Doug Voisin is the President of Pharma-Safe Industrial Services (PSIS). In this interview, Doug discusses his career journey from a bank teller to paramedic, his rise through diverse industries, and how his experience has shaped his leadership style. He discusses the core values that guide his decisions, offering valuable insights on how he functions as a leader and in his personal life.

Professional Journey: From Paramedic to President

Early Beginnings and Education

Doug Voisin was born in Houma, LA, and has experience and knowledge in various fields and industries that he utilizes in his daily duties. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in business and a minor in finance from Nicholls State University, he began his career as a bank teller, later transitioning to roles such as loan collector, real estate appraiser, and insurance agent.

Not long later, he pursued his true passion for business by purchasing and operating a small rural grocery store for six years.

At the same time, he began volunteering as a firefighter, working up to becoming an EMT-basic. Feeling satisfied with his business experience and wanting to pursue his knack in emergency care, he sold his store to work full-time as a paramedic.

As a paramedic, he rose to work as a supervisor and later was stationed to work offshore as a remote medic/clerk in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). His ever-progressing attitude led him to pursue an additional associate’s degree in petroleum safety technology from Nicholls while working offshore.

Doug then pursued a safety manager role at a construction company. He eventually became the Corporate Safety Manager for a large fabrication company with 1,200 employees and twelve direct reports. During this time, he became a customer of Pharma-Safe in the early 2000s, buying medical supplies.

By 2007, he joined PSIS in a sales role, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his career.

The PSIS difference

Pharma-Safe appealed to him in its combination of both of his passions: business and emergency care. He notes the unique culture that underlies the experience of nearly all the management team—paramedic experience. These people understand from the ground up what it means to be in the position of the people they manage.

The team’s experience in high-pressure situations lends itself to a uniquely efficient ability to rally together and respond to troubling situations in the company. The Covid-19 pandemic is a testament to this.

Pharma-Safe became a leading company in providing medical supplies, personnel, and training to meet the sudden spike in demand for testing and support of its clients. PSIS was the first in its sector to have a mobile license for remote testing in the GOM.

Its quick response to the pandemic was able to aid in reducing infection exposure to thousands of employees and helped to characterize the company as a large-scale paramedic itself. These are the kinds of values that Doug Voisin takes pride in being a part of.

Doug began working in sales and found himself loving the position. He had a wide variety of knowledge and could connect with others on many fronts. He also enjoyed simply being able to meet and connect with others. He valued the opportunity to grow a business in the niche of his two specialties.

Within two years, Doug doubled the size of the company. Shortly after, he was transferred to the Lafayette, LA, office as a manager. Eventually, he was promoted to the position he holds now as the President of Pharma-Safe Industrial Services.

Current Role and Responsibilities

Reflecting his diverse journey, Doug contributes to his presidential role in a variety of ways. As President, he works as a supervisor, resource provider, financial analyst, structure organizer, mentor, and mediator to facilitate problem-solving and healthy conflict.

Embracing Change and Growth

As he remained at PSIS, Doug went through a significant transformation in both his professional and personal life. Personal challenges prompted him to reflect deeply on every aspect of his life. Recognizing the unsustainability of his previous work approach was a pivotal moment.

In small yet impactful changes, he began to rebuild a life that he could sustain and be sustained by. Meeting new people who challenged him spiritually and intellectually was crucial. Being pushed to grow and being open to disagreement can often lead to profound personal development.

These changes were reflected also in his approach to work and he became open to new ideas to manage his responsibilities more efficiently. Soon, he learned of an opportunity to implement a new management system that could reflect this: the EOS.

The EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) created a way for the executive team to align themselves to facilitate conflicts and opposing ideas healthily and productively. It’s a simple framework for defining what’s important, who owns it, and exactly what success looks like.

With every team accountable for a handful of goals and numbers, you’ll get consistently better results. Functionally, it consolidated corporate information and formalized processes to where operations across all levels are not dependent on any given person’s knowledge. Implementing the EOS system at Pharma-Safe helped align the executive team, fostering focus, discipline, and accountability across the organization.

Guiding Principles and Core Values

Doug Voisin’s core goal is to impact the most people most effectively. He strongly believes in the PSIS core values and strives to treat others as he would like to be treated, emphasizing the importance of kindness and building good relationships. This approach not only earns respect but also makes his work fulfilling.

His career advice to young professionals is to network widely and be nice to everyone, maintaining appropriate circles of closeness. At the bottom line, he believes in following passion and fulfillment in work.