We Are Norstella

Shanoob Azad

Editorial Director, Norstella

Shanoob Azad, Editorial Director at Norstella, took an unconventional path—from medical school to media entrepreneurship—which has led him to the forefront of healthcare content innovation. With a passion for storytelling, a knack for technology and a deep understanding of the medical field, Shanoob now leads content strategy for Skipta, Norstella’s dynamic healthcare professionals’ community platform. We recently spoke to him about his career journey, the role of generative AI in content creation and what excites him most about the future.

Norstella: Tell us a little bit more about your role. 

I’m the Editorial Director for Skipta, which is a community platform that brings together around 40 specialty and micro-communities. Each of these targets different healthcare specialties and disease states. We’re focused on producing content that keeps these communities dynamic and engaged—primarily for healthcare professionals (HCPs).

There are two main types of content we produce. One is commercial content, which supports our projects with pharma clients. The other is what we call “house content”—this is designed to engage the communities and keep HCPs coming back.

Beyond content creation, we also look at how we can scale our efforts efficiently. A big part of that is exploring the use of generative AI (genAI) to help us maintain both creativity and scale with a small team.

How did you join the company? What in your background brought you to pharma? 

That’s a bit of a journey! I actually studied medicine—I hold a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. While I was still in medical school, I had an entrepreneurial streak and launched a magazine for doctors back in 2009. That publication grew quickly and became one of India’s most-read by the medical community.

Eventually, as the print industry started to decline around 2018, we transitioned into digital publishing focused on hospital administration. From there, my team began offering creative services to healthcare clients, including hospitals and private practices. We eventually sold the core part of that business, and I started looking for opportunities with more global exposure—something that would also give me insight into how large systems operate.

That’s when I found this role at Norstella. It aligned perfectly with my editorial experience and offered the scale and global impact I was looking for.

What are some of the larger projects you’re working on? 

Right now, one of the larger initiatives I’m working on is how we can use customized genAI—specifically through Microsoft Azure—to automate content production. Our team is small, but the content demands are high, so we’re trying to streamline our processes.

We’re also building systems that not only create content but learn from performance metrics. The goal is to make future content smarter and more engaging by having it informed by past results. It’s still in preliminary stages, but it’s exciting to work on something that has the potential to transform how we operate.

What does your day-to-day usually look like? 

A lot of my day is spent either producing content for commercial projects or experimenting with new methods of content creation using genAI. We’re constantly trying to find ways to introduce variety while maintaining accuracy—without needing intensive fact-checking.

One breakthrough has been incorporating reliable references directly into the AI workflow. It’s a simple change, but it took a lot of trial and error to get right. Aside from that, I spend time in meetings and managing content pipelines.

What are some of the common challenges of your role? 

I like to think of them more as puzzles than challenges—that’s what keeps the job dynamic. One example: we want to use engagement metrics to guide content creation, but to do that, we first need enough engagement data to work with. That creates a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. Finding creative ways to solve problems like that is what makes the job fun.

What’s been your career highlight to date? 

One of the biggest wins has been bringing content production in-house. Previously, we relied heavily on outsourcing, which meant long turnaround times. By streamlining the process internally, we reduced turnaround times by a factor of seven. That’s had an enormous impact across departments, making everything more efficient and predictable.

What trends are you seeing across the industry right now that Norstella is in a unique position to help with? 

From a macro perspective, there’s a clear shift toward personalized medicine—things like genomics, metabolomics, and other ‘omics’. These advancements are paving the way for pharmaceuticals to be tailored to individuals or specific biomarkers. That shift could completely upend current development cycles and supply chains.

Norstella is uniquely positioned to support pharma companies throughout this transformation. Because we’re integrated across multiple areas of the pharma value chain, we can provide end-to-end support and solutions.

Which company principle resonates most with you? 

I find all of them meaningful, but what really stands out is the balance we strive for between being bold, passionate, and mission-first, while also practicing kindness, empathy, and grace. That duality is important—especially in leadership and collaboration—and it’s something I try to embody in my work.

Where do you see Norstella in the next year or two? 

I think we’ve brought together a wide range of complementary services, and I see those becoming more seamlessly integrated—essentially forming a well-oiled machine. That integration will be key to capturing more market share and delivering even greater value to clients.

What would you tell someone just starting their career with Norstella? 

I’d say jump at the opportunity. This company is going places. There’s so much potential here, and it’s a great environment for learning and growing.

What do you like most about working at Norstella? 

The work culture. I really appreciate how we stay productive without being overbearing. It’s a healthy, respectful environment—whether I’m working with the team in India or the team in the U.S., that culture is consistent across the board.

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I play the drums—mostly metal with double bass, that kind of thing. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoy it. I also paint occasionally, maybe once every few months. And I love learning—whether it’s how something works or picking up a new concept. I spend a lot of my free time just diving into different topics out of curiosity.

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