – General Omar Nelson Bradley of the US Army during WWII