Kaiseraugst, Aargau, Switzerland
During my 25+ years in the Vitamins & Nutritional Products industry , I have had the opportunity to work in several different functions from Research & Development to Innovation Portfolio & Project Management to Global Product Management. As a Laboratory Head in Chemistry R&D, I filed patents for a new Human Nutrition Ingredient and Vitamin B6 process improvements. After the DSM acquisition of Roche Vitamins, as Head of R&D Strategy and Innovation Portfolio Manager, I was directly involved in the transformation of our company’s Innovation Portfolio and Project Management into an industry focused organization. As Innovation Project Manager, I led several projects, including the transfer of production technology from European manufacturing sites to a new partner in China, a collaboration with an Aroma ingredients customer, and I learned how to leverage API vitamins as new value added innovation solutions for the Pharmaceutical industry. As the first Global Product Manager for the New Human Nutrition Ingredients, I aligned these new products with a global Product Development and Launch process, streamlining the portfolio and operationally implementing the new products into the supply chain and sales channels. During my years as Global Product Manager for Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Vitamins B1, B6 and Biotin, I led many cross-functional, multi-cultural teams that secured the overall “healthy" business of these core products. Importantly, it was my responsibility to insure supply to all industries leveraging both production from internal sites as well as via negotiating long term strategic agreements with 3rd party supply partners. Most recently, I have focused my personal development on Facilitation, Coaching and Agile Project Methodology applied to Innovation Management. In 2021, I obtained a certification as an Agile Coach. I continue to practice Agile Ways of Working in my day-to-day Innovation Project and Program Management tasks. During the past 3 years, I have focused my skills development on mentoring and coaching, earning a Level 1 Coaching accreditation from Erickson Coaching International in 2023 and last year Mental Fitness Champion certification from HSE Global. These skills are helping me in my current role as Director Portfolio & Project Management Excellence, especially as dsm-firmenich, just 2 years after merger, is still in a change process and developing our new ways of working together to bring progress to life!
• Drive the development and implementation of the harmonized innovation Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) report in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in Science Research & Innovation, Business Management and Finance. • Collaborating with relevant portfolio managers consolidated KPIs for Group Innovation for monthly and/or quarterly reporting. • Oversee Group-level KPIs and provide tailored reporting to Senior Management Teams. • Work to design project management excellence standards to be applied across the company's innovation community. • Drive the implementation of the new harmonized innovation management process and governance.
Managing Cross Segment / Cross Industry Innovation projects and coordinating associated activities across all departments. Responsible for Innovation projects from early phase idea generation through development and implementation by leading cross-functional teams including the functions R&D, Intellectual Property, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Commercial Marketing & Sales to deliver market ready nutritional products and solutions. Involved in continuous improvement activities around the Project Management Process and Innovation Governance. Inspire internal & external stakeholders by bringing new ideas, staying up to date with latest scientific and technological trends and communicating about Innovation projects and science in an accessible way.
Responsible for early phase project idea generation and evaluation through to implementation of new innovative ingredients into the market, including registration, commercialization and customer contracting
Global Product Management responsibilities for Vitamins B1, B6 and Biotin, as well as Lutein, Zeaxanthin and New Human Nutritional Ingredients (functional foods, nutraceuticals)
methodology development using enzyme labile protecting groups for mild synthesis of peptides