Josh Fields considers himself a conduit of information.

He spends nearly every day interacting with federal government customer accounts – educating and assisting them in choosing the right device for their patients.  

After spending more than 11 years with CareFusion selling disposables and surgical solutions, Josh now sells the entire BD portfolio, which is both challenging and rewarding at the same time.

“I’ve been with BD for 13 years. After the CareFusion acquisition, I moved into surgery sales, where I learned a lot. However, I kept thinking that I wished a role existed where I could work more closely in the government space and focus on supporting the military through the work I do at BD,” remarked Josh. Ask and you shall receive, as some like to say.

Josh has been in his current role as a Government Account Manager for nearly two years now and noted the most significant difference from being on the commercial side is getting educated on the vast BD portfolio of products and solutions as he approaches customers looking to sell at the BDX level.

“I went from selling one product line to several. It’s been challenging to learn them all but equally as rewarding in helping our federal customers support veterans in the provision of med tech products and solutions used for their care. You need to be fluent in the products and solutions we offer,” said Josh. “In reality, I have two sets of customers – our internal business units whom I work with closely and then the external customers. I love how much value we are bringing to help provide better patient outcomes.”

Making the Transition to Civilian Life and Work

After having served in the U.S. Army for more than eight years as an Ordinance Ammunition Officer, Josh did what many former military personnel do – focused on making a successful transition from the military to the business world.

With his time in the military and a degree in economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point, he looked across myriad roles and decided sales would best suit his career desire. He joined Abbott Labs as a senior sales representative, which he stayed with for a short time before joining CareFusion.

“Transitioning from the military can be scary for anyone because it’s the unknown. In the military, it’s very regimented and structured so it’s a very different work environment. You can make a great life for yourself at BD and it’s very fulfilling to continue serving the country in this capacity,” said Josh.

Supporting the VETS ARG

Josh works closely across the VETS ARG membership as he serves as the National Mentorship Coordinator, supporting new hires into BD who are former military personnel and veterans as they transition into a new way of work and life. A key focus is building a consistent and standardized onboarding process.

“We want veterans to feel welcome and we want to keep building awareness of the value and benefits of the BD VETS ARG. We offer a lot of resources and tools to help them with a softer landing, which is important, but also helping them become even better versions of themselves personally and professionally,” noted Josh.

In his personal time, Josh is often found watching his son play in his high school baseball games. Or he might be working alongside his wife in supporting a local community effort. All in all, Josh is grateful for his role at BD and being able to give back to veterans joining BD.