John Birch
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1. What is your current role at Lonza?
I am Chief Scientific Officer for Lonza Customer Manufacturing (LCM). LCM manufactures biopharmaceutical proteins for a wide range of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the world. We also provide development services to our customers, for example creating the organisms used for production and going on to develop large-scale fermentation methods and processes for purification of the products. The products we manufacture are currently the fastest growing and arguably most exciting category of new medicines. They are also exceptionally complex products, providing real challenges in the development of processes to make them.
2. What is your special benefit about working at Lonza?
For me the company has provided an exceptional opportunity to turn ideas in applied biological science into real processes for important products. The relationship with a broad range of customers and academic research collaborators has provided a uniquely stimulating view of the field I work in.
3. What makes you stay at Lonza?
The biopharmaceutical area is developing rapidly and continues to provide exciting opportunities to exploit novel process science. Lonza recognizes this and is committed to significant investment in innovation. Equally important, I work with a first-class bunch of people in excellent facilities.
4. How do you perceive the working climate at Lonza?
It’s an exciting place to be; there are always new challenges, and people enjoy being part of a success story.
5. Which was your most amazing experience?
Seeing the first products we developed (blood grouping reagents) get to market. These were among the earliest antibody products to be developed, and we were the first company (at that time still Celltech Biologics) to develop a process for the production of licensed antibodies in large-scale cell suspension culture. The work led to us receiving “The Queens Award for Technological Achievement” and was the starting point for the development of a biopharmaceutical manufacturing business, which was subsequently acquired by Lonza in 1996.
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Jeanne Thoma
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1. What is your current role at Lonza?
I am Head of the business unit Microbial Control and member of the Life Science Ingredients (LSI) sector team.
2. How often are you out of the office?
My business unit headquarters office is in Allendale, New Jersey. I am there on average 35% of the time, but I have a second office in Basel, Switzerland in which I spend another 35%. The remaining 30% of my time I spend in Asia, at other Lonza sites or visiting customers.
3. Why do you like working at Lonza?
The most important attribute for me is that Lonza is an ethical company. Because of that, Lonza is also a company that values its employees, which in turn has allowed Lonza to attract and retain a very talented workforce. That leads to another attribute, namely that Lonza is a well-managed company.
4. What does your job give to you?
My position offers me challenges both personally and professionally. Because Lonza is a midsize, company we are large enough to be influential in our markets but small enough that individual employees can see their contribution to the organization.
5. What is your motto of life?
“Character is what you do when no one is looking” and “anyone can have a good idea but a great idea requires a team.”
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