In the complex world of healthcare, where life-changing therapies meet rigorous regulations, a unique breed of leader emerges—one who sees compliance not as a barrier, but as a bridge to innovation. Laura Hamm, Director of Ethics & Compliance at Esperion Therapeutics, represents this new generation of transformational compliance professionals who are reshaping how pharmaceutical and medical device companies approach ethical business practices.
With an unconventional path that began in English, Spanish, and Professional Writing, Hamm has evolved into a strategic compliance architect who views her role through a distinctly human lens. Her philosophy is simple yet revolutionary: compliance should be embedded “in the drinking water” of company culture, not imposed from above like corporate surveillance.
The Accidental Compliance Pioneer
Hamm’s journey into healthcare compliance began not with a master plan, but with a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) that would become her “learning bootcamp.” This introduction to the complexities of government mandates opened her eyes to compliance’s powerful role in shaping business conduct, patient safety, and corporate reputation.
“My path into healthcare compliance was not linear,” Hamm reflects. “I began my career grounded in communication and the importance of clear, ethical messaging. I carried these themes with me into healthcare as I realized compliance is not just about rules, it’s about values.”
That early experience with a CIA taught her what happens when organizations lack a strong compliance foundation. But rather than deterring her, it ignited a passion for proactive, strategic compliance that could positively impact company culture and patient outcomes. She discovered that compliance could serve as both a safeguard for public trust and an enabler for organizations bringing life-changing therapies to market.
Building Bridges Across Organizational Scales
Hamm’s unique perspective has been shaped by her experience across the full spectrum of healthcare organizations—from pre-commercial biopharma startups to global MedTech giants. This diversity has taught her that context is everything in compliance program design.
“At smaller companies, you often build from scratch. You’re scrappy, close to the ground, and everything you do is visible,” she explains. “At larger organizations, you’re part of a mature ecosystem with robust processes. The challenge becomes scale: aligning global standards with local nuance.”
Regardless of organizational size, Hamm’s approach remains consistently people-centered. She builds programs designed for the humans who live them—clear, practical, and grounded in mutual respect. This philosophy has proven successful across diverse corporate environments, from nimble startups where urgency must be balanced with clarity, to complex global structures requiring both standardization and local flexibility.
The Philosophy of Transformational Compliance
What sets Hamm apart is her definition of “transformational compliance”—a philosophy that moves beyond checkbox thinking to embed compliance and integrity into the very rhythm of business operations. This represents a fundamental shift from reactive to proactive approaches, from “compliance owns this” to putting compliance principles into the organizational DNA.
“It’s about translating regulatory complexity into practical, accessible tools that help people feel confident doing their jobs within the guardrails,” Hamm explains. Her approach starts with meeting people where they are, whether that means helping industry newcomers with “Compliance 101” in plain language or designing processes that reduce friction in high-stakes decisions.
This transformational approach recognizes that the most effective compliance programs don’t stand in the way of progress—they enable it. Hamm positions compliance as a co-pilot in innovation, designing systems that allow teams to move fast with confidence rather than hesitation.
Mastering the Art of Practical Implementation
Hamm’s expertise shines in her approach to implementing the OIG’s Seven Elements of an Effective Compliance Program. Rather than treating them as a static checklist, she views these elements as the framework for a living, breathing compliance culture that scales with organizational growth and adapts to evolving risks.
“The goal is to embed these elements in a way that scales with the organization’s growth and adapts to evolving risk,” she notes. For new programs, this means starting with a compliance roadmap that identifies which policies, training, and real-time feedback loops take priority. As the business expands, the program grows accordingly.
A key insight from her experience is the importance of regular program evaluation. Annual reviews of active policies and training help identify needs for new elements while providing opportunities to retire outdated or redundant materials. “Once employees start feeling overburdened with ‘this doesn’t apply to my job,’ the Compliance reputation is at risk,” she warns.
Navigating Industry-Specific Complexities
Hamm’s cross-industry experience has given her unique insights into the differences between pharmaceutical and medical device compliance programs. In pharma, programs tend to focus heavily on promotional activities and healthcare professional interactions that are more marketing-centric. Medical device companies, however, often have field representatives providing real-time support, including physical presence in clinical settings like operating rooms.
“This hands-on interaction introduces a different compliance risk profile—more focused on distinguishing between legitimate educational support and impermissible inducement,” she explains. “As such, medical device compliance needs to be more dynamic and closely aligned with operational practices.”
Understanding these nuances—from PhRMA versus AdvaMed codes to how different industries interact with clinicians and patients—enables Hamm to design targeted compliance strategies that address specific industry risks while maintaining universal ethical standards.
The Art of Collaborative Guardrails
One of Hamm’s most valuable skills is creating compliance “guardrails” that business partners not only follow but embrace. Her secret lies in co-creation: involving teams in shaping how policies should look in practice rather than handing down rules from above.
“Compliance works best when it’s co-created with the business. Guardrails should feel like support, not surveillance,” she emphasizes. This approach starts with listening—understanding what the business is trying to achieve and identifying where uncertainty exists.
Rules of Engagement serve as a perfect example of this collaborative approach. Rather than dictating policies, Hamm involves teams in shaping practical implementation. She hosts interactive Q&As and builds quick-reference tools based on team input. When people are part of the process, they take ownership.
Strategic Risk Management in Action
Hamm’s strategic approach to compliance has directly influenced major business decisions. In one notable instance, she participated in due diligence for a potential acquisition that looked promising commercially but revealed significant compliance gaps upon deeper investigation.
Rather than issuing blanket red flags, she provided a detailed risk assessment alongside actionable mitigation strategies. This gave leadership the clarity needed to make not just a decision, but a smart one. It exemplifies her philosophy of providing solutions, not just identifying problems.
Her approach to integrations—whether through co-promotion agreements or acquisitions—demonstrates this collaborative methodology. When merging multiple compliance cultures, each with its own approach, systems, and philosophy, she leads gap analyses with key stakeholders to build harmonization roadmaps through communication and mutual respect.
Culture as the Foundation
For Hamm, culture is the bedrock of any successful compliance program. While policies and training are important, culture determines whether people will act with integrity when no one’s watching. She’s witnessed the stark difference between companies where compliance is feared versus those where it’s part of organizational DNA—and the latter consistently outperform.
“Culture is not a one-and-done exercise,” she notes. Keeping compliance “in the drinking water” requires regular reinforcement through various means: celebrating Corporate Compliance and Ethics Week, joining sales meetings to humanize compliance, or implementing “caught doing it right” campaigns that recognize courageous decisions.
Building trust with cross-functional teams, especially commercial roles, starts with understanding their objectives and demonstrating how compliance supports those outcomes. When launching new field engagement protocols, Hamm doesn’t just send guidelines—she joins team calls, invites questions, and provides context on the “why” behind changes.
The Balance of Education and Accountability
Hamm’s approach to employee engagement balances education with enforcement through empathy and consistency. She views education as the first and most important line of defense, believing that when employees understand the reasons behind rules, they’re more likely to follow them.
“I believe in coaching over policing, but when violations occur, I follow through with fairness and transparency,” she explains. The process should never feel punitive, but it should feel real. Through objective and timely investigation processes, she builds a culture of shared responsibility where people know integrity is taken seriously.
Future-Focused Leadership
Looking ahead, Hamm identifies three key trends that will reshape compliance in pharma and medtech over the next five years. First, data privacy and AI will require smarter guardrails around data use, algorithmic transparency, and consent as companies collect more patient and healthcare professional data. Compliance teams must evolve to become strategic partners in digital innovation.
Second, globalization means even mid-sized companies now operate in diverse regulatory environments, making the ability to design globally consistent yet locally flexible programs a critical skill.
Third, the convergence of compliance and ESG reflects stakeholder expectations for companies to operate with ethical integrity beyond legal minimums. Compliance will play a bigger role in shaping responsible business practices across the board.
Leadership Lessons from High-Stakes Environments
Hamm’s leadership philosophy has been forged in high-stakes, highly regulated environments where three key lessons have proven invaluable. The first is the power of calm clarity—in moments of pressure during investigations, audits, or product launches, people look to compliance leaders not just for answers, but for steadiness.
The second lesson is the importance of courage. “There are times when you need to raise an unpopular issue, challenge a shortcut, or hold the line. Those moments require both backbone and grace,” she reflects.
Finally, she’s learned that leadership is about lifting others. Mentoring junior colleagues, elevating cross-functional partners, and recognizing quiet contributors builds stronger, more resilient organizations. This is how compliance becomes embedded not just in processes, but in people.
Charting the Path Forward
For aspiring compliance professionals, Hamm offers three pieces of advice rooted in her own journey. First, start with curiosity—learn the business inside and out, understand how your company creates value, what keeps stakeholders awake at night, and where gray areas exist.
Next, build relationships. “Compliance doesn’t work in a vacuum—it works through trust. Be the person who asks good questions, shows up consistently, and offers solutions—not just critiques.”
Finally, don’t be afraid to take up space. “This field needs bold thinkers, clear communicators, and emotionally intelligent leaders. Bring your full self, lead with integrity, and remember: the most effective compliance leaders don’t just protect the business—they help shape what it becomes.”
As healthcare continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, leaders like Laura Hamm are proving that compliance isn’t just about following rules—it’s about creating frameworks that enable innovation while protecting the trust that makes healthcare possible. Her transformational approach demonstrates that when compliance is embedded thoughtfully and collaboratively, it becomes not a barrier to progress, but a catalyst for meaningful change in an industry dedicated to improving human health.
