Mary Fisher

In the multibillion-dollar global skin care industry, passion can easily come in the form of dollar signs. For Mary Fisher, president and CEO of Carlsbad-based SkinMedica Inc., it’s the leaps in science -- and the collaboration -- that make it exciting.

“One of the things I love is that the pharmaceutical industry is exquisitely interdependent,” Fisher said. “There are cross-functional moments that to me jumpstart innovation when people from different disciplines cross-talk. There are many different industries coming together right now to yield scientific innovation that will impact someone’s life. I just think that’s great fun.”

Fisher, who’s been in the industry for more than 25 years, is no stranger to cross-discipline interactions. She’s worked across the spectrum of business, from operations to accounting to marketing.