Everyone has dreams and aspirations, but few give flight to their imaginations to achieve them. The key is to look past your circumstances and take advantage of the opportunities around you to reach new heights and go places you never would have thought possible.

Such was the case for Dr. José V. Sartarelli, who started life as a poor farm boy in Brazil yet went on to become a top executive with three worldwide pharmaceutical companies before transitioning into the highest levels of academia.

By sharing his life experiences, Dr. Sartarelli enables you to think differently about your own situations, regardless of what is happening in the world around you. Discover the triumph that can come from thinking creatively, taking action, remaining resilient, and pursuing excellence.

Don’t clip the wings of your dreams. Give them flight.

Dr. José V. “Zito” Sartarelli brings more than 35 years of leadership experience to his publication Giving Flight to Imagination: Leadership, Imagination, and Excellence. He served seven years as chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington after holding roles at West Virginia University, including Milan Puskar Dean of the College of Business and Economics and Chief Diversity Officer. 

A native of Brazil, Sartarelli earned his undergraduate degree from Fundação Getulio Vargas and later completed an MBA and doctorate at Michigan State University as a Fulbright Scholar. Before entering higher education, he spent three decades in the international pharmaceutical industry, holding executive leadership positions with Eli Lilly and Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Johnson & Johnson across global regions.