A lasting legacy

The life’s work of Jean Brihay

Many of us who work at Cook today will never have heard the name Jean Brihay. For others, he is known as a celebrated pillar of Cook’s history, a daily inspiration, and a passionate and charismatic individual whose story should be shared far and wide.

Personifying Cook culture

Jean joined Cook in 1982 as the first European sales rep for the Endoscopy specialty, driving all over Europe with Cook products loaded in the back of his car. He began building lifelong relationships with doctors, researchers, and facilities on behalf of Cook, relationships which still exist to this day. For a time, Cook’s Endoscopy business in Europe literally was Jean Brihay.

“Jean Brihay personified the Cook culture. He was a man of integrity and was passionate about his work. He had a talent for seeing what physicians needed and helped to facilitate that, often through collaboration: working together to improve patient care. His legacy is still visible in the way we conduct our modern-day work, and the example he set within Endoscopy continues to inspire our team to this day,” said Barry Slowey, president of Cook Winston-Salem and Endoscopy business leader.

He had a passion for Endoscopy, matched only by his passion for educating and connecting people. He believed product education was central to advancing the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy. Jean was amongst the first in Europe to pioneer clinical workshops, bringing physicians into the operating room and allowing them to learn techniques from more experienced physicians during actual clinical cases, a model that we still use at Cook today.

His passion for education was contagious and affected many who worked with him. Jean worked with world-renowned physicians such as Prof. Constamanga, Prof. Deviere, and Prof. Cremer, and he trained many of Cook’s European sales reps during his time at Cook.

“If a doctor said, ‘I need a product,’ and it was 300 km (186.411 miles) away, Jean would walk there to get the product to that physician. He would do everything for his physicians to make sure they were in the best position for their procedures the next day,” said Simon Brouwers, the global project manager for the Endoscopy specialty.

“As much as Jean was focused on serving his customers, everything he did was to serve the patient,” Simon continued. “He often said ‘the solution for a patient can be you. It doesn’t matter if [the device] is from Cook or a competitor device.’ He taught me how important it is to not only know the products from your own company, but to learn about what your competitor can offer too. Because sometimes, if you’re in a procedure, and you see a reason why your product is not the best solution for that patient, you would know what other products would work.”

This patient focus is something that Cook prides itself on to this very day. You can watch the video below to learn even more about Jean’s work and lasting impact at Cook.

The Jean Brihay Award

To recognize this commitment and acknowledge the huge contribution Jean made within Cook and the world of endoscopy at large, the Jean Brihay Award was created in 2008.

For a number of years, the award was bestowed on regional sales teams within the Endoscopy specialty. However, in April, it was awarded to the Endoscopy Product Management and Marketing teams from Ireland for the first time. They were recognized for their performance and commitment to supporting the sales teams, business management, and promotion of Endoscopy devices around the world.

Speaking about the achievement, Jean Rondan, sales and marketing director for the Endoscopy specialty (EMEA and Latin America), said, “The Jean Brihay Award is the reward for engagement, dedication, and commitment to achieving our mission. This year, the award went to a team who are not necessarily in the spotlight, but without whom, we in sales, would not be able to shine.”

The award itself was designed and handmade in Ireland. The bronze sculpture depicts the bow of a ship guided by hands, representing “the hands that steady the ship.”

Inspiring future generations

Jean’s legacy lives on today, not only through those he worked with and mentored, but through those who have followed in his footsteps and continue to champion Cook’s leadership in the world of endoscopy. Jean’s son, Arnaud Brihay, is also continuing both the Cook and Brihay legacies, working as the MedSurg distribution manager for Eastern Europe.

In many ways, Jean had the same passions that Bill and Gayle Cook held starting the business. He sought ideas for new and better products that resulted in innovative clinical solutions to improve patient lives. It was this passion that endeared Jean to the hearts of so many that he worked with. Although Jean passed away in 2010, after 28 years of working at Cook, his legacy and work will continue to inspire future generations.

Info box: Endoscopy Product Management and Marketing teams

The Endoscopy Product Management and Marketing teams in Limerick have global remit in the holistic business management and promotion of a number of Endoscopy devices around the world. This team of seven people works closely with 17 functions across Cook, including Engineering, Operations, Regulatory, and Sales teams in the field.

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Written by Lisa Martin, a Written Content and Brand specialist in Corporate Brand and Communications at Cook Ireland.

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You can click the following blue text to check out Episode 4 of The Cook Podcast and give it a listen.
To read about more folks who have had lasting legacies at Cook, consider clicking the following blue text and checking out
“Thank you, Tom, for everything” and Remembering James Yang.