AI Role-Plays in Oncology: Barriers, Nuances, and Lessons from the Field
October 3rd, 2025 | 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM ET
Join James O’Day, a seasoned Oncology trainer at Gilead, and Shiladitya Mallik, CBO of SmartWinnr, for a candid conversation on the barriers, nuances, and actionable steps needed to deploy AI role-plays effectively. This session will highlight the subtle complexities of HCP conversations, compliance considerations you can’t overlook, and the practical steps you need to know if you’re planning to roll out AI role-plays tomorrow. If you’ve been considering bringing AI into your training mix, this is your chance to learn from the field and gain insights you can apply right away.
Register Here
Key Takeaways
- Recognize the Barriers: Understand the practical hurdles in rolling out AI role-plays from compliance and medical accuracy to realism in doctor–rep conversations.
- Learn from the Field: Hear a practitioner’s hard-earned lessons on what works, what doesn’t, and how subtle nuances in therapeutic areas like Oncology can make or break role-play effectiveness.
- Balance Innovation with Compliance: Explore how to design scenarios that push the envelope while staying aligned with regulatory and legal guardrails.
- Make Role-Plays Actionable: Discover how to structure short, focused practice sessions (“mini practice nuggets”) that deliver impact without overwhelming learners.
- Get Ready to Roll Out: Walk away with concrete insights you can apply immediately if you want to implement AI role-plays in your own organization tomorrow.
About the Speakers
About James ODay
Oncology Senior Manager – Commercial Learning & Development, Gilead Sciences
James O’Day is a seasoned oncology trainer, with more than 25 years of experience in pharma and biotech, and a strong focus on oncology, hematology and commercial learning & development. Currently, he is the oncology senior manager – commercial learning & development at Gilead Sciences, where he leads training programs that strengthen commercial capabilities.
James O’Day is a seasoned oncology trainer, with more than 25 years of experience in pharma and biotech, and a strong focus on oncology, hematology and commercial learning & development. Currently, he is the oncology senior manager – commercial learning & development at Gilead Sciences, where he leads training programs that strengthen commercial capabilities.
Before Gilead, he spent more than 10 years at Bristol Myers Squibb in roles such as associate director of U.S. leadership development, senior manager of field sales training (oncology), and senior district business manager (hematology). Earlier, at AstraZeneca, he was a district sales manager and executive sales specialist, earning multiple awards for leadership and coaching. Overall, he has proven expertise in sales enablement, leadership development, field coaching and building high-performing teams.
About Shiladitya Mallik
Chief Business Officer, SmartWinnr
Shiladitya Mallik is the chief business officer at SmartWinnr, a global sales enablement platform. With more than 23 years of experience in technology, consultative selling and executive education, he helps organizations strengthen sales effectiveness and productivity. He frequently speaks at industry conferences, sharing perspectives on the future of work, sales enablement, and the role of AI in corporate training.
In his role at SmartWinnr, Shiladitya has worked with multinational companies to implement consistent training standards across diverse markets while keeping them locally relevant. His expertise includes designing scalable cross-border programs, optimizing global training infrastructure, and creating measurement frameworks that align across cultures. He continues to advise global enterprises on sales productivity and capability building.