MJ Vigil
Chief People Officer
Medable
Targeting Niche Groups for Staggering Results
MJ Vigil, Chief People Officer at Medable, works intentionally to build a team of extraordinary technologists, scientists, and researchers—all to pioneer clinical trial technology to accelerate the development of COVID vaccines and new medicines for a range of therapeutic areas.
MJ’s career history includes several senior positions across a range of industries—including 15 years at Starbucks as VP of Human Resources. She joined Medable with deep expertise in people, blitz-scaling, and global expansion.
Under MJ’s leadership, Medable’s global workforce has grown from under 100 to more than 650 people. Her Human Resources team has been able to procure stellar talent, maintain diverse representation, and build a culture based on purpose, vision, values, innovation, and impact. MJ makes a concerted effort to cast as wide a net as possible, reaching to niche groups that are not typically targeted in recruiting efforts.
Her results are staggering. Nearly half of Medable’s executive leaders and employees are women, including the company’s CEO, Chief Scientific Officer, Chief Growth Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, and General Manager. Fifty percent of the board of directors and 54% of the leadership team are women or from under-represented groups.
MJ’s success in building a company of high competency and character is evident. “After interviewing for several months and speaking to countless companies, Medable stood out from the rest,” says Jennifer Rosenbaum, who recently joined Medable as Vice President of Communications. “They had clearly done the work to identify who they were looking for. The entire process felt dignified and professional—a stark contrast to what I had experienced during my search.”
Outside the office, MJ still leads “in service of others before self.” She serves on Boards with the Red Cross, Girl Scouts, and League of Women Voters. MJ praises the Girl Scouts for its STEM program, and has led volunteer efforts to help countless Scouts earn cybersecurity badges. MJ explains, “I am trying to build women leaders of the future by connecting early.”
