Alumni Newsmaker: Phil Brennan '94

When you ask Phil Brennan, co-founder of award-winning marketRx, to name one of the key factors to his success in the fast-paced, highly-analytical world of pharmaceutical consulting he is quick to point to his alma mater. Brennan earned both his B.S. and M.S. in the industrial engineering department, graduating at the top of his class. He often says that while his academics were important, it was the other lessons he learned at Lehigh that defined his future career.
After graduating in 1994 Brennan took a position with a pharmaceutical consulting firm based in Illinois. At the age of 28, Brennan capitalized on the “other learnings” and co-founded marketRx with two of his colleagues. Since its inception in 2000, marketRx has received numerous awards, including company of the year by N.J. Finest and private company of the year by New Jersey Technology Council.
Brennan is a true entrepreneur – during our lunch interview at a national chain he commented about the improvements the restaurant could make to not only its efficiency but also to its business model. Seeing new opportunities everywhere is, after all, what his role as VP of Professional Services is all about.
Brennan is widely known and respected in the pharmaceutical sales and marketing industry for his innovative problem solving and ability to drive sales. As an industry leader, he delivered the keynote address at the 2003 Lehigh IE banquet.
His love for Lehigh and commitment to giving back is also felt by his frequent presence on campus at networking receptions, recruiting and at football games from time to time. Ten percent of the marketRx workforce is Lehigh graduates due to Brennan’s consideration of his alma mater.
Brennan has always worked hard to give back to the university that has given him so much.