Scientific Operations Director
About me…
I received a chemical engineering degree from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology in Zagreb, where I also received my Master’s degree, in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, and after that, my PhD. I worked at JGL from 2013 to 2015 in the R&D department, and then again from January 2021 when I started working as the director in the newly-founded area of Scientific Operations), which unifies R&D, Registrations, Medical, and Process Development (colloquially: Pilot).
About my workday…
I wake up at six and start my day by taking care of my dog and cat – I feed them, play with them and take them for a short walk. I arrive at the office at eight and begin immediately with meetings, calls and e-mails, which never seem to end. I regularly make weekly task plans and try to accomplish as much as possible. I am focused on critical and new tasks for which I believe my engagement to be essential. When my colleagues and teams asses that I am needed for other tasks, I make an effort to become involved as soon as possible. My workday is long and continues with other obligations and activities... I never have enough time for all of my plans.
About the challenges at work...
I am challenged by the new things we do (studies, technologies, and documentation), which we never did or worked on before. Those things are a part of our strategy to create our own innovative and complex products. We operate under time constraints to place our products on the market before our competition. We work with different countries/regions, their agencies and authorities with often very different requirements. We try to overcome all of those challenges with the knowledge, talents and skills of our in-house team, which is further strategically bolstered by the competencies of external contractors.
About the team environment…
The team environment is exciting and motivating... A true team knows no limits.
About work motivation…
I am motivated by innovation, new knowledge and experience, new horizons and the challenges I have overcome, despite the scepticism and fear I sometimes feel.
About working at JGL…
Working at JGL is interesting and challenging; we work in small teams, and we are often faced with a lack of experience but great ambition. I love the courage and passion I often feel in my team; those qualities can often compensate for other things lacking and motivate the team to reach their limits and go beyond them. A good example is when we got the first registration for an anti-acne gel in the UK, and your partner informs you they were surprised by the speed and quality of the process.
About the desire for new knowledge…
I strive to improve our knowledge of intellectual property, the development of processes and the mechanistic connection, the knowledge about materials, processes, products, pre-clinical and clinical development, as well as the knowledge in the area of product design and analytics.
About my hobbies…
My hobbies include folk dancing and singing in the church choir. I like to read and watch films of different genres whenever I have time. I enjoy travelling and meeting new people.
About success and satisfaction…
My greatest achievement is my family and the connection we have. It is priceless and irreplaceable. I am happy and fulfilled when I can help people – I try to recognise those situations, and I readily step up when I am needed. That is why I have offered my home to five Ukrainian immigrants who have already been with me for five months. They are two mothers and three children.